Little Lake Theatre

What Little Lake Theatre does

Little Lake Theatre Company is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community theatre founded in 1949 and headquartered at 500 Lakeside Drive South in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. It operates a 170-seat indoor theatre-in-the-round venue, with audience members positioned no more than 25 feet from the stage on all four sides of a square stage. The organization runs a seasonal programming calendar from April through December, presenting approximately 9 mainstage productions per year alongside youth and children's theatre, summer camps, ongoing classes, a teen apprentice program, sensory-friendly performances, and special events such as Morning with Santa.

The company's offerings span three product families. (1) Core theatrical products include adult and family-oriented mainstage productions, youth and children's productions, and accessibility-focused sensory-friendly performances. (2) Educational programs include week-long summer camps ($250-$425 for ages 6-18), classes such as the Fearless Acting Intensive ($100), and an apprentice program for teens ages 13-18 providing hands-on training in directing, stage management, and design. (3) Add-on revenue modules include season subscriptions, group sales (minimum 20 people, $19+/person), gift certificates, and a lobby concessions bar.

The business model combines ticket sales, donations and sponsorships, educational fees, and concessions into a diversified nonprofit revenue mix. Single adult tickets are priced at $25 and youth tickets at $15; corporate sponsorships range from $250 to $10,000; foundation and government grants (EQT Foundation, PNC Charitable Trust, Laurel Foundation, Pittsburgh Foundation, Washington County Tourism Board) supplement earned revenue. Operations are supported by a small professional staff of 1-10 led by Artistic Director Patrick Cannon and Managing Director Patricia Grace Knapp, with governance provided by a Board of Directors (Co-Presidents Susie Bradley and Brian Whitecap) and significant reliance on volunteers. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer through an online ticketing platform (PatronBase / Bravo Arts Solutions), a phone and walk-in box office, and on-site concessions. Marketing is executed through the company's website, social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), and email newsletter.

Name

Little Lake Theatre

Legal name

Little Lake Theatre Company

Website

https://littlelake.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Little Lake Theatre Company is a 78-year-old nonprofit community theatre in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, operating a 170-seat theatre-in-the-round venue presenting 9 annual productions, youth education programs, and sensory-friendly performances for regional audiences near Pittsburgh.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theatre / Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Community & Amateur Theatre (MPAGABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB), Musical Theatre (Non-Broadway/Fringe) (MPAGABAG)

Keywords

• Live theatre productions
• Community theatre
• Theatre education programs
• Youth performing arts
• Theatrical performance venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Canonsburg

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. Ticket Sales: Revenue from single tickets, group sales, and subscriptions for mainstage productions. Season runs April-December with 9 mainstage performances.
2. Donations and Sponsorships: Individual donations, corporate sponsorships ranging from $250 to $10,000, foundation grants, and government funding. Tax-deductible 501(c)(3) organization.
3. Educational Programs: Summer camps ($250-$425), classes ($100), and apprentice program fees for youth theatre education.
4. Concessions: Lobby bar offering concessions, refreshments, specialty desserts and drinks. Opens one hour before shows and at intermission.
5. Gift Certificates: Gift certificates for tickets, classes, camps, and events. Available online, in-person, or by phone.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Little Lake Theatre Company is a nonprofit community theatre that produces and presents approximately 9-10 mainstage theatrical productions per season (April through December) on a permanent 170-seat theatre-in-the-round stage in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. The company also delivers year-round educational programming including summer camps, theatre classes, and a teen apprentice program, alongside sensory-friendly performances, group sales, subscriptions, and on-site concessions.

Product overview

Little Lake Theatre is a community theatre company operating an indoor 170-seat theatre-in-the-round venue in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, from April through December. The organization offers a portfolio of theatrical products and educational programs including mainstage productions for adults, youth theatre productions, and children's theatre. Educational offerings comprise summer camps (Be A Star, Musical Theater, Acting Camp), ongoing classes (Fearless Acting Intensive), and an apprentice program for teens. Accessibility-focused offerings include sensory-friendly performances with modified lighting and sound. Additional revenue-generating products include season subscriptions, group sales, gift certificates, and concessions. The company presents approximately 9-10 mainstage productions annually as part of its seasonal programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mainstage Productions Professional-quality theatrical performances presented in the theatre-in-the-round venue, featuring adult and family-oriented plays and musicals across a multi-show season. Aimed at general community audiences in Western Pennsylvania.
• Youth Theatre Productions Theatrical productions featuring young performers, typically ages 8-18, including youth-specific titles like Frozen Jr. and other family-friendly shows. Targeted at young actors and family audiences.
• Children's Theatre Productions Age-appropriate theatrical productions designed for young audiences, often adapted from popular children's literature and presented as introductory theatre experiences.
• Summer Camps Seasonal theatre-focused day camps for children and teens offering instruction in acting, singing, dance, and performance skills. Offerings include Be A Star Camp (ages 6-9), Musical Theater Camps featuring shows like Disney's 101 Dalmatians KIDS and Guys and Dolls JR, and Acting Camp - Take Center Stage (ages 10-16).
• Theatre Classes Ongoing theatre education programs for various age groups, providing skill development in acting, scene work, and performance preparation (e.g., the Fearless Acting Intensive).
• Apprentice Program Year-round program for teens ages 13-18 providing hands-on training in production aspects including assistant directing, stage management, costume design, prop design, and set design.
• Sensory Friendly Performances Modified theatre productions designed to welcome individuals with sensory needs, featuring dimmed house lights, reduced sound effects, quiet lobby areas, relaxed atmosphere, and accommodating staff.
• Group Sales Discounted ticket packages for groups of 20 or more, with group rates starting as low as $19 per person, offering personalized theatre experiences for organizations and gatherings.
• Season Subscriptions Multi-show ticket packages offering discounts off single ticket prices, priority seating access, free ticket exchanges, and print-at-home convenience for the annual season lineup.
• Gift Certificates Redeemable certificates for purchasing tickets, classes, camps, or events, available for purchase online, in person, or by phone.
• Special Events Non-production events such as the annual Morning with Santa, offering holiday-themed activities including storytelling, photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, cookies, and seasonal crafts.
• Concessions Lobby bar offering refreshments, specialty desserts, and drinks, opening one hour before shows and at intermission.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13,000+ annual participants across performances, education, and volunteer programs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PatronBase/Bravo Arts SolutionscoreTechnology or IntegrationPremier ticketing partner providing e-commerce platform for online ticket sales, subscriptions, gift certificates, and donations.
• BravoBase/PatronBasecoreTechnology or IntegrationTicketing platform provider with PCI-certified secure payment processing through Bravo Arts Solutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• South Park Theatre: Community theatre in the South Park area south of Pittsburgh, also relying on volunteer performers and regional audiences. Most directly comparable as a peer community theatre in the same Pittsburgh metro.
• Quantum Theatre: Pittsburgh-based nonprofit producing site-specific, often immersive theatrical experiences. Comparable as a Pittsburgh-area theatre employing some of the same freelance artists; serves a different artistic niche than Little Lake's community programming.
• Mountain Playhouse: Regional community theatre in the Laurel Highlands of Western Pennsylvania producing a seasonal mainstage repertoire. Comparable as a Pennsylvania-based seasonal community theatre with similar scale and programming model.
• Bricolage Production Company: Pittsburgh-based experimental theatre company producing innovative, immersive productions. Comparable as a Pittsburgh nonprofit theatre; differs by focusing on avant-garde and site-specific work rather than community/mainstream repertoire.

Direct peers

• City Theatre (Pittsburgh): Pittsburgh-based professional theatre company producing new works and contemporary plays. Directly comparable as a Pittsburgh-area nonprofit theatre competing for similar audience, donor, and sponsor relationships.
• Pittsburgh Public Theater: Major Pittsburgh-area nonprofit theatre producing mainstage plays and musicals. Comparable as a regional repertory theatre serving the same Western Pennsylvania audience; significantly larger production scope and budget than Little Lake.
• Pittsburgh CLO: Pittsburgh-based nonprofit producing musical theatre productions and educational programming. Directly comparable as a regional performing arts nonprofit with overlapping audience and donor base; differs in scale (CLO is a much larger organization with broader programming).

Others

• Cape May Stage: Professional equity regional theatre in Cape May, New Jersey, producing a seasonal mainstage repertoire. Comparable as a small seasonal professional repertory theatre with similar season-based operating model, though geographically distant.
• Drury Lane Theatre: Suburban Chicago-area dinner theatre and repertory venue producing musicals and plays in a fixed venue. Comparable as a small fixed-venue repertory operation producing season-based theatrical programming; differs by including dining and a larger venue footprint.

Emerging players

• Front Porch Theatricals: Pittsburgh-area musical theatre company producing small-scale and concert-format productions. Comparable as a regional musical theatre nonprofit serving overlapping audiences and donor pools.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LittleLakeTheatre
• Instagraminstagram.com/littlelaketheatre
• TikToktiktok.com/@littlelaketheatre
• Xx.com/LLakeTheatre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/little-lake-theatre-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Little Lake Theatre