Theater Masters

What Theater Masters does

Theater Masters is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization founded in 2001 and headquartered in Aspen, Colorado (with operational presence in New York City). It runs a portfolio of playwriting development programs targeted at three career stages: the Aspiring Playwrights Competition for high school students in the Roaring Fork Valley, the national Take Ten 10-minute playwriting competition for MFA students (culminating in an Equity showcase in NYC and an annual Samuel French/Concord Theatricals anthology), and the Visionary Playwrights Award for professional playwrights (delivered with the Aspen Institute, Steppenwolf, La Jolla Playhouse, and Playwrights Horizons). Supporting programs include Meeting on the Page (parent/child workshops with the Aspen Art Museum), Theater for Social Change (university residencies), and the Standing Ovation Award introduced in 2024 for mid-career playwrights.

The underlying "technology" is the organization's pipeline architecture and partner network rather than any software platform; day-to-day operations run on a Weebly-hosted website, email mailing lists, and standard social media. Business model mechanics are nonprofit: donations are the primary funding source (with suggested tiers from $25 up to a $10,000 Producers Circle), supplemented by ticket sales from Aspen and NYC productions, royalties from the Samuel French anthology, program fees from workshops, and grants such as the Leon Levy Foundation's COVID relief support. The customer base consists of program beneficiaries (high school, MFA, and professional playwrights), local and festival audiences, and individual donors and foundation funders.

The organization is small (6 employees) and event-driven, with leadership split between founder Julia Hansen (Artistic Advisor) and her daughter Victoria Hansen (Executive Artistic Director since 2018), supported by program directors and a board that includes prominent theater names. Track record includes Pulitzer finalist Marjorie Prime (Jordan Harrison), Obie winner Milk Like Sugar (Kirsten Greenidge), and Lauren Yee's emergence as the second most produced playwright in America for 2019/20.

Name

Theater Masters

Legal name

Theater Masters

Website

https://theatermasters.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Theater Masters is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2001 and based in Aspen, Colorado, that nurtures American playwrights through a three-stage pipeline: high school competitions, a national MFA playwriting competition, and professional commissions with regional theater partners, funded primarily by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Theater Arts / Playwright Development Programs

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Playwriting competitions
• Playwright development programs
• Theater education programs
• New play development
• Arts nonprofit programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Aspen

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Theater Masters is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies heavily on donor generosity to fund programs. Donations are fully tax-deductible.
2. Performance Revenue: Ticket sales for Take Ten Festival performances, National MFA Playwrights Festival, and other professional productions in Aspen and New York City.
3. Samuel French Anthology Sales: Annual anthology of winning plays published by Concord Theatricals: Samuel French - sold as acting editions for production or reading use.
4. Class and Workshop Fees: Meeting on the Page summer program charges for intensive playwriting workshops for local students and parents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Theater Masters is a nonprofit arts organization that runs a portfolio of playwriting development programs targeting writers at three career stages: the Aspiring Playwrights Competition (high school), Take Ten National MFA Playwrights Festival (graduate students), and Visionary Playwrights Award (professionals). Supporting offerings include family workshops (Meeting on the Page), university residencies (Theater for Social Change), and the Standing Ovation Award for mid-career playwrights. Programs provide professional production, industry networking, publication through Samuel French/Concord Theatricals, and play commissions.

Product overview

Theater Masters is a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to nurturing, developing, and introducing the next generation of American playwrights. The organization operates a portfolio of programs targeting playwrights at three distinct career stages: the Aspiring Playwrights Competition (high school), Take Ten National MFA Playwrights Festival (emerging), and Visionary Playwrights Award (professional). Supporting programs include Meeting on the Page (family workshops), Theater for Social Change (university residencies), and the new Standing Ovation Award (mid-career). These programs are connected by a unified mission to bridge the gap between education and professional theater careers, providing development, production, publication, and industry mentorship opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Take Ten: National 10-minute playwriting competition among MFA students at top programs, culminating in NYC festival and anthology publication by Samuel French
• Aspiring Playwrights
• Visionary Playwrights
• Theater for Social Change
• Standing Ovation Award
• Meeting on the Page

Products and services

• Take Ten
• Visionary Playwrights Award
• Aspiring Playwrights Competition
• Meeting on the Page
• Theater for Social Change
• Standing Ovation Award

Quantifiable outcome

• Take Ten program has launched careers of many successful alumni who have achieved significant industry recognition
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Samuel French (Concord Theatricals)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership for publishing the Take Ten anthology of winning plays from the National MFA Playwrights Festival. Plays are published as acting editions available for production or reading use.
• Aspen InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Visionary Playwrights Award - Visionary Playwrights attend the Aspen Ideas Festival and are commissioned to write new plays inspired by the Institute's philosophy of timeless values and powerful issues.
• Steppenwolf Theatre (Chicago)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner theater for Visionary Playwrights Award since 2008. One playwright selected jointly by Theater Masters and Steppenwolf receives festival pass and play commission.
• La Jolla Playhouse (California)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner theater for Visionary Playwrights Award since 2008. Jointly selects one playwright for festival pass and commission to develop new work.
• Playwrights Horizons (NYC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner theater for Visionary Playwrights Award since 2008. Jointly selects one playwright for festival pass and full-length play commission.
• O'Neill Playwrights CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership launched in 2015 offering fall residencies to Theater Masters playwrights.
• Aspen Art MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Meeting on the Page summer program - curators provide inspiration and insight into creative process for parent/child playwriting workshops.
• GrassRoots (Aspen, CO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on podcast reading of winning high school plays from the Aspiring Playwrights Contest.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• New Dramatists: NYC-based nonprofit playwright residency organization providing long-term development support to emerging and mid-career playwrights. Direct peer: comparable nonprofit, residency-driven developmental model serving the same playwright pipeline Theater Masters feeds via Take Ten and Visionary.
• O'Neill Playwrights Center: Nation's largest new-play development organization, running residencies and conferences for playwrights. Direct peer: Theater Masters is already an O'Neill partner (residency launch 2015), and both organizations share a mission of shepherding playwrights from development to production.
• Lark Play Development Center (Lark Theater): NYC nonprofit dedicated to new play development through residencies, readings, and open-submission programs. Direct peer: similar mission around nurturing playwrights from page to stage; competitive alternative for MFA and emerging writers seeking developmental support.
• Sundance Theatre Lab: Sundance Institute's theater program runs residencies and commissions for early- and mid-career playwrights. Direct peer: comparable nonprofit residencies + commissions targeting emerging playwrights; competes for the same pool of high-profile emerging writers.

Emerging players

• Primary Stages: Off-Broadway nonprofit that develops and produces new plays, including MFA playwright development through programs like the Aspen Summer Words. Emerging peer: comparable nonprofit new-play development organization with similar Broadway-adjacent output and MFA-adjacent programs.
• PlayGround (San Francisco): Bay Area new-play development org that runs competitions, festivals, and producer launches. Emerging peer: similar competitive model (open submission → staged readings → producer match) but geographically focused on the Bay Area.

Broad incumbents

• Playwrights Horizons: Major NYC Off-Broadway producer dedicated to new American plays and musicals. Broad incumbent and existing partner: one of three Visionary Playwrights partner theaters; downstream producer of Theater Masters-commissioned work (Milk Like Sugar, Marjorie Prime).
• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Major Chicago regional theater with a strong new-play development program. Broad incumbent and Visionary partner since 2008; provides developmental workshops and commissions for Theater Masters alumni playwrights.
• La Jolla Playhouse: Tony Award-winning La Jolla-based regional theater known for developing and producing new work. Broad incumbent and Visionary partner since 2008; serves as a co-commissioning theater for Theater Masters' Visionary playwrights.

Others

• American Playwriting Foundation / Tom Donahue Trust (former): Foundation operating the National Playwriting Awards (formerly the Democracy Prize) with $50K prize for emerging playwrights. Adjacent ecosystem participant: addresses the same support gap Theater Masters targets — declining opportunities for new playwrights.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theatermasters
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheaterMasters
• Instagraminstagram.com/theatermasters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theater-masters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Theater Masters