Su Teatro Cultural & Performing Arts Center

What Su Teatro Cultural & Performing Arts Center does

Su Teatro Cultural & Performing Arts Center is a Denver-based nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 1972 and one of the oldest Chicano theaters in the United States. The organization produces a full season of multidisciplinary programming, including mainstage theater productions, the annual Chicano Music Festival & Auction (30th edition in 2026), XicanIndie FilmFest (28th edition in 2026), and WordFest (12th edition), all centered on Chicano and Latino cultural expression. It operates from the historic Denver Civic Theatre at 721 Santa Fe Drive, which it acquired in October 2010 and which houses the 250-seat Angelica Martinez Performance Hall, the 100-seat Frank Trujillo Salon del Arte, and lobby/gallery event spaces.

The organization's core products are its theatrical productions, annual festivals, education programs (El Teatro VolARTE youth theater, the Cultural Arts Education Institute, CAMPARTE Primavera, and the STEP Employment Program), and facility rentals. The technology stack is operational rather than digital: a 32-channel wireless audio mixer, 1600W powered loudspeakers, 2000W subwoofers, DLP projector, BluRay player, and wired microphones; ticket sales run through the Ovations platform with online, phone, and in-person box office channels. Marketing operates through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, a website, email newsletter, and community events.

Revenue is generated through four streams: ticket sales ($7-$40 per ticket, tiered by audience type), grants and foundation funding (NEA, SCFD, Colorado Creative Industries, Denver Arts and Venues, Bonfils-Stanton, Shubert, Doris Duke, MapFund, Westaf), individual donations and Colorado Gives Day campaigns, and facility rentals priced in 4-hour blocks. The organization serves three primary customer segments: the Chicano and Latino community seeking cultural representation, youth and students ages 7-20 (including Chicano, Mexicano, and Emergent Bilingual learners across 7+ Colorado school districts), and general Denver-area arts patrons. The staff of 13 is led by Executive Artistic Director Tony Garcia.

Name

Su Teatro Cultural & Performing Arts Center

Legal name

Su Teatro Cultural and Performing Arts Center

Website

https://suteatro.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Su Teatro Cultural & Performing Arts Center is a Denver-based nonprofit founded in 1972, one of the oldest Chicano theaters in the United States, producing theater, music festivals, film festivals, and youth education programs serving the Chicano/Latino community and broader Denver-area arts patrons.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts and Cultural Center

NAICS

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Educational & Youth Community Events (School/Youth Festivals) (MPAGAEAM), Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH)

Keywords

• Chicano theater productions
• Latino performing arts
• Cultural arts education
• Community theater programming
• Arts venue rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from mainstage productions, festivals, and special performances. Regular season tickets priced at $20 general, $17 student/senior, with group discounts available.
2. Donations and Contributions: Individual donations from community supporters, Colorado Gives Day campaigns, and Taco Tuesday fundraising events. Major donor recognition program.
3. Grants and Foundation Funding: Funding from government arts agencies (NEA, SCFD, Colorado Creative Industries, Denver Arts and Venues), private foundations (Bonfils Stanton, Shubert, Doris Duke, MapFund), and corporate sponsors. NEA funding was rescinded in May 2025.
4. Facility Rentals: Rental of performance spaces including Angelica Martinez Performance Hall (250 seats), Frank Trujillo Salon del Arte (100 seats), and lobby/gallery spaces. Priced in 4-hour blocks with 30-day minimum notice required.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Su Teatro produces a full season of original Chicano and Latino theater, music, film, literature, and visual arts programming on its mainstage and through signature annual festivals (Chicano Music Festival, XicanIndie FilmFest, WordFest). It delivers youth arts education via El Teatro VolARTE and the Cultural Arts Education Institute (CAEI), and operates performance venue and meeting space rentals out of the historic Denver Civic Theatre facility in the Santa Fe Arts District.

Product overview

Su Teatro Cultural & Performing Arts Center is a multidisciplinary cultural arts center committed to Chicano and Latino arts. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio of programs centered around its mainstage theater season, venue rental operations, and extensive education and community programming. The core offerings include mainstage season productions at the Angelica Martinez Performance Hall (250-seat venue), El Teatro VolARTE (award-winning youth theater company ages 7-20), and the Cultural Arts Education Institute (CAEI) providing theater training in schools. Annual signature events include the Chicano Music Festival & Auction (30th edition), XicanIndie FilmFest (28th edition), and The WordFest literary festival. Facility rentals encompass the Angelica Martinez Performance Hall, Frank Trujillo Salon del Arte, and Lobby spaces. The organization also operates community support programs like the PESO Fund for performers and accessibility services including assisted listening devices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 7 school districts and thousands of students served through Cultural Arts Education Institute programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered notable, core and minor.

• Sundance Film FestivalnotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2026Partnership for special presentation of 'American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez' at Su Teatro on February 19, 2026. Sundance Film Festival is moving to Boulder in 2027.
• Carpa San DiegonotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 August 2023Chicano theater practitioners collaboration as part of the 2023 Carpa Summit. Carpa San Diego presented 'La Carpa de la Frontera' at Su Teatro and participated in week-long gathering exploring different interpretations of La Carpa.
• El Teatro CampesinocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundational partnership with the pioneering Chicano theater company founded by Luis Valdez. Su Teatro's early development was influenced by El Teatro Campesino's Creacion Colectiva method. El Teatro Campesino founders served as tutored maestros under whom Su Teatro was steeped in performance and workshops during TENAZ gatherings.
• Pregones PRTT (Bronx, New York)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisiting performing theatre artists collaboration, with Pregones PRTT having toured to Su Teatro and Su Teatro maintaining artistic exchange relationships.
• Guadalupe Cultural Arts CenternotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational touring and artistic exchange relationship as part of Su Teatro's network of major Chicano/Latino cultural institutions.
• Metropolitan State University of DenvercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive partnership with this federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). MSU Denver students directly participate in Su Teatro productions including Yankee Bajan, with co-developed curriculum exploring Caribbean-American identity, migration, and cultural hybridity. Partnership includes performance support, community engagement activities, and action learning opportunities.
• KUVO JAZZ 89.3 FMGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Denver radio station and media sponsor for Chicano Music Festival and other programming.
• Longmont MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter with Sundance Film Festival, Su Teatro, El Comité de Longmont, and Latino Chamber of Commerce of Boulder County for American Pachuco screenings on February 18, 2026.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pregones / Pregones PRTT: Bronx-based Latino theater ensemble producing bilingual works and touring nationally; active artistic exchange partner with Su Teatro and a peer in the small/mid-sized Chicano-Latino theater space.
• Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center: San Antonio-based Latino arts nonprofit combining theater, music, dance, film, and visual arts with education programs; comparable in mission, multi-disciplinary programming model, and national touring/exchange network that Su Teatro participates in.
• Latino Theater Company: LA-based Latino theater company at the Los Angeles Theater Center producing original works and touring nationally; Su Teatro has toured to its venue, and the two share nonprofit producing models and Chicano/Latino repertoire focus.
• El Teatro Campesino: Pioneering Chicano theater company founded by Luis Valdez in San Juan Bautista, CA — Su Teatro's foundational creative partner and the originator of the Creacion Colectiva method that shapes Su Teatro's work; directly comparable as a Chicano/Latino performing arts nonprofit with touring productions and youth programs.
• Plaza de la Raza: East LA Latino cultural arts nonprofit offering theater, dance, music, and arts education; comparable as a multi-disciplinary Chicano/Latino performing arts and education center with facility-rental and youth program operations.

Broad incumbents

• Denver Center for the Performing Arts: Colorado's largest performing arts complex and nonprofit, hosting Broadway tours, local theater, and education; operates in the same Denver market as Su Teatro but with a vastly larger portfolio, presenting overlapping mainstream and culturally diverse programming.
• National Hispanic Cultural Center: Albuquerque-based state-supported Latino cultural center with performing arts, visual arts, and education; a broader-institution peer in Chicano/Latino cultural programming and a partner/competitor for regional foundation and government arts funding.

Emerging players

• La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club: NYC nonprofit championing culturally diverse, multilingual, and experimental theater; comparable in scale, mission to develop original culturally-rooted work, and small-team operating model serving specific cultural communities.

Regional players

• Curious Theatre Company: Denver-based nonprofit producing contemporary plays; geographic competitor for Denver performing arts audiences, foundation dollars, and venue-rental tenants, though its programming is mainstream contemporary rather than Chicano/Latino-focused.

Others

• Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) – Theater / Arts Allies: Adjacent Chicano/Latino nonprofit ecosystem (not a direct theater peer) — relevant as a comparable cultural-heritage advocacy institution that intersects with Su Teatro's education, community, and grant funding networks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/suteatro
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC12pMKOgxK_YkarAPXEabQA
• Facebookfacebook.com/SuTeatro
• Instagraminstagram.com/su_teatro
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/su-teatro-cultural-performing-arts-center

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 Su Teatro Cultural & Performing Arts Center