Cahoots Theatre
Cahoots Theatre is a Toronto-based nonprofit founded in 1986 that produces new Canadian plays centered on cultural diversity, serving BIPOC artists, young audiences, and Toronto's diverse theatre-going community through mainstage productions, mentorship, and community programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cahoots Theatre does
Cahoots Theatre Company is a Toronto-based, independent nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1986 by Beverly Yap that produces new Canadian plays anchored in cultural diversity, with a specific focus on BIPOC artists, storytellers, and audiences. Over 38–39 years of continuous operation, the company has supported 500+ artists through its productions and an additional 500+ through partner programs and funding, building a pipeline that includes mentorship (the GAPs initiative), youth programs (Crossing Gibraltar), a nationwide BIPOC theatre student gathering (Pepper Pot), and accessible programming resources (Deaf Artists' and Theatres' Toolkit, or DATT). Its recent slate includes award-recognized productions such as 'Sweeter' (2023, co-produced with Roseneath Theatre at Native Earth's Aki Studio, which earned 5 Dora nominations in 2024), 'our place' (2022, with Theatre Passe Muraille), 'Three Ordinary Men' (2022, Theatre Centre), and 'Sanguine' (2025), with 'Searching for Aimai' scheduled for early 2026.
The company has no proprietary technology stack. Operations are supported by a standard toolkit: a Webflow-hosted website, Mailchimp newsletter, and external ticketing infrastructure (SimplyK for events, PatronBase for partner-venue box offices). Revenue is derived from four streams: ticket sales ($25–$42 per ticket depending on tier and production), individual donations and corporate partnerships ($100,000+ lifetime community donations disclosed), government and foundation grants (Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, Kingfisher Foundation), and space/equipment rentals (currently on hold). Tickets are sold primarily through external vendor systems at partner venues rather than through a proprietary box office.
The company is co-led by Artistic Director Tanisha Taitt (since October 2019) and Managing Director Richard Chan (joined November 2025), following the May 2025 departure of Managing Producer Lisa Alves. The full-time team is described as 'tiny-but-mighty' (1–10 employees), and governance rests with a Board of Directors chaired by Dale Yim. Cahoots operates from a wheelchair-accessible studio at 388 Queen Street East in Toronto and reaches audiences primarily through live productions at partner venues, community events, and online programming promoted via social media, newsletter, and earned media.
Cahoots Theatre firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cahoots Theatre
- Legal name
- Cahoots Theatre Company
- Website
- https://cahoots.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cahoots Theatre is a Toronto-based nonprofit founded in 1986 that produces new Canadian plays centered on cultural diversity, serving BIPOC artists, young audiences, and Toronto's diverse theatre-going community through mainstage productions, mentorship, and community programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cahoots Theatre industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts / Live Theatre
- NAICS
- Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)
Keywords
Where Cahoots Theatre is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cahoots Theatre 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: Revenue from ticket sales for productions and workshops through external box office vendors and SimplyK registration platform.
- Donations and Fundraising: Community donations exceeding $100,000, individual giving programs, and corporate partnerships.
- Government and Foundation Grants: Funding from Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, and Kingfisher Foundation.
- Space and Equipment Rentals: Studio and equipment rentals at competitive rates (currently on hold).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard in-person show tickets |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Cahoots Theatre product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cahoots Theatre produces and presents live theatrical productions centered on cultural diversity and BIPOC stories, develops and supports emerging artists through mentorship (GAPs), youth programs (Crossing Gibraltar, Pepper Pot), and direct funding, and rents out its accessible studio space and equipment to other artists and producers. Programming includes mainstage plays for adults and family/young audiences (e.g., Sweeter, our place, Three Ordinary Men, SANGUINE, Searching For Aimai), co-produced with partner Toronto theatres.
Product overview
Cahoots Theatre Company is a Toronto-based theatre that produces new Canadian plays anchored in cultural diversity. The company operates as a single unified organization offering theatrical productions across multiple seasons, community outreach programs, artist development initiatives, and venue rentals. Core productions include mainstage plays (Sweeter, our place, Three Ordinary Men, SANGUINE, Searching For Aimai), while complementary offerings encompass mentorship programs (GAPs), youth initiatives (Crossing Gibraltar), community gatherings (Pepper Pot), and studio/equipment rentals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sweeter A family-friendly Theatrical Production for Young Audiences set in 1887 Florida, following an African-American girl named Sweet Pea and her widowed father Ralph, who befriends a talking mango tree after emancipation. Co-produced with Roseneath Theatre and performed at Native Earth's Aki Studio.
- our place A Theatrical Production exploring the lives of undocumented Caribbean women working in Toronto and the toll of Canada's immigration system. Co-produced with Theatre Passe Muraille and presented at their Mainspace venue.
- Three Ordinary Men A Theatrical Production based on the true story of civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, James Chaney, and Andrew Goodman during Freedom Summer 1964. Performed at Theatre Centre's BMO Incubator as Cahoots' first return to live stage post-pandemic.
- Searching For Aimai A Theatrical Production and poetic solo play about a woman about to give birth who cannot hear her ancestors' songs, investigating mixed-race identity and belonging through physical theatre.
- GAPs Mentorship Initiative A Community Program / Mentorship Initiative providing training and professional development support for artists, serving as Cahoots' flagship artist-development offering for emerging theatremakers.
- Crossing Gibraltar A Community Program and youth theatre initiative fostering creative development in young artists.
- Pepper Pot A Community Program consisting of a nationwide monthly online Zoom gathering for BIPOC theatre school students to connect and collaborate.
- Studio & Equipment Rentals A Venue Rental offering at Cahoots' accessible Toronto studio at 388 Queen Street East, Unit #3, providing competitive-rate rentals of studio space and equipment to artists and producers. Currently on hold.
Quantifiable outcome
- 500+ artists supported through shows and partner programs
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Cahoots Theatre
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Cahoots Theatre technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cahoots Theatre partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Native Earth Performing ArtscoreVenue partner hosting 'Sweeter' at the Aki Studio in Daniels Spectrum. Native Earth provides the performance space for Cahoots productions.
- Roseneath TheatrecoreCo-production partner for 'Sweeter' (2023), a theatre for young audiences production. Roseneath Theatre partnered with Cahoots to present this award-nominated children's theatre piece.
- Theatre Passe MuraillecoreCo-production partner for 'our place' (2022), presented at Theatre Passe Muraille's Mainspace. Deep collaborative partnership for the production about undocumented workers in Canada.
- Theatre CentrecoreVenue partner hosting 'Three Ordinary Men' (2022) at the BMO Incubator space. Theatre Centre provided the performance venue for Cahoots' first return to live theatre.
- Deaf Artists' and Theatres' Toolkit (DATT)minorCommunity partnership for accessibility resources supporting Deaf artists and theatres. Cahoots promotes DATT resources to its community.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Cahoots Theatre competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Soulpepper Theatre: One of Canada's largest and most established Toronto theatre companies. Overlaps with Cahoots in Toronto performing-arts ecosystem and shares some artist pool (Taitt has worked with Soulpepper), but operates at substantially larger scale.
- Tarragon Theatre: Established Toronto theatre company developing and producing new Canadian plays. Comparable mandate of supporting Canadian playwrights and new work, but at a larger scale and with owned venue capacity.
Regional players
- Young People's Theatre: Toronto's flagship Theatre for Young Audiences company. Comparable to Cahoots' Sweeter TYA work and relevant as a venue and partner in the same Toronto youth theatre ecosystem.
Direct peers
- Obsidian Theatre: Toronto-based Black-focused theatre company producing new work by Black artists. Directly comparable in BIPOC-focused mission, similar scale, and overlapping artist community with Cahoots.
- Nightwood Theatre: Toronto-based feminist theatre company developing and producing work by women. Comparable as a small mission-driven Toronto company championing underrepresented voices, with overlapping donor and grant ecosystem.
- Roseneath Theatre: Toronto theatre company specializing in Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA); co-production partner with Cahoots on Sweeter (2023). Shares the same small-team, co-production-driven model serving similar diverse family audiences.
- Factory Theatre: Toronto theatre dedicated to developing and producing new Canadian work, with a cultural-diversity mandate similar to Cahoots'. Comparable as a producing theatre company in the same funding and venue ecosystem.
- Theatre Passe Muraille: Toronto theatre company and co-production partner with Cahoots on our place (2022). Both produce new Canadian work with cultural diversity focus and operate at small-to-mid scale on government and foundation grants.
- Native Earth Performing Arts: Toronto-based Indigenous theatre company and venue partner of Cahoots (hosts productions at Aki Studio). Both are small culturally-focused producing companies in Toronto with similar mission-driven nonprofit models and grant-dependent revenue.
- Buddies in Bad Times Theatre: Toronto-based queer theatre company producing work by and for LGBTQ+ communities. Comparable as a small mission-driven Toronto producing company with similar community-development programs and grant dependency.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cahoots Theatre social profiles
Digital presenceCahoots Theatre financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cahoots Theatre leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Cahoots Theatre funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cahoots Theatre 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 Cahoots Theatre
What does Cahoots Theatre do?
Cahoots Theatre produces and presents live theatrical productions centered on cultural diversity and BIPOC stories, develops and supports emerging artists through mentorship (GAPs), youth programs (Crossing Gibraltar, Pepper Pot), and direct funding, and rents out its accessible studio space and equipment to other artists and producers. Programming includes mainstage plays for adults and family/young audiences (e.g., Sweeter, our place, Three Ordinary Men, SANGUINE, Searching For Aimai), co-produced with partner Toronto theatres.
Is Cahoots Theatre a public or private company?
Cahoots Theatre is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Cahoots Theatre founded?
Cahoots Theatre was founded in 1986. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cahoots Theatre based?
Cahoots Theatre is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Cahoots Theatre make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are donations and Fundraising, government and Foundation Grants and space and Equipment Rentals.
Who are Cahoots Theatre's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Soulpepper Theatre and Tarragon Theatre. Young People's Theatre is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Obsidian Theatre, Nightwood Theatre, Roseneath Theatre, Factory Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, Native Earth Performing Arts and Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.
Does Cahoots Theatre have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cahoots Theatre.
What industry is Cahoots Theatre in?
Cahoots Theatre's product category is Performing Arts / Live Theatre. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAH, Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama), with a secondary code of EDAMAAAG, Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater). Its NAICS code is 711110.