Williamston Theatre

What Williamston Theatre does

Williamston Theatre is a professional regional nonprofit theatre founded in 2006 and headquartered at 122 S Putnam St, Williamston, Michigan. It operates under an Actors' Equity Association union contract, meaning all staff and artists are paid professionals; the organization is led by co-founders Emily Sutton-Smith (Executive Director) and Tony Caselli (Artistic Director), with John Lepard and Chris Purchis also remaining actively involved as co-founders. The theatre's mission centers on delivering intimate, diverse storytelling experiences to audiences in the Greater Lansing region, anchored on four stated values: Excellence, Inclusion, Sense of Place, and Sustainability. It is governed by an 11-member board of directors and is celebrating its 20th season (2026-2027).

The theatre's core offering is a multi-production live theatrical season, complemented by Season Flex Pass subscriptions, individual assigned-seating tickets, and audience-development programs such as pay-what-you-wish performances and military matinees. Supporting programming includes the WT Gallery (an art gallery showcasing Michigan artists, established in the inaugural season), the WT Backstage Chat podcast (distributed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts), and Dark Nights in Billtown staged readings. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via an owned online ticketing platform, phone reservations, and an in-person box office. Marketing is conducted through Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, the podcast, email, and the organization's website.

Revenue is generated through two primary streams: ticket sales (individual shows and Season Flex Passes) and donations/sponsorships from individual donors plus institutional funders including the Shubert Foundation, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA), and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), with additional show sponsorships from local partners such as MSUFCU. The organization has no disclosed financials, no subsidiaries, no parent company, and no known M&A, funding-round, or restructuring activity. Operational signals — twenty years of continuous operation, recurring regional award recognition (Thespie, Wilde, and Pulsar awards across acting, directing, design, and original playwriting), and an active 2026-2027 season — indicate a stable, mature arts nonprofit rather than a high-growth enterprise.

Name

Williamston Theatre

Legal name

Williamston Theatre

Website

https://williamstontheatre.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Williamston Theatre is a nonprofit professional regional theatre in Williamston, Michigan, operating under an Actors' Equity Association contract and serving Greater Lansing audiences with intimate live productions, season subscriptions, a podcast, an art gallery, and staged readings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theatre / Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Live theatre productions
• Professional regional theatre
• Theatre season subscriptions
• Performing arts presentations
• Arts education outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Williamston

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from individual show tickets and season flex passes for theatrical productions
2. Donations and Sponsorships: Support from foundations including Shubert Foundation, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA), and National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), plus individual donor contributions

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Williamston Theatre produces and presents professional live theatrical productions featuring union (Actors' Equity Association) actors in an intimate venue setting in Williamston, Michigan. The core commercial offering is a season of live plays, comedies, musicals, and adaptations, sold via individual show tickets and Season Flex Pass subscriptions. Supporting offerings include the WT Backstage Chat Podcast, WT Gallery art exhibitions, and Dark Nights in Billtown staged readings, with operations funded in part by foundation grants and individual donations.

Product overview

Williamston Theatre is a professional regional theatre offering a unified portfolio of live theatrical experiences. The core offering consists of live theatre productions featuring professional union actors in intimate settings, supplemented by season subscription packages (Season Flex Passes) and individual show tickets. Supporting services include the WT Backstage Chat Podcast, the WT Gallery art exhibition program, and Dark Nights in Billtown staged readings. The theatre is currently not offering classes or workshops but maintains interest lists for future educational programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WT Backstage Chat Podcast: Williamston Theatre's Backstage Chat podcast gives listeners a glimpse into the creative process with theatre artists that work on productions.
• WT Gallery
• Dark Nights in Billtown

Products and services

• Live Theatre Productions Professional regional theatre productions featuring union (Actors' Equity Association) actors in an intimate venue setting, spanning dramas, comedies, musicals, and adaptations of classic works. Shows run as part of a seasonal lineup for general public audiences.
• Season Flex Passes Annual subscription package (e.g., Season 20 Flex Passes) providing access to all productions in a theatre season, with cost savings and guaranteed assigned seating for subscribers.
• Individual Show Tickets Single-performance tickets for specific show dates with assigned seating, available for purchase online, by phone, or in-person at the box office.
• WT Backstage Chat Podcast Podcast series providing insight into the creative process behind Williamston Theatre productions, featuring conversations with playwrights, designers, directors, and actors. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.
• WT Gallery Art gallery showcasing work of Michigan artists, with exhibits changing with each production; a portion of sales benefits the theatre.
• Dark Nights in Billtown Staged readings of plays providing scaled-down theatrical experiences, performed by professional actors under professional directors, with suggested donations at the door.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Reeder PianosminorOthersPiano provider for Murder for Two: Holiday Edition performances
• National New Play Network (NNPN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Rolling World Premieres including Alabaster and Tracy Jones productions
• Tipping Point TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Tracy Jones (NNPN Rolling World Premiere) and Rounding Third
• Actors' Equity AssociationcoreOthersUnion contract ensuring all staff and artists are paid professionals under AEA agreements

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• The Croswell Opera House: Historic professional regional theatre in Adrian, Michigan producing plays and musicals; comparable in scale, professional operating model, and Michigan regional audience to Williamston Theatre.
• BoarsHead Theater: Professional regional theatre in Lansing, Michigan producing a season of plays; directly comparable regional audience base and intimate-venue professional model in the same Lansing market as Williamston Theatre.
• Hilberry Theatre: Classic repertory theatre at Wayne State University in Detroit producing a rotating season of plays; comparable repertory operating model and Michigan regional audience, though academic-affiliated vs. Williamston's independent nonprofit structure.

Direct peers

• Tipping Point Theatre: Small professional regional theatre in Northville, Michigan that has co-produced NNPN Rolling World Premieres (Tracy Jones, Rounding Third) with Williamston Theatre, operating a similar intimate-venue, AEA-style model in SE Michigan.
• Meadow Brook Theatre: Professional regional theatre in Rochester, Michigan producing a multi-show season of plays and musicals for regional audiences; comparable in scale, AEA-affiliated professional operation, and Michigan regional market to Williamston Theatre.
• Performance Network Theatre: Professional regional theatre in Ann Arbor, Michigan producing intimate season programming of plays with professional actors; comparable in venue size, professional operating model, and Michigan regional audience.
• Michigan Shakespeare Festival: Michigan-based professional repertory theatre festival producing classical works; staff at Williamston Theatre (e.g., Production Assistant Adam Kruger) come from this festival, indicating direct talent and operating-model overlap.
• Encore Musical Theatre Company: Professional regional theatre in Dexter, Michigan producing musical theatre seasons with AEA contracts; cited in staff background and operates a comparable small professional regional model in the same Michigan market.
• Purple Rose Theatre Company: Professional regional theatre in Chelsea, Michigan producing intimate season programming with a focus on new works and Michigan talent — directly comparable in mission, scale, and Michigan regional positioning to Williamston Theatre.

Broad incumbents

• Wharton Center for Performing Arts: Large multi-venue performing arts presenter at Michigan State University serving the Lansing region; competes for the same regional arts audience but operates at significantly larger scale and broader programming scope than Williamston Theatre.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WilliamstonThtr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/williamstontheatre
• Facebookfacebook.com/WilliamstonTheatre
• Instagraminstagram.com/williamstontheatre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/williamston-theatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 Williamston Theatre