Shaking the Tree Theatre

What Shaking the Tree Theatre does

Shaking the Tree Theatre is a Portland, Oregon–based 501(c)(3) nonprofit theatre company founded in 2003 by Artistic Director Samantha Van Der Merwe. It produces immersive, experimental, and site-specific theatrical works that blend live performance with visual art, installations, and devised ensemble processes, staged primarily in a converted warehouse venue at 823 SE Grant St. Its production archive spans classical adaptations (Shakespeare, Ibsen, Brecht's Caucasian Chalk Circle), contemporary works (Caryl Churchill, Sarah Ruhl), and original devised pieces (Head. Hands. Feet., We're All Mad Here), with multiple Drammy Award wins and a 2023 Willamette Week "Number One Play of the Year" designation for Blood Wedding.

The company's product portfolio extends beyond mainstage productions to include Performance and Visual Arts Residencies, the Teen Ensemble youth program, Adult Classes & Workshops, venue rentals, and digital initiatives such as the Short Flix series and the Refuge theatrical installation developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tickets are sold online via Arts People with reserved seating, and free admission is offered for Sunday matinees to low-income patrons, communities of color, and survivors of sexual violence.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The operating model is a typical nonprofit theatre mix: earned revenue from ticket sales, classes, and rentals is supplemented by contributed revenue from a broad coalition of foundations (Shubert, Miller, Lamfrom, Oregon Community Foundation, Collins, Autzen, Rauschenberg, Dortort, Jackson), government arts agencies (National Endowment for the Arts, Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Cultural Trust), and individual season sponsors (Ronni Lacroute, Jessie Jonas, Ellyn Bye). The company serves the Portland metropolitan area exclusively and operates with a staff of approximately 13.

Name

Shaking the Tree Theatre

Legal name

Shaking the Tree Theatre

Website

https://shaking-the-tree.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shaking the Tree Theatre is a Portland-based nonprofit founded in 2003 that produces immersive, experimental stage works blending live performance with visual art for regional theatre audiences, funded primarily by foundations, government arts agencies, and individual donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Live Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)

akta.pro primary industry

Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC)

Keywords

• Live theatre productions
• Theatre residencies
• Theatre education programs
• Venue rental services
• Digital short films

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Shaking the Tree Theatre is a nonprofit professional theatre company in Portland, Oregon that produces immersive, ensemble-devised live theatre productions, runs artist residencies in performance and visual art, and offers theatre education programs for teens and adults. The company operates from a converted warehouse venue that also generates revenue through rental to outside theatre and event producers.

Product overview

Shaking the Tree Theatre is a Portland, OR-based theatre company offering a unified portfolio of live performance experiences, artist development programs, and digital media. Core offerings include theatre productions (classic plays, contemporary works, and devised pieces) presented in an immersive warehouse venue at 823 SE Grant St. The company supports artists through Performance Residencies and Visual Arts Residencies, provides theatre education via the Teen Ensemble and Adult Classes & Workshops, and offers venue rentals. Recent offerings include digital media (Short Flix series) and theatrical installations (Refuge, Jia Ren film).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Teen Ensemble: A youth theatre program for teenagers offering performance opportunities and training.
• Adult Classes & Workshops
• Performance Residencies
• Visual Arts Residencies
• Short Flix

Products and services

• Theatre Performances

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Profile TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Collaborative partnership presenting Passion Play (Part 3) as a co-production, with actors moving between companies to perform all three parts of Sarah Ruhl's triptych.
• Playwrights WestminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Collaboration with local playwrights collective for Masque of the Red Death, featuring reimagined Poe tales crafted by writers at Playwrights West.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Third Rail Projects: New York-based immersive and experiential theatre company (creators of 'Sleep No More'). Comparable to Shaking the Tree in immersive, site-specific audience format, though operates at much larger commercial scale; useful peer for benchmarking immersive-format monetization potential.
• Artists Repertory Theatre: Long-established Portland nonprofit theatre producing a mix of contemporary and classic work. Comparable in mission (independent theatrical risk-taking) and regional funding competition, though larger in scale and venue capacity than Shaking the Tree.
• Anonymous Theatre: Portland-based experimental theatre producing devised and immersive work. Highly comparable creative format (non-traditional staging, audience engagement) to Shaking the Tree's signature style, and competes for the same niche Portland audience.
• Profile Theatre: Portland mid-size nonprofit theatre that has previously co-produced with Shaking the Tree (Passion Play Part 3, 2015). Comparable in independent-theatre positioning, scale, and regional donor base; the most direct operational peer given the existing collaboration.
• Imago Theatre: Portland-based independent theatre known for mask work, physical theatre, and visually inventive productions. Highly comparable artistic philosophy to Shaking the Tree, with similar warehouse-style intimate staging and overlapping Portland audience.
• Rude Mechs: Austin, TX-based experimental theatre collective known for devised, formally inventive productions. Closely comparable artistic philosophy to Shaking the Tree (ensemble-devised work, audience-engagement without safety nets), serving as a national peer in the small experimental-theatre category.
• Third Rail Repertory Theatre: Small-to-mid independent theatre company in Portland, OR producing adventurous contemporary work. Directly comparable to Shaking the Tree in scale, market, and willingness to stage experimental/non-mainstream productions, and competes for the same Portland patron and donor base.
• CoHo Productions: Small Portland independent theatre company with a comparable intimate-venue, contemporary-and-experimental repertoire. Closely matches Shaking the Tree in scale, operational model, and target audience within the same Portland market.

Broad incumbents

• Portland Center Stage: Portland's largest resident theatre company, producing a broad repertoire including classics, musicals, and new works. Operates at significantly larger scale (multiple venues, larger staff, bigger budget) but competes for the same Portland patron, corporate sponsor, and foundation donor pool.
• The Wooster Group: New York-based internationally renowned experimental theatre company known for immersive, multimedia, and formally radical productions. Comparable artistic vocabulary to Shaking the Tree (visual art integration, audience immersion) but operates at significantly larger scale, national recognition, and institutional permanence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shaking-the-tree-theatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Shaking the Tree Theatre