The Shakespeare Company

What The Shakespeare Company does

The Shakespeare Company is a Calgary-based nonprofit classical theatre company founded in 1995, producing live performances of Shakespeare and his contemporaries for audiences in Calgary and Southern Alberta. The core product is a seasonal calendar of mainstage productions staged primarily at Vertigo Studio Theatre, supplemented by annually recurring events — the outdoor Bard in the Yard festival, the Bard Bash fundraiser, and Study Days educational programs for students. The company is presenting a 2026 production of Molière's Tartuffe (directed by Richard Beaune) in partnership with Prime Stock Theatre, and runs a year-round outreach and education program under the #shakespeareyyc digital brand.

The business model is a hybrid of earned and contributed revenue. Earned revenue comes from ticket sales distributed through the company's website and the Vertigo Theatre box office, with premium event pricing at $100–$125 (Bard in the Yard 2026). Contributed revenue comes from individual donations and institutional grants/funders including the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Calgary Arts Development, the Alberta Lottery Fund, the City of Calgary, the RBC Foundation, and the Edmonton Community Foundation. The company operates with a lean team of approximately 7 employees, supplemented by Artistic Producer Richard Beaune and Associate Artist Fallon Smyl as named creative leadership.

There is no technology platform or AI component — the offering is a service-based live entertainment product. The company owns no venue real estate, relying on partner venues (Vertigo Studio Theatre, D'Arcy Ranch Golf Club) for performance space, and depends on continued public- and private-sector arts funding to sustain operations.

Name

The Shakespeare Company

Legal name

The Shakespeare Company

Website

https://shakespearecompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Shakespeare Company is a Calgary-based nonprofit that has produced live classical theatre — Shakespeare and his contemporaries — for Calgary and Southern Alberta audiences since 1995, operating a seasonal mainstage season at Vertigo Studio Theatre alongside annual events and student Study Days.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Live Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

Keywords

• Live classical theatre
• Shakespeare performances
• Theatrical productions
• Performing arts education
• Community theatre events

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from ticket sales for live theatre productions and special events.
2. Donations: Charitable donations from patrons and supporters to support operations and productions.
3. Sponsorships and Grants: Funding from sponsors and granting organizations including Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Calgary Arts Development, Alberta Lottery Fund, City of Calgary, and RBC Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Shakespeare Company produces and presents live classical theatre — primarily Shakespeare and works by his contemporaries — through mainstage productions at Vertigo Studio Theatre in Calgary. Offerings include ticketed productions, the annual outdoor Bard in the Yard event, student Study Days educational programs, and the annual Bard Bash fundraising event. The company operates as a nonprofit performing arts organization serving Calgary and Southern Alberta.

Product overview

The Shakespeare Company is Calgary's classical theatre company founded in 1995, offering live theatrical productions of Shakespeare and classical plays. The core product consists of mainstage productions performed at Vertigo Studio Theatre and other venues, complemented by the annual Bard in the Yard outdoor event and Study Days educational programs. The company also hosts Bard Bash as an annual fundraising event. Past productions include works by Shakespeare (Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Much Ado About Nothing), Molière (Tartuffe), and other classical playwrights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mainstage Productions Live theatrical performances of Shakespeare and classical plays staged at Vertigo Studio Theatre and other Calgary venues for general audiences and theatre enthusiasts.
• Tartuffe A theatrical production of Molière's comedy about religious hypocrisy, adapted and directed by Richard Beaune. Presented as a Prime Stock Theatre production at Vertigo Studio Theatre for general theatre audiences.
• Bard in the Yard An annual outdoor theatre event featuring performances of Shakespeare and classic plays, including VIP garden party experiences and brunch events, for general audiences and Shakespeare enthusiasts.
• Bard Bash Annual fundraising event supporting The Shakespeare Company's operations and productions, for patrons, donors, and supporters.
• Study Days Educational programs for students featuring study days tied to specific productions such as Richard III and Twelfth Night, for school groups and educators.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vertigo TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVertigo Theatre serves as the venue partner for The Shakespeare Company's mainstage productions. Tartuffe and other productions are presented at Vertigo Studio Theatre, with tickets sold through Vertigo's box office system.
• D'Arcy Ranch Golf ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Bard in the Yard Brunch event in Okotoks, providing a unique indoor/outdoor experience in the foothills.
• Prime Stock TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRed Deer-based theatre company whose production of Tartuffe is being presented by The Shakespeare Company. Artistic Director Richard Beaune was formerly with Prime Stock Theatre.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pacific Theatre: Vancouver-based non-profit theatre company producing classical and contemporary works. Comparable in size, scope, and non-profit arts organization model to The Shakespeare Company.
• Bard on the Beach: Vancouver-based Shakespeare festival producing outdoor and indoor productions of Shakespeare's canon. Closely comparable in mission to The Shakespeare Company, with a similar focus on making Shakespeare accessible to local audiences.
• Prime Stock Theatre: Red Deer-based theatre company with a classical focus. Active co-production partner with The Shakespeare Company (Tartuffe) and connected through shared artistic leadership (Richard Beaune).

Broad incumbents

• Stratford Festival: Canada's most prominent classical theatre company, producing Shakespeare and classical works at scale. Direct product overlap with The Shakespeare Company's classical focus, though Stratford operates at a much larger scale with multiple venues.
• Canadian Stage: Toronto-based performing arts company producing theatre, dance, and music. Comparable as a Canadian non-profit theatre company, though with a broader programming mandate.
• Soulpepper Theatre: Toronto-based repertory theatre producing classical and contemporary works. Comparable in classical theatre focus and Canadian non-profit structure, though at a materially larger scale.

Others

• Vertigo Theatre: Calgary-based theatre company and The Shakespeare Company's core venue partner. Operates the Vertigo Studio Theatre where The Shakespeare Company stages its mainstage productions.

Regional players

• Theatre Calgary: One of Canada's largest regional theatres, based in Calgary. Competes with The Shakespeare Company for local audiences, sponsorship, and municipal arts funding, and presents a broader repertoire of contemporary and classical works.
• Alberta Theatre Projects: Calgary-based regional theatre company producing a multi-season program of plays and musicals. Operates in the same Calgary market as The Shakespeare Company and competes for overlapping audiences, donors, and arts funding.
• Citadel Theatre: Edmonton-based regional theatre producing a mix of classics, contemporary, and new works. Comparable as a Western Canadian non-profit theatre company that draws on similar provincial arts funding sources.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ShakespeareYYC
• Facebookfacebook.com/shakespeareyyc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-shakespeare-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 The Shakespeare Company