Original Practice Shakespeare Festival

What Original Practice Shakespeare Festival does

Original Practice Shakespeare Festival (OPS Fest) is a Portland, Oregon-based 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2008 that performs free Shakespeare in public parks across the Portland metropolitan area and surrounding communities. The company's product is repertory theatre executed through an authentic Elizabethan-era "original practice" methodology: actors receive only their own lines and three-to-four-word cues from First Folio scrolls, perform with limited rehearsal, are supported by an onstage prompter, and actively solicit audience participation. Gender-fluid, race-flexible, and orientation-flexible casting is standard. The repertory spans 27 Shakespeare plays and is staged at 12+ parks including Irving Park, Laurelhurst Park, Mt. Tabor, Cathedral Park, and Gateway Discovery Park, with season touring to Lake Oswego, Beaverton, Sherwood, Happy Valley, and Tillamook.

OPS Fest is built around a core company of approximately 50-60 performing members plus 8-10 annual apprentices, supported by a small administrative staff (11 core employees per firmographics) and a Board of Directors. The artistic leadership consists of Co-Artistic Directors Jennifer Lanier and Sullivan Mackintosh, plus Artistic Directors Emmy Duckart and Brian Saville Allard. The company runs a PATA Unified Shakespeare audition pipeline, an Apprentice Program with stipends of $600-$725, school education programs, and volunteer pathways.

The business model is a non-profit donations-and-sponsorships stack: all public performances are free admission, so revenue is generated through individual donor tiers ($50 Groundling through $25,000+ Royal Majesty, plus $10/month recurring giving), foundation and corporate sponsorships (Oregon Arts Council, Miller Foundation, Starseed Foundation, Portland Park & Rec), and a secondary B2B channel of private improv comedy bookings for corporate clients (Intel, Standard Insurance cited). An online streaming channel via Facebook and YouTube extends reach. The company's demographics—75% women/non-binary, 50% LGBTQIA+, 20% BIPOC, 20% artists with disabilities—reflect a deliberate inclusion strategy formalized through YWCA and Uprise Collective equity training since 2018.

Name

Original Practice Shakespeare Festival

Legal name

Original Practice Shakespeare Festival

Website

https://opsfest.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Original Practice Shakespeare Festival is a Portland-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that performs free Shakespeare in public parks using Elizabethan-era original practice techniques. It serves Portland metro audiences across 12 parks with a repertory of 27 plays.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theatre and Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Outdoor Shakespeare performances
• Live theatre productions
• Improv comedy shows
• Theatre education programs
• Community Shakespeare festival

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donor contributions at various levels ($1 to $50,000+) through PayPal or check. Donation tiers include Groundling ($50+), Poet ($100+), Minstrel ($250+), Bard ($500+), Muse ($1,000+), Lord Chamberlain Society ($5,000+), Royal Circle ($10,000+), and Royal Majesty ($25,000+). Monthly giving option at $10/month.
2. Corporate/Private Event Bookings: Revenue from private improv comedy shows for corporate events, birthday parties, and community groups. Pricing varies based on performance duration (20 minutes to 2 hours) and number of actors (3-5). Clients have included Intel and Standard Insurance.
3. Foundation and Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship revenue from foundations and corporations. Notable sponsors include The Miller Foundation, Oregon Arts Council, Portland Park & Rec, and The Starseed Foundation. Corporate sponsors at various levels.
4. Actor/Performance Sponsorship: Sponsor a Performer program ($75) where donors sponsor a specific actor in a performance, or Sponsor a Show ($500) to sponsor an entire performance. Sponsors receive recognition in programs and special acknowledgment at shows.
5. Apprentice Program Stipends: Apprentices receive stipends of approximately $600-$725 based on scheduled performances. While this represents an expense rather than revenue, it indicates the organization's training investment model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

OPS Fest produces free outdoor repertory Shakespeare performances in public parks across the Portland metro area using authentic Elizabethan "original practice" techniques — limited rehearsal, cue-script scrolls, an onstage prompter, and direct audience participation. The company performs 20-25 shows per summer season across 12+ parks. Secondary offerings include private improv comedy bookings for corporate events and an annual Apprentice Program training 6-10 emerging artists.

Product overview

Original Practice Shakespeare Festival (OPS Fest) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit theater company that provides free outdoor Shakespeare performances and improv comedy shows. The company operates primarily through its core Original Practice Shakespeare Performances—repertory shows using authentic Elizabethan techniques—and complements these with Improv Comedy Shows for private bookings. Education offerings include an Apprentice Program with paid stipends, school workshops, touring shows, and a Volunteer Program. The company also manages various Donor & Sponsorship Programs and Actor Sponsorship opportunities to support operations. All programming emphasizes accessibility, inclusion, and gender/race-conscious casting, with performances at over 12 parks across the Portland metro area and beyond.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Original Practice Shakespeare Performances
• Private Improv Comedy Bookings

Quantifiable outcome

• 18 consecutive seasons of free Shakespeare performances
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Uprise CollectiveminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 April 2022Equity training provider. Conducted equity training for OPS Fest company in April 2022 as part of ongoing diversity and inclusion work.
• Amazon SmileminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Amazon's charitable program allowing shoppers to support OPS Fest through purchases. Listed on donate page as way to contribute.
• Vancouver USA PrideminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2019LGBTQ+ Pride organization. OPS Fest partnered to perform at 'Saturday in the Park' and participated in Drag Queen Storytime protection when threatened by protesters.
• Shakespeare Theatre Association (STA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2018Professional association of theatres dedicated to Shakespeare. OPS Fest joined in August 2020. Co-AD Jen Lanier attended the STA National Conference in January 2022.
• YWCAminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 May 2018Women's organization that provided diversity and harassment training for OPS Fest Board, Core, and Associate members in May 2018.
• Portland Area Theatre Alliance (PATA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2017Local theatre alliance in Portland. OPS Fest joined in November 2017. Attends PATA Unified Shakespeare Auditions for recruiting company members.
• Portland Park & ReccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment parks department partnership providing access to public park venues for performances. Listed as Muse-level sponsor ($1,000+) in donor recognition.
• Fred Meyer Community RewardsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrocery store loyalty program supporting OPS Fest through community rewards program. Listed on donate page.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Portland Shakespeare Project: Portland-based Shakespeare company producing staged performances and educational programs. Direct geographic peer offering paid indoor productions versus OPS Fest's free outdoor original-practice model.
• Third Rail Repertory Theatre: Portland-based professional theater company producing contemporary and classical work, including Shakespeare. Similar scale and mission-driven positioning; competes for the same donor pool and freelance artists.
• Bag&Baggage Productions: Hillsboro/Portland-area professional theater company producing Shakespeare and classical works with an emphasis on innovative interpretation. Comparable as a Portland-metro classical theater with a similarly modest scale and educational outreach.
• Portland Playhouse: Portland-based small professional theater producing classical and contemporary works with a community focus. Comparable scale, donor-supported model, and competition for regional arts audiences and grants.

Broad incumbents

• Free Shakespeare in the Park (Public Theater, NYC): The original and largest free outdoor Shakespeare program in the U.S., produced by The Public Theater in Central Park. OPS Fest explicitly mirrors this free outdoor Shakespeare tradition at a regional scale with its original-practice twist.
• Portland Center Stage: Portland's largest professional theater, producing a mix of classical and contemporary works including Shakespeare. Operates a paid indoor venue at The Armory, making it the broad incumbent against which OPS Fest positions as free and outdoors.
• Oregon Shakespeare Festival: The largest regional Shakespeare producer in the U.S., based in Ashland, Oregon. Compares as the major incumbent Shakespeare company in Oregon with much larger scale and professional paid productions, while OPS Fest is the free, community-scale alternative.

Regional players

• Lakewood Theatre Company: Long-running community theater in Lake Oswego (a Portland suburb) producing classical and contemporary plays. Operates in one of OPS Fest's touring park markets, making it a partial geographic competitor.
• Imago Theatre: Portland-based experimental theater known for mask, movement, and original visual work. Comparable in scale and experimental aesthetic, though distinct in form; competes for similar arts-foundation funding.

Others

• Shakespeare Theatre Association member companies: OPS Fest is a member of the Shakespeare Theatre Association, which includes small-to-mid Shakespeare-focused companies nationwide (e.g., Atlanta Shakespeare Company, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company). They are the closest functional peer set for free or low-cost community Shakespeare.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/OpsFest
• Facebookfacebook.com/opsfest
• Instagraminstagram.com/onlyatops
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/original-practice-shakespeare-festival

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Original Practice Shakespeare Festival