Shakespeare by the Sea

What Shakespeare by the Sea does

Shakespeare by the Sea (SBTS) is a 501(c)(3) public benefit nonprofit arts organization founded in 1998 and headquartered in Redondo Beach, California (EIN 95-4785457, 514 N. Prospect Avenue Ste L-1). It produces and tours free, professionally produced Shakespeare performances in outdoor public spaces across Southern California, with its 29th season (2026) delivering 17 performances of Macbeth to 12 communities and reaching 10,726 audience members across 530+ miles of travel. The core operating model pairs SBTS's complete touring production (actors, designers, sound, mobile staging) with host communities — cities, parks departments, schools, and nonprofits — that provide venues, permits, and partial funding at an average cost of approximately $14,808 per performance.

The underlying production technology is a lean, mobile, outdoor theatre system: professional sound and lighting equipment, mobile staging, and an "actors-as-crew" discipline in which performers set up sets, lights, and technical equipment each performance night. SBTS also runs digital programs on its website and uses Salesforce (Littlefish) to process donations, Bard's Bites picnic purchases, and raffle transactions. All performances are admission-free; there is no ticketing for general admission.

SBTS's business model is diversified across donations and grants (primary), raffle ticket sales (6,154 tickets sold in the 29th season), merchandise and concessions, the Bard's Bites boxed-picnic program ($50 plus $2.00 processing fee, with $20-$25 per meal acting as a donation), and tiered individual giving through the Big Fish program (Flying Fish $50 to Mermaid $5,000) plus the Actor Fund ($25/month or $300/year recurring). Corporate sponsorships and host performance fees complete the mix. Customers are three primary segments: city/community hosts who co-invest in bringing performances to their residents, individual donors who support the free-mission, and walk-up audiences who contribute through on-site raffle and merchandise purchases.

Name

Shakespeare by the Sea

Legal name

Shakespeare by the Sea

Website

https://shakespearebythesea.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Shakespeare by the Sea is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 that produces free, professional outdoor Shakespeare performances across Southern California parks, serving general public audiences, city and community host partners, and individual donors through donations, raffles, and tiered giving programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)

Keywords

• Outdoor theater performances
• Free Shakespeare productions
• Community arts programming
• Nonprofit performing arts
• Park-based theatrical events

Headquarters

HQ city

Redondo Beach

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, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Primary funding from individual donors, corporate sponsors, and government/foundation grants. No ticket revenue as all performances are admission-free.
2. Raffle Ticket Sales: Raffle ticket sales at performances supporting free programming. 6,154 raffle tickets sold during 29th season.
3. Merchandise and Concessions: Merchandise and concessions booth sales at performances.
4. Bard's Bites Picnic Program: Bard's Bites boxed picnic program at $50 per picnic (plus $2.00 processing fee), providing reserved seating while supporting SBTS. Each meal includes a $20-$25 donation to Shakespeare by the Sea.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Shakespeare by the Sea produces and tours professional, fully-produced Shakespeare performances performed admission-free in parks and public spaces across Southern California communities. The organization brings a complete mobile theatrical production — actors, costumes, props, lighting, and sound — to host venues, transforming public spaces into outdoor theaters, supported by donations, grants, sponsorships, and supplemental on-site programs such as raffles, merchandise, and the Bard's Bites picnic program.

Product overview

Shakespeare by the Sea is a 501(c)(3) non-profit performing arts organization offering free outdoor Shakespeare theater as its core product. The organization operates a single unified program of outdoor theater performances, enhanced by supplementary offerings including the Bard's Bites picnic program, raffle sales, and various fundraising programs (Big Fish individual donors, Actor Fund, and Corporate Sponsorship). The company also offers a community hosting program for cities and organizations to bring performances to their venues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Outdoor Shakespeare Performances Professional, fully produced Shakespeare plays performed admission-free in parks and public outdoor venues across Southern California communities. Each production includes professional actors, costumes, props, lighting, and sound, toured through a mobile staging system set up and struck by the cast each performance night.
• Bard's Bites Picnic Program Pre-show boxed picnic meal service priced at $50 per picnic (plus a $2.00 processing fee), offering audience members food and beverages plus reserved seating benefits at Shakespeare by the Sea performances. Each picnic includes a $20–$25 donation back to the organization.
• Host an SBTS Performance

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,726 audience members reached in 29th season alone
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Caccavalla CateringminorOthers
• MBM HospitalityminorOthers
• Mychal's CafeminorOthers
• Cities and Community OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• STA (Society of Theatre Artists)minorOthers

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Old Globe: San Diego-based Tony Award-winning theatre producing Shakespeare and classics at scale. Established institutional peer with broader programming but overlapping classical repertoire and Southern California audience base.
• Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Largest US nonprofit dedicated to Shakespeare production. Functions as a regional repertory model with rotating repertory of Shakespeare plays, comparable in mission scope though much larger scale.
• Free Shakespeare in the Park (New York) / Shakespeare in the Park: Public Theater's iconic free Shakespeare program in Central Park. Same free-outdoor-Shakespeare mission but at vastly larger scale, anchored by a major institutional theater.
• South Coast Repertory: Major Orange County professional theatre that regularly produces Shakespeare alongside new works. Larger incumbent in the same SoCal classical theatre space with a subscription-based model.

Direct peers

• Long Beach Shakespeare Company: Long Beach-based nonprofit producing free Shakespeare performances. Direct local peer sharing SoCal geography and free community-driven Shakespeare programming.
• Pacific Shakespeare Festival: California-based professional Shakespeare company producing classical works. Direct peer in mission and state geography, operating as a smaller professional touring/resident company.
• A Noise Within: Pasadena-based classical theatre company producing Shakespeare and other classics. Comparable in repertory programming and Southern California nonprofit arts positioning, though it operates a fixed venue rather than touring.
• Independent Shakespeare Co. (LA): Los Angeles-based nonprofit producing free or low-cost Shakespeare in outdoor settings, including parks. Direct peer in mission (free touring Shakespeare), Southern California geography, and outdoor community activation.
• Commonwealth Shakespeare Company: Boston-based nonprofit producing free Shakespeare on the Common and other venues. Direct peer in free outdoor Shakespeare mission and partnership-driven model with municipal/government hosts.

Regional players

• Utah Shakespeare Festival: Tony Award-winning regional Shakespeare festival producing classical repertoire in repertory. Comparable repertory Shakespeare focus but operates as a fixed festival venue rather than a touring outdoor model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/shakespearebythesea
• Instagraminstagram.com/shakespearebythesea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shakespeare-by-the-sea

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Shakespeare by the Sea