Shakespeare in Action
Shakespeare in Action operates as Crossroads Theatre, a Canadian registered charity that produces professional theatre, workshops, and after-school programs from a studio venue in northwest Toronto's Weston community, serving equity-seeking and underserved audiences.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Shakespeare in Action does
Shakespeare in Action is a Canadian registered charity (charitable number 12721 1571 RR 0001) that operates professionally as Crossroads Theatre, producing a year-round season of plays and community programming from a studio theatre home at Artscape Weston Common in northwest Toronto. Founded in 1988 and based in the Weston community since 2019, the company serves community audiences, youth and families, and equity-seeking communities including Indigenous peoples, Black and Brown communities, Newcomers, and Queer individuals, with explicit land acknowledgment and a stated commitment to breaking down structures that contribute to cultural erasure.
The organization has 9 employees and a compact leadership team led by Artistic Director Michelle Urbano and Artistic & Access Producer Mandy E. MacLean. Its programming in 2026 spans mainstage productions (including the summer outdoor presentation Through the Bamboo, July 9-19 at Little Avenue Memorial Park), the season lineup (The Assembly, In The Works), workshops, after-school youth programs, Community Initiatives, and The Weston Mural Sound Piece. There is no proprietary technology platform; distribution is anchored in the studio venue, one outdoor site, and Eventbrite ticketing, supported by email, website, and social media marketing.
Revenue is generated through four streams: theatre ticket sales (one-time admissions via Eventbrite), charitable donations via CanadaHelps, government and foundation grants (Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, Metcalf Foundation), and workshop/program fees. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is event-driven and community-embedded rather than commercially scaled, with marketing concentrated on the website, mailing list, and social channels, and ticketing handled online for each production.
Shakespeare in Action firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Shakespeare in Action
- Legal name
- Shakespeare in Action
- Website
- https://shakespeareinaction.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Shakespeare in Action operates as Crossroads Theatre, a Canadian registered charity that produces professional theatre, workshops, and after-school programs from a studio venue in northwest Toronto's Weston community, serving equity-seeking and underserved audiences.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Shakespeare in Action industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Theatre and Performing Arts
- NAICS
- Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH), Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)
Keywords
Where Shakespeare in Action is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Shakespeare in Action business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Theatre Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from admissions to live theatre productions, including their annual season of plays and special presentations.
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Registered charity accepting donations through CanadaHelps platform; charitable number 12721 1571 RR 0001.
- Arts Council and Foundation Grants: Government and foundation funding from Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, and Metcalf Foundation to support operations and programming.
- Workshop and Program Fees: Revenue from workshops and after-school programs for youth in the community.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Shakespeare in Action product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Shakespeare in Action, operating as Crossroads Theatre, is a professional theatre company and registered charity that produces a year-round season of plays at its studio theatre home at Artscape Weston Common in northwest Toronto. The company supplements its mainstage productions with summer outdoor presentations, educational theatre workshops, and after-school programs for youth in the Weston community. Programming is explicitly designed to center Indigenous, Black and Brown, Newcomer, Youth, Queer, and other marginalized voices.
Product overview
Shakespeare in Action operates as Crossroads Theatre, a professional theatre company and registered charity that offers a unified portfolio of theatre productions and community programming. The core offering consists of year-round professional theatre productions presented at their studio theatre home at Artscape Weston Common in northwest Toronto. Supporting programming includes workshops and after school programs for youth in the community. The 2026 season features productions including Through the Bamboo (a new work by Andrea Mapili & Byron Abalos), The Assembly, In The Works, Workshops, Community Initiatives, and The Weston Mural Sound Piece. The company focuses on creating accessible spaces for Indigenous, Black and Brown, Newcomer, Youth, Queer, and other marginalized voices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Crossroads Theatre Productions (Mainstage Season) Professional theatre productions presented year-round at the studio theatre home in northwest Toronto at Artscape Weston Common. The company produces a diverse season of plays featuring Indigenous, Black and Brown, Newcomer, Youth, Queer, and other marginalized voices. Targeted at community audiences, equity-seeking communities, and local arts patrons in northwest Toronto.
- Through the Bamboo A theatre production by Andrea Mapili & Byron Abalos presented as the 2026 summer presentation at Little Avenue Memorial Park. The story follows Philly who must rescue her lola, save the magical land of Uwi, and find her way home. Targeted at community audiences and families in northwest Toronto.
- The Assembly A 2026 programming season production at Crossroads Theatre as part of the company's mainstage season. Targeted at community audiences in northwest Toronto.
- In The Works A 2026 programming season production at Crossroads Theatre as part of the company's mainstage season. Targeted at community audiences in northwest Toronto.
- Workshops Educational theatre workshops offered as part of the programming season. Targeted at youth, families, and community members in northwest Toronto seeking arts education and skill-building experiences.
- Community Initiatives Community outreach programs supporting marginalized voices through theatre. Targeted at Indigenous, Black and Brown, Newcomer, Youth, Queer, and other marginalized communities in northwest Toronto.
- After School Programs After-school programs for youth in the Weston community providing educational and creative opportunities through theatre. Targeted at school-age youth and families in northwest Toronto.
- The Weston Mural Sound Piece A 2026 programming season offering at Crossroads Theatre tied to the Weston community mural. Targeted at community audiences in northwest Toronto.
Companies that use Shakespeare in Action
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Shakespeare in Action technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Shakespeare in Action partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Artscape Weston CommoncoreHost venue providing studio theatre space for Crossroads Theatre operations. Crossroads operates from this facility as their official studio theatre home in northwest Toronto.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Shakespeare in Action competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Soulpepper Theatre Company: Toronto-based professional theatre company producing a year-round season of plays and operating from a home venue. Directly comparable to Crossroads Theatre in city, professional producing model, and reliance on tri-council grant funding, though serving a broader Toronto audience.
- Cahoots Theatre Company: Toronto-based professional theatre company producing work by culturally diverse artists. Comparable to Crossroads Theatre in its focus on multicultural and underrepresented voices, registered charity status, and reliance on tri-council arts funding.
- Young People's Theatre: Toronto-based professional theatre company producing programming for young audiences. Comparable to Crossroads Theatre in its youth programming and after-school initiatives, registered charity status, and Toronto-based tri-council funding model.
- Nightwood Theatre: Toronto-based professional theatre company with a long-standing equity mandate focused on women and feminist work. Comparable to Crossroads in mission-driven, equity-centered programming, registered charity status, and tri-council funding model.
- Obsidian Theatre Company: Toronto-based theatre company dedicated to producing Black Canadian work. Directly comparable to Crossroads Theatre in its equity-focused mission, registered charity status, and year-round season of plays serving underrepresented voices in Toronto.
- Tarragon Theatre: Toronto-based professional theatre company producing a year-round season of contemporary plays. Comparable to Crossroads in professional producing model, single-city operation, and grant-funded charity structure, though at significantly larger scale.
- Factory Theatre: Toronto-based professional theatre company with a contemporary Canadian mandate. Comparable to Crossroads Theatre in professional producing model, focus on diverse Canadian voices, and registered charity/grant-funded structure, though at significantly larger scale.
Broad incumbents
- Canadian Stage: One of Canada's largest non-profit contemporary theatre companies, operating multiple venues across Toronto. Comparable to Crossroads in city, tri-council funding dependency, and contemporary Canadian theatre mission, though at materially larger scale.
- Stratford Festival: Canada's largest classical repertory theatre, producing a multi-month season of plays. Comparable to Crossroads Theatre in producing a season of plays and reliance on Canadian public funding, though at vastly larger scale and focused on classical repertoire.
Emerging players
- Native Earth Performing Arts: Toronto-based professional theatre company dedicated to Indigenous storytelling. Comparable to Crossroads Theatre in its commitment to Indigenous voices, registered charity status, and tri-council funding model, while operating at a slightly larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Shakespeare in Action social profiles
Digital presenceShakespeare in Action financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Shakespeare in Action leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Shakespeare in Action funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Shakespeare in Action 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 Shakespeare in Action
What does Shakespeare in Action do?
Shakespeare in Action, operating as Crossroads Theatre, is a professional theatre company and registered charity that produces a year-round season of plays at its studio theatre home at Artscape Weston Common in northwest Toronto. The company supplements its mainstage productions with summer outdoor presentations, educational theatre workshops, and after-school programs for youth in the Weston community. Programming is explicitly designed to center Indigenous, Black and Brown, Newcomer, Youth, Queer, and other marginalized voices.
Is Shakespeare in Action a public or private company?
Shakespeare in Action is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Shakespeare in Action founded?
Shakespeare in Action was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Shakespeare in Action based?
Shakespeare in Action is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Shakespeare in Action make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Theatre Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are donations and Charitable Contributions, arts Council and Foundation Grants and workshop and Program Fees.
Who are Shakespeare in Action's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Soulpepper Theatre Company, Cahoots Theatre Company, Young People's Theatre, Nightwood Theatre, Obsidian Theatre Company, Tarragon Theatre and Factory Theatre. Broad incumbents are Canadian Stage and Stratford Festival. Native Earth Performing Arts is listed as an emerging player.
Does Shakespeare in Action have an API?
No public API is recorded for Shakespeare in Action.
What industry is Shakespeare in Action in?
Shakespeare in Action's product category is Live Theatre and Performing Arts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAB, Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies, with a secondary code of MPAGABAH, Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama). Its NAICS code is 711110 and its SIC code is 7990.