Ten Thousand Things Theatre

What Ten Thousand Things Theatre does

Ten Thousand Things Theatre is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional theater company founded in 1990 by Michelle Hensley and based in St. Paul, Minnesota. The company produces live theatrical performances using a distinctive in-the-round model with lights on, minimal sets and costumes, and actors performing in the middle of the audience alongside live music. Its dual distribution model operates free touring performances at community partner sites—shelters for the unhoused, correctional facilities, low-income centers, after-school programs, women's shelters, and rural Minnesota locations—alongside paid public performances at Twin Cities venues including Open Book, Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, Capri Theater, and 825 Arts. Up to half of productions are toured for free, and the same professional artists perform for both free and paying audiences. The company maintains partnerships with 100+ community organizations across the Twin Cities metro area and Greater Minnesota.

The company's product portfolio includes theatrical productions, free community performances, paid public performances, residencies and workshops, the Ten Thousand Voices storytelling program, a Teen Youth Initiative, and virtual theater content (TTT Let's Sing!). Revenue is generated through charitable donations across multiple tiers (from $10 to $10,000+), ticket sales with pay-what-you-can options, gift certificates, and book sales. The touring model has been adopted by at least a dozen major theaters nationally including The Public Theater, California Shakespeare Theater, Baltimore's Center Stage, and The Old Globe Theater. Current leadership includes Artistic Director Caitlin Lowans (appointed 2025, succeeding Marcela Lorca) and Managing Director Stephanie Thompson. The company sustains operations through an 11-50 person staff, a 17-member Board of Directors, and diversified community and donor relationships rather than venture capital.

Name

Ten Thousand Things Theatre

Legal name

Ten Thousand Things

Website

https://tenthousandthings.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ten Thousand Things Theatre is a St. Paul-based nonprofit theater company that produces in-the-round performances, offering free touring shows to underserved audiences (shelters, prisons, schools) alongside paid public performances in the Twin Cities metro area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Community Theater

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC), Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

Keywords

• Live theater productions
• Community touring theater
• Nonprofit performing arts
• Inclusive theater programs
• In-the-round performances

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

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. Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, TTT relies heavily on charitable donations. The company offers multiple giving options including monthly donations, one-time gifts, stock donations, qualified charitable distributions from 401k/IRA, planned giving through Legacy Circle, and project sponsorships. Tax ID: 95-4300792.
2. Ticket Sales: Paid public performances at venues with pay-what-you-can offerings. Flex passes (season tickets) available on lottery basis for donors.
3. Book Sales: Sale of 'All the Lights On: Reimagining Theater with Ten Thousand Things' by Michelle Hensley, published by Minnesota Historical Society Press. Book + media shipping available for $25.90, book + priority shipping for $27.90.
4. Gift Certificates: Gift certificates available for purchase via PayPal for show tickets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ten Thousand Things Theatre is a nonprofit professional theater company that produces live theatrical performances performed in-the-round with the actors in the middle of the audience, minimal sets and costumes, and live music. The company operates a dual model: touring free performances to community partners (shelters, correctional facilities, low-income centers, schools, after-school programs, and rural Minnesota locations) and ticketed public performances at Twin Cities venues. All audiences receive the same professional artists and production quality.

Product overview

Ten Thousand Things Theatre offers a portfolio of theatrical programs centered around live productions performed in-the-round with minimal sets and costumes. Their core offerings include free community performances touring to underserved populations (shelters, correctional facilities, low-income centers), public paid performances at Twin Cities venues, residencies and workshops, and the Ten Thousand Voices storytelling program. The company also produces virtual theater content. All productions feature the same professional actors regardless of whether they are performed for free or paying audiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Theatrical Productions Live theatrical performances performed in-the-round with minimal sets and costumes, featuring professional actors engaging directly with audiences. Productions include classics, contemporary plays, and musicals performed for both free community audiences and paying public audiences.
• Free Community Performances Free theatrical performances touring to shelters for the unhoused, correctional facilities, low-income centers, after-school programs, women's shelters, and locations throughout greater and rural Minnesota, bringing professional theater to audiences who traditionally lack access to the arts.
• Public Paid Performances Ticketed public performances held at venues including Open Book, Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, Capri Theater, and 825 Arts, featuring the same quality actors and productions as free shows. Pay-what-you-can options are available.
• Residencies and Workshops Free workshops and residency programs that help participants connect with themes from TTT productions and foster personal expression, collaboration, empathy, and confidence.
• Ten Thousand Voices A storytelling program that amplifies voices of diverse Minnesotans whose perspectives are not often highlighted in the arts landscape, featuring contributions from people in incarceration, seniors, youth, and people with disabilities. Launched during the pandemic.
• Virtual Theater Digital content including virtual cabaret programs and recorded performances such as TTT Let's Sing! and virtual readings that represent a variety of musical styles and cultural backgrounds.
• Ten Thousand Voices: Youth Collaborative program co-produced with St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists featuring SPCPA students alongside TTT actors, empowering teens to express their voices through writing and performance.
• All the Lights On (Book) Book titled 'All the Lights On: Reimagining Theater with Ten Thousand Things' by Michelle Hensley, published by Minnesota Historical Society Press, documenting the company's unique touring performance model.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 community partner organizations served across Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• St. Paul Conservatory for Performing ArtistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Ten Thousand Voices: Youth, a collaborative program featuring SPCPA students alongside TTT actors Brian Bose and Isa Condo-Olvera. The program empowers teens to express their voices through writing and performance.
• Rehabilitation Through the ArtsminorOthersReferenced in relation to the film 'Sing Sing' which features the RTA program. TTT's On Belonging Committee recommended the film to audiences as it resonates closely with TTT's work in correctional facilities.
• The Public Theater (New York City)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of at least a dozen theaters nationwide that has adopted TTT's touring model of bringing professional theater to non-traditional audiences.
• California Shakespeare TheatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of at least a dozen theaters that has adopted TTT's touring model for community engagement in theater.
• Baltimore's Center StagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the theaters that has adopted TTT's touring model for reaching non-traditional audiences.
• The Old Globe Theater (San Diego)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of at least a dozen theaters that has adopted TTT's touring model of bringing professional theater to audiences who lack access to the arts.
• New York Theatre WorkshopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe U.S. Premiere venue for 'The Half-God of Rainfall' by Inua Ellams in 2023, directed by Shá Cage for TTT's Minnesota premiere.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rehabilitation Through the Arts: Nonprofit that brings theater, dance, and writing programs to incarcerated populations in New York State prisons. Directly comparable for the specific correctional-facility touring work that is core to TTT's mission and operating model.
• People's Light: Pennsylvania-based nonprofit regional theater known for combining professional productions with extensive community engagement, education, and access programs. Comparable for its dual mission of artistic excellence and broad community outreach similar to TTT's model.
• Pangea World Theater: Minneapolis-based Asian American and multicultural theater company producing original work and community programming. Comparable as a Twin Cities nonprofit theater with an explicit equity and inclusion mission and similar touring/community engagement approach.
• Cornerstone Theater Company: Los Angeles-based nonprofit that creates original theater with and for communities traditionally excluded from the art form. Comparable for its participatory, community-rooted production model and explicit focus on inclusion of non-traditional audiences.
• Pillsbury House Theatre: Minneapolis nonprofit theater integrated with a community center, producing original work tied to social issues and serving underserved neighborhood audiences. Directly comparable in its combination of professional theater with deep community-based programming.
• Mixed Blood Theatre: Minneapolis-based nonprofit regional theater known for its programming diversity, multilingual productions, and commitment to community access. Comparable as a regional nonprofit theater with explicit equity and access mandates serving similar Twin Cities audiences.
• Penumbra Theatre Company: St. Paul-based nonprofit regional theater with a mission-driven focus on Black artistic voices and community engagement. Directly comparable as a Twin Cities nonprofit producing theater with a strong social impact mission and similar audience development approach.

Broad incumbents

• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Chicago-based nationally renowned nonprofit theater with a large ensemble and resident company model. Comparable as a leading nonprofit regional theater with strong national brand recognition, though operating at much larger scale and without TTT's touring community model.
• Guthrie Theater: Largest and most established regional theater in the Twin Cities, operating a major multi-stage venue. Comparable as a leading Minnesota nonprofit theater, but operates at substantially larger scale and on a more traditional (rather than touring community-based) model.
• American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.): Harvard-affiliated nonprofit theater producing adventurous programming for broad audiences. Comparable as an established nonprofit regional theater, though operating at significantly larger institutional scale with different funding dynamics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TTTMpls
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/ttttheater
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ten-thousand-things-theatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Ten Thousand Things Theatre