Whitefish Theatre Company

What Whitefish Theatre Company does

Whitefish Theatre Company (WTC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community theatre organization founded in 1978 and headquartered at the 328-seat I.A. O'Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish, Montana, where it operates under a long-term lease with the City of Whitefish. WTC serves the Flathead Valley region of Northwest Montana with a portfolio of live performing arts programming that includes mainstage theatre productions, the Black Curtain Reader's Theatre series (intimate, minimally staged new plays), The Met Live in HD opera screenings (in collaboration with the Whitefish Arts Council and Whitefish Performing Arts Center), the Whitefish Summer Concert Series (co-produced with Merie Production Company since 2023), summer theatre camps for youth entering 1st-8th grades, and adult audition workshops. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and runs with six full-time and three part-time staff supported by community volunteers.

The company's revenue model is diversified across ticket sales, donations, sponsorships, grants, and venue rentals. Ticket sales account for approximately 46% of total revenue, with the remaining 54% derived from patron contributions (with donation tiers ranging from $50 Supporter to $10,000 Executive Producer), corporate season sponsorships (Averill Hospitality, Whitefish Credit Union, Whitefish Mountain Resort, Hidden Moose Lodge, Carloss Family Restaurant Group), institutional grants (NEA, Montana Arts Council, WESTAF, I.A. O'Shaughnessy Foundation, Whitefish Community Foundation), and rental income from the O'Shaughnessy Center when not in use by WTC. Approximately 86% of expenses are directed toward performance and concert costs. Distribution occurs through a box office, the Arts People online ticketing platform, door sales, and gift certificates; marketing runs through the company website, email newsletter, Instagram, and seasonal brochures.

WTC's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, anchored by a 14-event season (9 theatre shows and 5 music concerts) plus the summer concert series, MET screenings, and educational programs. The organization holds a GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency and positions itself as the premiere arts provider in the Flathead Valley, with 46+ years of continuous operation and a stable professional staff led by Executive Director Jen Asebrook (since 2020) and Artistic Director Kim Krueger.

Name

Whitefish Theatre Company

Legal name

Whitefish Theatre Company

Website

https://whitefishtheatreco.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Performing Arts Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL)

Keywords

• Community theatre productions
• Performing arts programming
• Youth theatre education
• Arts venue rentals
• Opera live screenings

Headquarters

HQ city

Whitefish

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Ticket sales for theatre productions, concerts, and special events. Represents approximately 46% of total revenue.
2. Donations and Contributions: Patron contributions and donations at various levels (Supporter $50 to Executive Producer $10,000). Tax-deductible as 501(c)(3) organization.
3. Sponsorships: Season sponsorships from local businesses including Averill Hospitality, Whitefish Credit Union, Whitefish Mountain Resort, and individual sponsors.
4. Venue Rentals: Rental income from the O'Shaughnessy Center when not used by WTC. The venue hosts dance classes, recitals, art shows, public forums, and school/chamber events.
5. Summer Theatre Camps: Educational programs for youth entering 1st-8th grades, including acting, dance, and musical theatre camps at $110 per session.
6. Grants: Grants from Montana Arts Council, Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF), I.A. O'Shaughnessy Foundation, NEA, and Whitefish Community Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Whitefish Theatre Company is a 501(c)(3) community theatre organization that produces and presents live performing arts at the 328-seat I.A. O'Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish, Montana. Its offerings include a season of main-stage plays and musicals, the Black Curtain Reader's Theatre series, the MET Live in HD opera screenings, a summer concert series featuring tribute bands, youth summer theatre camps, adult audition workshops, and venue rental services.

Product overview

Whitefish Theatre Company operates as a community theatre organization offering a portfolio of performing arts programs centered at the I.A. O'Shaughnessy Center. The core offerings include Main Stage Theatre Productions (plays and musicals with full production values) and Black Curtain Reader's Theatre (minimal-staging new plays). Supporting programs include The Met Live in HD opera streaming, the Whitefish Summer Concert Series (rock tribute concerts in collaboration with Merie Production Company), Summer Theatre Camp for youth (grades 1-8), and Adult Audition Workshops. The organization also manages venue rentals of the O'Shaughnessy Center and operates a season sponsorship/donation program with tiered donor levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WF Summer Concert Series: A collaboration with Merie Production Company dedicated to bringing classic music of the past to town through tribute bands.
• Black Curtain Series
• The MET Live in HD

Products and services

• Main Stage Theatre Productions Professional quality community theatre productions presented at the I.A. O'Shaughnessy Center, including plays and musicals, with adult tickets at $25, seniors at $20, and students at $10.
• Black Curtain Reader's Theatre Cutting-edge new plays presented with minimal staging, no sets or costumes, and actors reading from scripts, with talk-backs with actors and directors. Tickets are $12 adult and $10 student.
• The MET Live in HD Live HD streaming of Metropolitan Opera performances co-hosted with the Whitefish Arts Council and Whitefish Performing Arts Center, with screenings at $20 adult / $10 student (general admission, cash at door).
• Whitefish Summer Concert Series A collaboration with Merie Production Company featuring classic rock tribute bands performed by professional musicians. Season ticket is $105 for all three shows; individual concert tickets are $40 each.
• Summer Theatre Camp Performance arts camps for youth entering 1st through 8th grades, including acting, dance, and musical theatre camps at $110 per session with a $50 non-refundable deposit required to secure a spot.
• Adult Audition Workshop A 3-hour audition skills class for adults taught by professional instructors, offered at $75 per person with class sizes limited to 10 participants.
• Venue Rentals Rental of the 328-seat I.A. O'Shaughnessy Center to community groups, businesses, and individuals for events including dance classes, art shows, public forums, and school events.
• Season Sponsorship and Donation Program Corporate sponsorship and individual donation program with tiered levels from Supporter ($50) to Executive Producer ($10,000), providing visibility for businesses while supporting theatre operations. Tax-deductible as a 501(c)(3) organization.

Quantifiable outcome

• 46% of revenue from ticket sales; 86% of expenses go to performance and concert costs

Named customers5 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Merie Production CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaboration partner for the Whitefish Summer Concert Series. Merie Production Company co-produces tribute band concerts featuring professional musicians.
• Whitefish Arts Council (WAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host partner for the MET Opera Live in HD screening series, now in its 12th year.
• Whitefish Performing Arts Center (PAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host partner for MET Opera Live in HD screenings. Four performances shown at PAC and four at O'Shaughnessy Center.
• Project Whitefish KidsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual wine and food fest fundraiser partner. Proceeds benefit Project Whitefish Kids and WTC.
• City of WhitefishcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term lease holder for the O'Shaughnessy Center cultural arts center. WTC maintains the city-owned facility.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Fort Peck Summer Theatre: Montana-based community summer theatre producing musicals and plays. Comparable as a rural Montana community theatre with similar volunteer/staff model; serves as a prior employer for multiple WTC staff members, indicating comparable scale and operational approach.
• Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre: Northwest-Idaho-based summer community theatre producing musicals and plays. Comparable as a similar community theatre model in the broader Inland Northwest region; not in Whitefish's immediate market but operates under similar scale and volunteer-driven constraints.
• Hudson Village Theatre: Small-town community theatre in Hudson, Quebec, producing professional-quality productions. Comparable as a community-driven regional theatre with similar venue scale; was a prior employer of WTC's Technical Director.

Emerging players

• Missoula Children's Theatre: Missoula, Montana-based children's theatre organization running touring residency programs nationally. Comparable as a Montana-rooted theatre education organization with similar youth programming focus; was a prior employer of WTC's Artistic Director.

Direct peers

• Glacier Repertory Theatre: Flathead Valley-based professional repertory theatre presenting summer productions. Directly comparable as a community-driven theatre operating in the same Montana region with overlapping audiences and similar programming approach.
• Bigfork Summer Playhouse: Long-running community summer theatre in nearby Bigfork, Montana, producing musicals and plays with professional staff. Directly comparable as a regional Montana community theatre serving similar audiences with a comparable production model (and a prior employer of WTC's costume designer).
• Alpine Theatre Project: Whitefish-area community theatre producing professional-quality musical theatre and concerts. Directly comparable as a Flathead Valley performing arts organization with overlapping audience base, staff crossover (per management bios), and similar venue/event model.
• Whitefish Performing Arts Center: Whitefish-area performing arts venue co-hosting MET Opera Live in HD screenings with WTC. Directly comparable as a performing arts organization in the same Flathead Valley market; partners with WTC on opera screenings rather than competing head-to-head.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/whitefishtheatre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/whitefish-theatre-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Whitefish Theatre Company