Target Margin Theater
Target Margin Theater is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theater founded in 1991 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, producing experimental adaptations of classical and contemporary texts for general audiences, independent artists, and the local Sunset Park community through mainstage productions, labs, and arts-education programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Target Margin Theater does
Target Margin Theater is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theater company founded in 1991 by David Herskovits and headquartered at 232 52nd Street in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, where it operates The Doxsee Theater (ADA accessible) and two upstairs studios. The company produces experimental, theater-rooted adaptations of classical and contemporary texts, including Shakespeare, Eugene O'Neill, Gertrude Stein, Yiddish literature, and the ongoing One Thousand and One Nights cycle, with more than 100 productions staged since inception. Its current season, Season 36: NONSENSE (2026/2027), is anchored by the new full-length work PROJECT 251 in March 2027 and the three-week Target Margin Laboratory festival. Beyond mainstage productions, the company operates a portfolio of programs: TMT Hosts for visiting small-scale productions, the TMT Institute for mid-career artists, TMT Young Artists with elementary schoolers, Community Cafés for neighborhood gatherings, and a Studio Space Program that provides 1,000 hours of free rehearsal space annually to independent artists.
The business model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue stack. Earned revenue comes from ticket sales via the OvationTix (AudienceView Professional) ticketing platform and in-person box office, plus one-time space rental fees for The Doxsee and two studios (with reduced rates for nonprofits and individual artists). Recurring revenue derives from annual membership subscriptions at two tiers ($150 Standard, $295 Enhanced) that bundle tickets and priority access. The largest revenue stream by convention for a company of this profile is philanthropic: individual donors across four giving levels (Collaborators $1-$99, Experimenters $100-$999, Innovators $1,000-$4,999, Classicists $5,000+), institutional foundations, government cultural affairs funding, and corporate contributions. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors recently expanded with BIPOC leaders, including a federal judge and a Drama Desk Award-winning actor.
Target Margin employs approximately 7 people, including the Founding Artistic Director, Associate Artistic Director, Community Producer, two space managers, a finance associate, and a press contact, and explicitly characterizes itself as a 'very small organization' that generally does not hire frequently. Its technology footprint is intentionally minimal, limited to MailChimp for newsletter distribution, OvationTix for ticketing and donations, and standard social media (Instagram, Facebook). There is no proprietary software, no AI/ML components, no app, and no disclosed funding rounds or institutional investors; the company has no parent entity or subsidiaries and operates as a standalone nonprofit.
Target Margin Theater firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Target Margin Theater
- Legal name
- Target Margin Theater
- Website
- https://targetmargin.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Target Margin Theater is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theater founded in 1991 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, producing experimental adaptations of classical and contemporary texts for general audiences, independent artists, and the local Sunset Park community through mainstage productions, labs, and arts-education programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Target Margin Theater industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts / Experimental Theater
- NAICS
- Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)
Keywords
Where Target Margin Theater is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Target Margin Theater business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Primary revenue from selling tickets to productions through OvationTix ticketing platform. Season membership packages include reserved tickets to productions.
- Season Memberships: Annual subscription program with Standard ($150) and Enhanced ($295) tiers providing tickets, priority seating, and event access throughout the season.
- Donations and Grants: 501(c)(3) organization supported by individual donors (Classicists $5,000+, Innovators $1,000-$4,999, Experimenters $100-$999, Collaborators $1-$99) and institutional funders including foundations, government cultural affairs, and corporate donors.
- Space Rentals: Two studios and the Doxsee Theater available for rent to external artists. Reduced rates offered for non-profits and individual artists.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Standard 2025/2026 Membership - $150 annual subscription with 2 tickets to Spring Production, 2 tickets to any TMT Lab production, reserved seating, and event invitations/discounts |
| Subscription | Annual | Enhanced 2025/2026 Membership - $295 annual subscription with 4 tickets to Spring Production, 6 tickets to any TMT Lab production |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Target Margin Theater product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Target Margin Theater produces and presents experimental live theater productions at The Doxsee in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, transforming classical and contemporary texts into adventurous theatricalized work. In addition to its season of mainstage productions and labs, it sells annual memberships, rents its studios and theater to external artists, and runs artist development and community programs including the TMT Institute, Young Artists, Studio Space Program, TMT Hosts, and Community Cafés.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Doxsee: The main theater venue space operated by Target Margin Theater
- The Target Margin Laboratory
- TMT Institute
- TMT Young Artists
- TMT Hosts
- TMT Community Café
- STUDIO SPACE PROGRAM
Products and services
- 2025/2026 Season Membership Annual subscription program offered at two tiers — Standard ($150) including 2 tickets to the Spring Production, 2 tickets to any TMT Lab production, reserved seating, and event invitations/discounts; Enhanced ($295) including 4 tickets to the Spring Production and 6 tickets to any TMT Lab production. Provides priority access and discounted entry to Target Margin's season programming.
- Mainstage Theater Productions Season-anchored full productions presented at The Doxsee, including THIS IS REAL (Spring 2026, directed by David Herskovits) and PROJECT 251 (March 2027, a new play by Herskovits and a cohort of artists meditating on the future of the country). Tickets sold via OvationTix to general audiences and members.
- The Target Margin Laboratory Festival Three-week festival of new work each September/October exploring nonsense as artistic expression. The 2025 edition (DEGENERATE LAB) featured Lead Artists Caroline Fermin, Adam M. Kassim, and Kathleen Kennedy Tobin across performances, art, music, and discussions at The Doxsee. Tickets sold via OvationTix.
- Space Rentals (Studios and The Doxsee Theater) Two studios and The Doxsee Theater available for rent to external artists and organizations. Reduced rates are offered to non-profit organizations and individual artists described as 'non-profit in spirit'. Inquiries handled by the Space Manager.
- TMT Institute Cohort program for mid-career artists seeking to expand their practice. Operates as part of TMT's artist development programming under Season 36: NONSENSE (26/27).
- Studio Space Program Program supporting artists with 1,000 hours of free studio use, offered to independent artists on a first-come basis.
- TMT Hosts Program welcoming a small number of productions throughout the year by artists who share TMT's adventurous DIY spirit. Provides a presenting platform for outside small-scale productions.
- TMT Young Artists Program creating adventurous performances with elementary school students in Sunset Park, run as part of TMT's community-embedded youth programming.
- TMT Community Café Informal community gatherings unifying and celebrating the many groups of people in the Sunset Park neighborhood, hosted by TMT.
Quantifiable outcome
- Produced over 100 productions since 1991
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Target Margin Theater
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Target Margin Theater technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Target Margin Theater partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Sunset Park BIDcoreSunset Park Business Improvement District is a key community partner for Target Margin. The BID collaborates with TMT on programming including MAGIC IN PLAIN SIGHT, a performance event exploring themes of connection. David Herskovits and Sunset Park BID Director David Estrada have engaged in dialogues about pandemic recovery and community support.
- South Brooklyn Mutual AidcoreCommunity partnership during COVID-19 pandemic. Target Margin turned The Doxsee into a distribution center for South Brooklyn Mutual Aid, delivering groceries and care packages to more than 400 local families in need in Sunset Park.
- Everyman Agency (Press Representation)minorPress representative John Wyszniewski at Everyman Agency handles media inquiries and press relations for Target Margin Theater.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Target Margin Theater competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Performance Space New York: East Village presenting organization producing experimental live performance in a single venue. Highly comparable in scale, programming philosophy, and community-of-artists orientation.
- New York Theatre Workshop: Off-Broadway nonprofit theater producing new and experimental work from a single East Village venue. Similar in producing-and-presenting model and commitment to adventurous programming, though larger in budget and staff.
- Signature Theatre: Off-Broadway nonprofit producing residencies focused on living playwrights' work. Comparable in artist-residency model and single-venue operation, though with a larger budget and broader audience reach.
- The Kitchen: Chelsea-based nonprofit presenting experimental performance, dance, and visual art in a single venue. Comparable in artistic mission, venue-based producing model, and small organizational footprint.
- Dixon Place: Lower East Side nonprofit theater incubator producing experimental work-in-progress and supporting emerging artists through residencies. Comparable in small-venue experimental mission and artist-development programming.
- Theatre for a New Audience: Brooklyn-based nonprofit theater specializing in classical text and Shakespeare production at a single venue. Direct overlap with Target Margin's classical-transformation aesthetic and Brooklyn community orientation.
- HERE Arts Center: SoHo-based nonprofit performing arts center supporting multi-disciplinary, experimental work by independent artists through residencies, co-productions, and space rentals. Comparable in its small-venue, artist-development focus and lean operating model.
- Elevator Repair Service: NYC experimental theater ensemble known for theatricalized literary adaptations (Gatz, The Sound and the Fury). Comparable in operating model, ensemble size, and focus on transforming canonical texts.
- The Wooster Group: Long-running New York experimental theater company producing avant-garde adaptations of classical and contemporary texts from its Soho/West Village base. Highly comparable in artistic mission, scale (~7-15 staff), and 40+ year operating history to Target Margin.
Broad incumbents
- The Public Theater: Large NYC nonprofit producing a mix of new and classical work across multiple venues including The Delacorte. Broader incumbent operating in the same off-Broadway experimental space but at significantly larger scale and reach.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Target Margin Theater social profiles
Digital presenceTarget Margin Theater financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Target Margin Theater leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Target Margin Theater funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Target Margin Theater 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 Target Margin Theater
What does Target Margin Theater do?
Target Margin Theater produces and presents experimental live theater productions at The Doxsee in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, transforming classical and contemporary texts into adventurous theatricalized work. In addition to its season of mainstage productions and labs, it sells annual memberships, rents its studios and theater to external artists, and runs artist development and community programs including the TMT Institute, Young Artists, Studio Space Program, TMT Hosts, and Community Cafés.
Is Target Margin Theater a public or private company?
Target Margin Theater is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Target Margin Theater founded?
Target Margin Theater was founded in 1991. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Target Margin Theater based?
Target Margin Theater is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.
How does Target Margin Theater make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are season Memberships, donations and Grants and space Rentals.
Who are Target Margin Theater's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Performance Space New York, New York Theatre Workshop, Signature Theatre, The Kitchen, Dixon Place, Theatre for a New Audience, HERE Arts Center, Elevator Repair Service and The Wooster Group. The Public Theater is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Target Margin Theater have an API?
No public API is recorded for Target Margin Theater.
What industry is Target Margin Theater in?
Target Margin Theater's product category is Performing Arts / Experimental Theater. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAH, Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama), with a secondary code of MPAGALAB, Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses). Its NAICS code is 71111.