Profile Theatre

What Profile Theatre does

Profile Theatre is a Portland, Oregon-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit theatre company founded in 1997 that operates a distinctive Featured Playwright Season model, dedicating each annual season to the body of work of one or two contemporary playwrights, including world premieres and commissions. Its core offerings comprise three mainstage productions per season performed at The Armory venue in Portland, a Community Profile signature engagement program (running since 2017) that delivers free writing workshops to affinity cohorts such as veterans, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and immigrant communities, an In Dialogue audience engagement series, two podcasts (Satellite: Beyond the Page and Voices from the Real World), and an annual Playwright Convening residency. The company has no proprietary technology or AI components; it is a live performing arts organization whose distribution relies on Eventbrite-powered online ticket sales, a phone box office, and an in-person venue.

Revenue is generated through a mix of single-ticket transactions, an annual season membership priced at $175 (representing an over-$300 value including one ticket to all three productions, exclusive events, and a 25% discount on additional tickets), tax-deductible donations, and grants from federal, state, and private funders including the National Endowment for the Arts, Oregon Cultural Trust, and The Hampton Family Foundation. Accessibility is supported through Arts for All ($5 tickets for Oregon Trail Card holders) and Affinity Nights ($5 tickets for LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC community members). The organization is led by a small senior team — Artistic Director Josh Hecht, Managing Director Suzanne Raether, and Director of Community Engagement Tamara Carroll — and is governed by a board of directors with no parent company, equity investors, or institutional backers. Geographic scope is limited to the Portland metropolitan area, with strategic partnerships extending to Portland State University (apprenticeship program), Portland Opera, and 45th Parallel for cross-disciplinary productions.

Name

Profile Theatre

Legal name

Profile Theatre

Website

https://profiletheatre.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Profile Theatre is a Portland, Oregon 501(c)(3) nonprofit theatre company founded in 1997 that produces seasonal mainstage productions and community writing workshops centered on featured contemporary playwrights for the Portland metropolitan audience.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Live Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM), Musical Theatre (Non-Broadway/Fringe) (MPAGABAG), Community Theatre & Storytelling Festivals (MPAGAEAI)

Keywords

• Live theatrical productions
• Community engagement programs
• Playwriting workshops
• Arts education
• Nonprofit performing arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Single ticket sales for mainstage productions and special events through Eventbrite platform with standard per-ticket pricing.
2. Membership Program: Seasonal membership at $175 providing one ticket to all three productions, event access, exclusive invitations, and 25% discount on additional tickets. Valued at over $300.
3. Donations: Tax-deductible donations as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with Federal Tax ID 91-1786694.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Profile Theatre produces seasonal mainstage theatrical productions at The Armory in Portland, Oregon, with each season dedicated to one or two featured contemporary playwrights, including world premieres, commissions, and in-development works. Complementing the productions are the Community Profile signature writing-workshop program serving affinity groups, an In Dialogue audience engagement series, a Playwright Convening residency, and a Profile/PSU Apprenticeship program for emerging theatre artists, with tickets and a $175 annual season membership sold to individual patrons.

Product overview

Profile Theatre is a Portland, Oregon nonprofit theater company operating a unique Featured Playwright Season model where each season centers on one or two playwrights with their complete body of work. The company's core offerings include main stage theatrical productions at The Armory, the In Dialogue audience engagement program featuring staged readings and talks, and two podcast series: Satellite: Beyond the Page (interviews with artists and collaborators) and Voices from the Real World (community member storytelling). The Community Profile program provides free writing workshops to affinity groups aligned with season themes. Profile Theatre also offers season memberships providing ticket access and exclusive events, operates an annual Playwright Convening residency, and partners with Portland State University on an apprenticeship program for emerging theatre artists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Main Stage Productions Seasonal live theatrical productions centered on one or two featured contemporary playwrights per season, performed at The Armory venue in Portland for individual ticket-buying patrons and members. Each season includes world premieres, commissions, and in-development works.
• Season Memberships Annual season membership providing one ticket to all three mainstage productions, tickets to all public events including play readings and artist talks, invitations to exclusive events such as open rehearsals and artist happy hours, and unlimited 25% discount on additional tickets, sold for $175 with a stated value exceeding $300.
• Community Profile Program Signature community engagement program providing free writing and storytelling workshops in dedicated affinity spaces for specific communities including veterans, people living with HIV, LGBTQIA+ individuals, Black women, BIPOC youth, immigrants, and trans/non-binary community members.
• Playwright Convening Annual residency program bringing featured playwrights to Portland to develop new plays with local actors, culminating in public readings and conversations with the community.
• Profile/PSU Apprenticeship Program Collaboration with Portland State University providing real-world professional theatre experience to emerging artists through compensated apprentice positions, with the option of academic credit.
• In Dialogue Program Audience engagement program of staged readings, lectures, pre-show talks, post-show discussions, and concerts that explore the featured writer's world and extend the theatrical experience beyond the mainstage productions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 individuals engaged through Community Profile writing workshops since 2017

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Portland OperacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for live opera development in the Spain production, part of the 2026-2027 season featuring Jen Silverman. One of multiple cross-disciplinary partnerships with Portland arts organizations.
• 45th ParallelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusicians partnership for the Spain production, providing both recorded and live music performances as part of the grand cross-disciplinary spectacle.
• Barrington Stage CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreviously produced Mike Lew's Tiny Father before Profile Theatre's production, marking only the third time the script has seen the stage.
• Chataqua InstitutionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreviously produced Mike Lew's Tiny Father, with Profile's production bringing Mike Lew back to continue refining the script with Portland actors.
• Portland State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Profile/PSU Apprentice Program providing real-world professional experience for emerging theatre artists. Students receive compensation and academic credit.
• Imago TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Playwright Convening 2023 events, located at 17 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR 97214.
• Writers Guild InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the professional trade organization of screenwriters and playwrights to bring award-winning writers to mentor veterans in writing workshops.
• American Legion Post 134minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNE Portland veterans organization partnered to identify local veteran participants for the Community Profile writing workshops.
• Wounded Warrior ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational veterans organization with regional base in Seattle, partnered to help identify local veteran participants.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Chicago-based nonprofit known for developing and producing new works by contemporary playwrights (Shepard, Letts, etc.). Compares structurally on the playwright-driven model and commissioning approach, though at far larger scale and budget.
• Oregon Shakespeare Festival: The largest regional repertory theater in Oregon (Ashland), operating a year-round multi-production festival. A scaled-up incumbent in the same state/region with substantially larger budgets, audiences, and donor base; Profile is a much smaller craft counterpart in the same landscape.

Direct peers

• Penumbra Theatre Company: Saint Paul, Minnesota nonprofit theater with a long-standing model of community-centered programming for and by Black communities and other affinity groups. Highly comparable to Profile's Community Profile model in mission, cohort-based engagement, and nonprofit funding model.
• Portland Shakespeare Project: Portland nonprofit producing Shakespeare and classical repertoire with contemporary relevance. Comparable scale, single-city focus, and reliance on donations and grants for working capital.
• Bag&Baggage Productions: Hillsboro/Portland-metro nonprofit theater producing classics, contemporary and devised work for Pacific Northwest audiences. Closely comparable mid-sized nonprofit producing model with community and education programs.
• CoHo Productions: Portland-based nonprofit theater company producing contemporary plays and musicals with a focus on Northwest artists and emerging voices. Directly comparable in scale, mission-driven programming, and Portland market position.
• Artists Repertory Theatre: Portland-based nonprofit theater company producing contemporary and new works with strong community engagement. Overlaps with Profile on programming philosophy, contemporary playwright focus, and Portland donor/foundation competition.
• Portland Center Stage: Portland's largest regional nonprofit theater company, producing multiple seasons of Broadway-scale and contemporary works at The Armory (Profile's venue partner). Directly competes for the same Portland theatre audience, donor base, and grant pool, making it the most comparable local peer.
• Third Rail Repertory Theatre: Portland nonprofit theater focused on intimate-scale contemporary productions and new works. Competes directly for downtown Portland audiences, mid-sized foundation support, and contemporary-playwright-driven programming.
• Lakewood Theatre Company: Long-running Lake Oswego/Portland-metro community theater producing musicals and contemporary plays. Comparable nonprofit producing model and Portland-metro audience overlap, though skewed slightly more toward musical/commercial programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/profile-theatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Profile Theatre