Schuster Center
The Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center is a 388,000-square-foot nonprofit performing arts venue in downtown Dayton, Ohio, operated by Dayton Live, hosting Broadway, orchestral, opera, dance, and event programming for Miami Valley audiences and resident arts organizations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersDayton, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Schuster Center does
The Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center is a 388,000-square-foot, $121 million nonprofit performing arts facility located at 1 West Second Street in downtown Dayton, Ohio, designed by architect César Pelli and operated by Dayton Live, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The venue comprises three distinct spaces: the 2,325-seat Winsupply Theatre (the main performance hall featuring custom acoustic engineering, cutting-edge sound isolation, and a renovated fiber optic starfield ceiling depicting the Dayton sky on the eve of the Wright Brothers' first flight in 1903), the 150-seat Mathile Theatre (a flexible black box used for rehearsals and intimate performances), and the Kettering Wintergarden (a six-story glass atrium accommodating up to 1,000 guests for events).
The center generates revenue through four primary streams: ticket sales across multiple subscription series (Broadway, Music, Children's Theatre, Discovery, Perspectives Speaker, Emerging Artists, and resident organization seasons); venue rentals for meetings, receptions, and performances; catered events including weddings, charity balls, and corporate functions; and donations/capital campaign support from individuals, corporations, foundations, and state entities. Since opening in February 2003, the venue has hosted more than 3,400 performances serving 3.5 million+ attendees, plus nearly 6,800 catered events serving 700,000+ guests. Its customer base spans performing arts patrons, event planners, arts education organizations, and corporate clients across the Miami Valley region of Ohio.
The venue's commercial anchor is a set of resident performing arts organizations including the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Dayton Opera, Dayton Ballet, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, the Human Race Theatre Company, the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance, the Dayton Dance Initiative, and Muse Machine, each of which holds dedicated rehearsal space and performance commitments. Marketing and distribution are managed centrally by Dayton Live through its website (daytonlive.org), online ticketing storefront (my.daytonlive.org), email newsletter, and social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube). Box office operations, subscription series packaging, and an active 'Spotlight On The Future' capital campaign round out the operating model.
Schuster Center firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Schuster Center
- Legal name
- Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center
- Website
- https://schustercenter.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center is a 388,000-square-foot nonprofit performing arts venue in downtown Dayton, Ohio, operated by Dayton Live, hosting Broadway, orchestral, opera, dance, and event programming for Miami Valley audiences and resident arts organizations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Schuster Center industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts Venue
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC), Multipurpose Event Center Operations (Civic Centers, Community Event Complexes) (MPAGALAE), Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)
Keywords
Where Schuster Center is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dayton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Schuster Center business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling tickets to performances including Broadway shows, concerts, opera, dance, and theatre productions in the Winsupply Theatre and Mathile Theatre.
- Venue Rentals: The Schuster Center is available to rent for meetings, parties, receptions, and performances. The Mathile Theatre can be rented for receptions, arts education programs, meetings, and performances.
- Catered Events: Revenue from catered events held at the venue, including weddings, charity balls, corporate functions, and formal dinners. Over 700,000 people have attended nearly 6,800 catered events since opening.
- Donations and Capital Campaign: Support from individual, corporate, foundation and state entities. The Schusters donated $8 million to the project.
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
Schuster Center product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Schuster Center is a world-class performing arts venue in downtown Dayton, Ohio, operating three distinct spaces: the 2,325-seat Winsupply Theatre (main proscenium stage), the 150-seat Mathile Theatre (flexible black box), and the Kettering Wintergarden (six-story glass atrium for events up to 1,000 people). It hosts Broadway shows, concerts, opera, dance, and theatre productions, and rents its spaces for meetings, weddings, receptions, and corporate functions. The venue is operated by Dayton Live, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Product overview
The Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center is a world-class performing arts venue complex offering three distinct performance spaces: the Winsupply Theatre (2,300-seat main theatre), the Mathile Theatre (150-seat black box theatre), and the Kettering Wintergarden (six-story glass atrium for events up to 1,000 people). The venue also offers rental services for meetings, parties, receptions, and performances. The complex spans 388,000 square feet, was completed in 2003 at a cost of $121 million, and is managed by Dayton Live.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Winsupply Theatre: 2,300-seat state-of-the-art main theatre with superior acoustics and sightlines, designed to accommodate orchestral music, opera, theatre, and dance
- Mathile Theatre
- Kettering Wintergarden
Products and services
- Winsupply Theatre A 2,325-seat state-of-the-art main theatre designed for orchestral music, opera, theatre, and dance performances. Features world-class acoustics, fiber optic starfield ceiling depicting the Dayton sky on the eve of the Wright Brothers' first flight, and cutting-edge sound isolation technology. Architect César Pelli's design creates an intimate setting with no seat more than 120 feet from the stage.
- Mathile Theatre A 150-seat flexible black box theatre (56' x 36') providing rehearsal facilities for the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and Dayton Opera, plus an intimate setting for smaller-scale performances. Can be used concurrently with the main theatre and is available for rental for receptions, arts education programs, meetings, and performances.
- Kettering Wintergarden A spectacular six-story glass atrium spanning a block-long, wrap-around space featuring the Reynolds & Reynolds Palm Grove with 1,900 panes of patterned glass and 13,000 square feet of cashmere travertine marble. Includes the Charles D Berry Foundation Stage and can accommodate events of up to 1,000 people. Available for weddings, charity balls, corporate functions, formal dinners, and special events.
- Venue Rental Services The Schuster Center is available to rent for meetings, parties, receptions, and performances. The facilities include the main theatre, Mathile Theatre, and Wintergarden spaces that can accommodate various event types and sizes.
Quantifiable outcome
- 3,400+ performances hosted since opening
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Schuster Center
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Schuster Center technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Schuster Center partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators9 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Schuster Center competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Severance Hall: Cleveland, Ohio home of The Cleveland Orchestra. Comparable mid-market U.S. concert hall with a resident orchestra, classical programming focus, and donor-funded operating model.
- Aronoff Center for the Arts: Cincinnati, Ohio performing arts complex (Procter & Gamble Hall, Jarson-Kaplan Theater, Fifth Third Bank Theater) of comparable scale and programming mix (Broadway, ballet, orchestra). Strong regional peer serving a different Ohio metro.
- Procter & Gamble Hall (Cincinnati Music Hall): Cincinnati Music Hall's main performance space, home to the Cincinnati Pops, May Festival, and Cincinnati Ballet. Comparable as a historic, donor-supported Ohio venue hosting major resident classical organizations.
- Blumenthal Performing Arts Center: Charlotte, NC performing arts center (Belk Theater, Booth Playhouse, Stage Door Theater) hosting Broadway tours and resident organizations. Comparable mid-market multi-venue donor-supported complex.
- Palace Theatre Columbus: 2,800-seat Columbus, Ohio performing arts venue (CAPA-operated) hosting Broadway, concerts, ballet, and comedy. Comparable regional scale, donor-supported operating model, and Broadway-tour routing economics.
Direct peers
- Mesa Arts Center: Four-theatre performing arts complex in Mesa, Arizona of comparable scope (main stage, black box, recital, amphitheatre). Highly comparable in scale, multi-venue programming mix, and public-private ownership structure.
- Victoria Theatre (Dayton Live): Historic 1,100-seat performing arts venue also operated by Dayton Live in downtown Dayton. Directly comparable as a sibling venue under the same operator with overlapping Broadway, theatre, and rental programming.
- Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts: Kansas City performing arts center ( Muriel Kauffman Theatre and Helzberg Hall) opened in 2011. Closely comparable as a purpose-built, donor-funded, multi-venue facility housing a resident orchestra, ballet, and opera.
- The Loft Theatre (Dayton Live): Smaller 225-seat Dayton Live venue used for intimate theatre productions. Directly comparable as another venue in the same operator's portfolio serving the same Miami Valley market.
Broad incumbents
- Kennedy Center: National performing arts center in Washington, D.C. sharing the same combination of multi-format halls, resident companies (NSO, opera, ballet), federal/private funding mix, and education programming at substantially greater scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Schuster Center social profiles
Digital presenceSchuster Center financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Schuster Center leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Schuster Center funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Schuster Center M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Schuster Center
What does Schuster Center do?
The Schuster Center is a world-class performing arts venue in downtown Dayton, Ohio, operating three distinct spaces: the 2,325-seat Winsupply Theatre (main proscenium stage), the 150-seat Mathile Theatre (flexible black box), and the Kettering Wintergarden (six-story glass atrium for events up to 1,000 people). It hosts Broadway shows, concerts, opera, dance, and theatre productions, and rents its spaces for meetings, weddings, receptions, and corporate functions. The venue is operated by Dayton Live, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Is Schuster Center a public or private company?
Schuster Center is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Schuster Center founded?
Schuster Center was founded in 2003. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Schuster Center based?
Schuster Center is headquartered in Dayton, United States, in the North America region.
How does Schuster Center make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are venue Rentals, catered Events and donations and Capital Campaign.
Who are Schuster Center's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Severance Hall, Aronoff Center for the Arts, Procter & Gamble Hall (Cincinnati Music Hall), Blumenthal Performing Arts Center and Palace Theatre Columbus. Direct peers are Mesa Arts Center, Victoria Theatre (Dayton Live), Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and The Loft Theatre (Dayton Live). Kennedy Center is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Schuster Center have an API?
No public API is recorded for Schuster Center.
What industry is Schuster Center in?
Schuster Center's product category is Performing Arts Venue. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGALAB, Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses), with a secondary code of MPAGALAC, Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues). Its NAICS code is 71131 and its SIC code is 7900.