Access Theater, Inc.
Access Theater, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1992 that operates a downtown New York City black-box venue and artist development programs, producing and hosting new plays by emerging playwrights while renting space to other nonprofit theater companies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersWest New York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Access Theater, Inc. does
Access Theater, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 1992 by Jacqueline Christy and headquartered at 380 Broadway, 4th Floor in downtown New York City. The organization operates a black-box theater and gallery venue as both a producing entity and a subsidized rental space for not-for-profit theater companies, and over 30 years has produced hundreds of new plays including world premieres of works by now-recognized artists such as Stephen Belber, Tom McCarthy, Aasif Mandvi, and Frank Pugliese. Several of its productions have transferred to Off-Broadway, regional and British theaters, and feature film development, most notably Stephen Belber's Tape, which became a film starring Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke.
The organization's business model blends four revenue streams: ticket sales and box office for in-house productions and readings, venue rental income from independent nonprofit theater companies, individual charitable donations, and institutional grants (including a 2017 Sloan Foundation/Women Make Movies research grant and Williams College Alumni Sponsored Internship grants). Tickets start at $5 with $10 suggested donations for virtual events distributed through Eventbrite, and programs are promoted through Instagram, email newsletters, and the Squarespace-hosted company website. Core staffing consists of three named individuals — Founder/Executive Director Jacqueline Christy, Artistic Director Laura Lee (promoted from within in 2020), and Technical Director Chris Phan (since 2018) — supplemented by interns and volunteers.
Access Theater's product surface centers on the Artist Access Program, which bundles bi-weekly writers groups, script development workshops, an annual writers retreat, a Speaker Series, free monthly masterclasses, a mentorship program for middle and high school students, and festivals such as 4 Flights Up and the virtual Salon Soirée. The organization has no software products, APIs, or proprietary technology; its underlying platform is a single physical venue plus a recurring slate of in-person and Zoom-based programs, and it operates a wholly owned adjacent subsidiary, Access Manufacturing.
Access Theater, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Access Theater, Inc.
- Legal name
- Access Theater, Inc.
- Website
- https://accesstheater.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Access Theater, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1992 that operates a downtown New York City black-box venue and artist development programs, producing and hosting new plays by emerging playwrights while renting space to other nonprofit theater companies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Access Theater, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts / Theater Production Services
- NAICS
- Performing Arts Companies (7111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB), Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)
Keywords
Where Access Theater, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- West New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Access Theater, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales & Box Office Revenue: Access Theater generates revenue through ticket sales for productions, readings, and events at their venue. The organization was forced to postpone 21 productions during COVID due to mandated shutdowns, stalling this revenue stream.
- Theater Rental Income: Access Theater serves as a curated arts venue for not-for-profit producing organizations, earning rental income from companies that use their space for performances and rehearsals.
- Charitable Donations: As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, Access Theater relies heavily on contributions and support through charitable donations from individuals and supporters.
- Grant Funding: Access Theater receives grants including professional inclusivity training grants, Williams College Alumni Sponsored Internship Program grants, and 2017 Sloan Foundation and Women Make Movies research grant.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Donation/ grant-funded | One-time | Suggested donation for virtual events |
| Transaction based/ take rate | One-time | Paid tickets for productions |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Access Theater, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Access Theater presents and develops new theater works and operates a curated downtown NYC performing arts venue offering subsidized rehearsal and performance space to not-for-profit producing organizations. It runs an integrated portfolio of artist development programs including writers groups, script development workshops, a speaker series, mentorship, free monthly masterclasses, festivals, and a Williams College internship program for emerging playwrights and independent theater artists.
Product overview
Access Theater is a non-profit theater venue and artist development organization offering a single, unified portfolio of performing arts programs rather than a software product platform. The core offering is the Access Theater Venue, a downtown NYC space with Black Box Theater and Gallery, which serves as both a rental facility and a producing organization. Supporting the venue is the Artist Access Program, which encompasses Writers Groups and Script Development Workshops (bi-weekly meetings moderated by staff, with alumni including Frank Pugliese and Aasif Mandvi), a Speaker Series featuring industry professionals, a Mentorship Program connecting professionals with middle/high school students, and free Monthly Masterclasses. Additional programming includes the 4 Flights Up Festival of new plays, the Salon Soirée virtual event featuring emerging playwrights, and the Williams College Internship Program. The organization also provides subsidized rehearsal and performance space for not-for-profit organizations. Access Theater has no software products, APIs, or AI capabilities—it is a traditional performing arts organization focused on theater production, artist development, and community programming.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Access Theater Venue & Rental
- Artist Access Program
- Writers Groups & Script Development Workshops
- Speaker Series
- Mentorship Program
- Free Monthly Masterclasses
- 4 Flights Up Festival
- Salon Soirée
Quantifiable outcome
- Productions have transferred to Off-Broadway, regional theaters, British theaters, and feature film development
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Access Theater, Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Access Theater, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Access Theater, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Williams College Alumni Sponsored Internship ProgramcoreLaura Lee, Access Theater Artistic Director, is a Williams College alumna, enabling Access Theater to participate in this internship program. Interns receive grants through the program and work 40 hours per week for 8-9 weeks over the summer, either in-person or remotely. Access Theater benefits from the work of emerging creative leaders while providing hands-on arts experience to students.
- Experimental Bitch PresentsminorPartnership with Experimental Bitch Presents, an assembly of artists dedicated to building community and creating new and experimental work that disrupts, engages, and redefines the process of art-making.
- Blue Coyote Theater GroupcoreLong-standing co-production partnership with Blue Coyote Theater Group. Joint productions include David Johnston's Oresteia (Time Out NY Best of 2007), Busted Jesus Comix (2005 GLAAD nominee), and David Foley's Paradise.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Access Theater, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Theater for the New City: Theater for the New City is a long-standing NYC non-profit Off-Off-Broadway venue producing new plays, particularly work by emerging and underrepresented artists, with a venue in the East Village. Like Access Theater, it operates as a community-focused non-profit theater producing new works.
- 59E59 Theaters: 59E59 Theaters is a multi-theater Off-Off-Broadway venue in Manhattan that hosts curated rental productions by independent theater companies. Access Theater's model of providing subsidized venue space to nonprofit producing organizations is highly comparable to 59E59's curated rental model.
- The Flea Theater: The Flea Theater is a downtown NYC Off-Off-Broadway theater producing new and experimental works, with a resident artist program and a focus on emerging playwrights. It directly mirrors Access Theater's role as a small, artist-driven producing venue in lower Manhattan.
- LAByrinth Theater Company: LAByrinth Theater Company is a NYC-based ensemble of artists producing new work, with a strong focus on developing diverse playwrights and providing a community for emerging voices. Its artist development mission and ensemble model closely parallel Access Theater's playwright development programs.
- The New Group: The New Group is a NYC Off-Broadway theater company producing new plays and developing emerging playwrights. Its artist development programs and commitment to new work align with Access Theater's mission, though it operates at a slightly larger production scale.
Broad incumbents
- Atlantic Theater Company: Atlantic Theater Company is a NYC Off-Broadway theater producing new plays with a notable playwright development program. It is comparable to Access Theater in its downtown NYC focus and new work mission, though at a much larger institutional scale.
- Signature Theatre Company: Signature Theatre Company is a NYC Off-Broadway theater known for producing new plays and developing playwrights-in-residence. Like Access Theater, it invests in long-term playwright development, but operates at a substantially larger institutional scale with multiple venues.
- New York Theatre Workshop: New York Theatre Workshop is an established Off-Broadway theater in the East Village known for developing new work that has transferred to Broadway (e.g., Rent, Once on This Island). While larger and more institutionally prominent, it shares Access Theater's downtown NYC location and new play development focus.
Emerging players
- INTAR Theatre: INTAR Theatre is a NYC Latino-founded Off-Off-Broadway theater producing new works by Latinx and emerging playwrights. Its focus on historically underrepresented voices and new play development aligns with Access Theater's inclusivity-centered mission.
- Diamond Stage Productions: Diamond Stage Productions is a small NYC non-profit producing new works by emerging playwrights, with a focus on diverse voices and accessible ticketing. It shares Access Theater's artist development focus and small-scale Off-Off-Broadway model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Access Theater, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceAccess Theater, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Access Theater, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Access Theater, Inc. subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Access Theater, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Access Theater, Inc. 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 Access Theater, Inc.
What does Access Theater, Inc. do?
Access Theater presents and develops new theater works and operates a curated downtown NYC performing arts venue offering subsidized rehearsal and performance space to not-for-profit producing organizations. It runs an integrated portfolio of artist development programs including writers groups, script development workshops, a speaker series, mentorship, free monthly masterclasses, festivals, and a Williams College internship program for emerging playwrights and independent theater artists.
Is Access Theater, Inc. a public or private company?
Access Theater, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Access Theater, Inc. founded?
Access Theater, Inc. was founded in 1992. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Access Theater, Inc. based?
Access Theater, Inc. is headquartered in West New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Access Theater, Inc. make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales & Box Office Revenue is the primary driver. The others are theater Rental Income, charitable Donations and grant Funding.
Who are Access Theater, Inc.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Theater for the New City, 59E59 Theaters, The Flea Theater, LAByrinth Theater Company and The New Group. Broad incumbents are Atlantic Theater Company, Signature Theatre Company and New York Theatre Workshop. Emerging players are INTAR Theatre and Diamond Stage Productions.
Does Access Theater, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Access Theater, Inc..
What industry is Access Theater, Inc. in?
Access Theater, Inc.'s product category is Performing Arts / Theater Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAM, Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking), with a secondary code of MPAGABAB, Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies. Its NAICS code is 7111.