What Young Playwrights' Theater does

Young Playwrights' Theater (YPT) is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit founded in 1995 by playwright Karen Zacarías and incorporated in 1997, providing theater and creative writing education exclusively for young people ages 8 through 24, with a stated priority on youth targeted by systems of oppression. Its core products include an In-School Playwriting Program integrated into DC Public Schools Language Arts curricula, an Out-of-School Time Program (before/after-school and summer), the Young Playwrights in Progress (YPIP) script development track for emerging playwrights aged 14-24, the Silence is Violence social justice performance series (launched 2015), the SAFER anti-racism theater program, and annual showcases including the Ovation Showcase and Playspiration Festival. Technology delivery is straightforward: the marketing and content site runs on WordPress, online courses (Writers at Play, The Playwrights' Lab) are hosted on Thinkific, email is managed via Constant Contact, and video/audio content is distributed via YouTube and standard podcast platforms. The Podcast product (Silence is Violence: The Podcast) launched in November 2024 as a four-episode series extending the 10-year-old program into audio media.

The business model is a diversified nonprofit funding stack rather than a commercial GTM. Programming is delivered free to students; YPT generates revenue through individual donations (one-time and recurring via arts-people.com, mail, and text-to-give), corporate sponsorships (KPMG, GRF CPAs & Advisors, Capital for Children as Ambassador Sponsors), foundation grants (Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, HumanitiesDC), government arts grants (DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities), workplace giving (Combined Federal Campaign #64148), and event fundraising (Purple Promenade, Reels and Wheels, Thank You 5! Happy Hour). Distribution is primarily field-based: teaching artists are deployed directly into DC schools and community centers across the DC, Maryland, Virginia metro area, with annual productions staged at venues including The Kennedy Center, Busboys and Poets, Prince George's Community College Center for the Performing Arts, and CHAW. Customer segments are DCPS educators and school partners, youth participants and their families, adult writers, and social justice partner organizations — all served at no cost to end users. The organization operates with approximately 10 staff plus a Board of Directors and reported $18,000+ raised from a single 2020s drive-in fundraiser as a scale marker.

Name

Young Playwrights' Theater

Legal name

Young Playwrights' Theater

Website

https://yptdc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Young Playwrights' Theater is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit founded in 1995 that provides free youth playwriting and theater education programs for young people ages 8-24 across DC Public Schools, community centers, and regional venues, funded by donations, grants, and corporate sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Arts Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE), Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN), Children’s & YA Writing Workshops (EDAMAMAF)

Keywords

• Youth theater education
• Playwriting programs
• Arts education services
• Creative writing workshops
• Theater performances

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: YPT accepts one-time and recurring donations through their website (arts-people.com platform), by mail, and via text message ('YPT' to 44-321). This appears to be a primary revenue stream.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors including KPMG, GRF CPAs & Advisors, and Capital for Children provide financial support as Ambassador Sponsors and event sponsors.
3. Foundation Grants: YPT receives grant funding from foundations such as The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation and HumanitiesDC (DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities), as well as government arts grants.
4. Government/Workplace Giving: YPT accepts workplace giving through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC #64148) and employee matching programs using EIN 52-2102391. Also accepts stock gifts through Catalogue for Philanthropy.
5. Event Fundraising: YPT generates revenue through special events like the Purple Promenade fundraiser and Reels and Wheels drive-in movie event which raised over $18,000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Young Playwrights' Theater (YPT) is a nonprofit arts education organization that delivers youth playwriting programs to young people ages 8 through 24 in the Washington, DC metro area. Its core offerings include in-school and out-of-school playwriting workshops, year-long script development (YPIP) for early-career playwrights, the annual Silence is Violence social justice performance series, and digital courses (Writers at Play and The Playwrights' Lab) hosted on Thinkific. Student-written plays are showcased through professional theatrical productions featuring local actors at major regional venues.

Product overview

Young Playwrights' Theater offers a multi-tiered theater education portfolio centered on youth playwriting development. The core offerings include In-School Playwriting Programs integrated into Language Arts curricula and Out-of-School Time Programs for before/after-school and summer sessions. For emerging playwrights aged 14-24, the Young Playwrights in Progress (YPIP) program provides intensive script development. The annual Silence is Violence series addresses social justice through youth-driven theatrical productions. YPT extends reach through digital products on Thinkific: Writers at Play for educators/families teaching 3rd-12th graders, and The Playwrights' Lab for adult writers. The Silence is Violence: The Podcast, launched in 2024, extends the program into audio media. Additional programs include Young Playwrights' Workshop for DCPS educator training, the SAFER anti-racism theater program, and annual events like the Ovation Showcase and Playspiration Festival.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• In-School Playwriting Program YPT's primary in-school program integrating playwriting into Language Arts curricula for elementary through college students, featuring workshops, professional actors performing student work, and contributions to the annual Ovation Showcase.
• Out-of-School Time Program Before and after-school theater education workshops for elementary through college-aged students, including summer programs, designed to develop creative expression, confidence, and collaboration skills.
• Young Playwrights in Progress (YPIP) Script development and workshop reading program for young, early-career playwrights aged 14-24, featuring one-on-one advising with the Artistic Director, dramaturg support, and potential workshop readings of original plays over a 6-12 month engagement.
• Silence is Violence Annual social justice performance series since 2015 that addresses pressing issues affecting Washington, DC area youth through targeted dramatic writing workshops, community partnerships, and professional theatrical productions featuring young people's words.
• Writers at Play Digital toolkit hosted on Thinkific enabling educators and families to teach 3rd-12th grade learners to write original plays through structured online courses.
• The Playwrights' Lab Virtual playwriting workshop on Thinkific designed for adult writers interested in learning and practicing the craft of playwriting.
• Silence is Violence: The Podcast Four-episode audio series featuring scripted performances, interviews, poetry readings, and music detailing key moments from Silence is Violence's 10-year history, distributed via podcast platforms.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30,000 young artists inspired over 30 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sitar Arts CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYPT partnered with Sitar Arts Center for the SAFER (Students Advocating for the Eradication of Racism) program, meeting weekly over several months.
• Theater AllianceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPodcast sponsor for Silence is Violence: The Podcast.
• Flapjack TheatricsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPodcast sponsor for Silence is Violence: The Podcast.
• Solstice Sister StudiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPodcast sponsor for Silence is Violence: The Podcast.
• Cody Bahn Photography and DesignminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPodcast sponsor for Silence is Violence: The Podcast.
• Old Takoma Ace HardwareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPodcast sponsor for Silence is Violence: The Podcast.
• tabletopminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPodcast sponsor for Silence is Violence: The Podcast.
• Compass Rose TheaterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPodcast sponsor for Silence is Violence: The Podcast.
• Busboys and PoetscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYPT stages productions at Busboys and Poets Takoma location, including Silence is Violence: Liberation.
• The Kennedy CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYPT students perform at The Kennedy Center during the annual DCPS Performing Arts Festival. Venue for student productions.
• Prince George's Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYPT stages productions at the Center for the Performing Arts, including Silence Is Violence: New Normal.
• CHAW (Colonial Church of the Arts)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYPT conducted live reading of 'Dresses That Twirl' at CHAW in June 2025.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Imagination Stage: Bethesda, MD-based nonprofit that provides theater education and performances for children and youth, with a strong emphasis on creative writing and devising original work. Highly comparable as a DC-area youth theater education organization with similar age range and educational programming.
• Adventure Theatre MTC: Maryland-based professional theater for young audiences that runs both performances and educational programming in the DC region. Comparable in mission, regional footprint, and youth-focused theatrical productions.
• Sitar Arts Center: DC-based nonprofit providing arts education to youth, including theater programming. YPT partners with Sitar Arts Center on the SAFER program; comparable as a DC youth arts education organization serving similar demographics.

Regional players

• Round House Theatre: Bethesda, MD-based professional theater that runs educational programs alongside mainstage productions. Comparable as a DC-metro theater organization with overlapping educational and new-work development missions; serves a broader audience beyond youth.
• Constellation Theatre Company: Washington, DC-based professional theater company producing original and contemporary work. Comparable as a DC-area theater organization focused on producing and developing new work, though it does not specialize in youth programming.

Others

• National New Play Network: National alliance of theaters developing new plays, intersecting with YPT's mission of supporting playwrights from early ages through their careers. Compares as a peer in the new-play development ecosystem, though it operates at a different scale and serves professional playwrights.
• Theatre Washington: DC-area service organization for the professional theater community, including the Helen Hayes Awards. Compares as a DC theater ecosystem peer that intersects with YPT's artistic director's emeritus role and supports the broader region in which YPT operates.
• DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative: DC-area coalition providing arts education in DC Public Schools. Comparable as a regional peer in the DC arts education ecosystem that intersects with YPT's school partnership channel.

Broad incumbents

• Kennedy Center Education: The education arm of The Kennedy Center, a major national performing arts institution that stages student work and partners with YPT on the DCPS Performing Arts Festival. Comparable as a large-scale theater education provider that overlaps with YPT's youth programming mission.
• Arena Stage: Major regional theater in Washington, DC with extensive education and community engagement programs. Comparable as a DC theater hub that supports new play development and youth education, though at a much larger scale and broader audience scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/yptdc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@yptdc
• Facebookfacebook.com/YPTDC
• Instagraminstagram.com/yptdc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/young-playwrights'-theater

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles25 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 Young Playwrights' Theater