Stage Door Network
Stage Door Network is a free, web-based professional network connecting theatre casting teams, artists, and agents through job postings, audition management tools, and a shared artist database, with companion fan and foundation platforms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Stage Door Network does
Stage Door Network operates a free, web-based professional network for the theatre industry that connects casting teams, artists, and agents through job postings, audition management tools, and a shared database of theatre professionals. The platform is built around three interconnected entities: the core Stage Door Network for hiring (casting directors, producers, artists) with a Digital Casting Assistant module that handles submissions, audition invitations, review, collaboration, and callbacks; Stage Door Pass, a fan-engagement platform where theatre-goers track shows, collect passport stamps, write reviews, and engage with artists; and the Stage Door Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) supporting new work development. The company is legally operated by The Stage Door Network/Gignition, is headquartered at 1601 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, and was founded in 2021 by Broadway director-choreographer Jeff Whiting. The platform reports over 100,000 theatre makers across Broadway, National Tours, Regional Productions, Theme Parks, and Cruise Lines.
The business model is freemium: browsing jobs, applying, creating profiles, posting jobs, and using all core hiring features are free for both sides of the marketplace. Paid conversion is restricted to optional storage tier upgrades (from $1.99/month for 1GB up to $29.99/month for 5TB) to accommodate audition-video uploads beyond a 500MB free allocation. The platform also generates advertising revenue from partner promotions on the free surface, while the Foundation arm receives donations with portions flowing to theatre-artist support. There are no disclosed enterprise contracts, no API, and no disclosed funding rounds, consistent with a founder-led, bootstrapped commercial posture and a non-monetised, community-led growth motion that leans on the credibility of its Broadway-creative founders (Stage Write Software, Open Jar Studios, and The Open Jar Institute).
Theatrical hiring tools face narrow competitive pressure from established, fee-charging platforms (Backstage, Spotlight); Stage Door Network's primary differentiation is removing applicant fees, a centralised artist-database asset, and the founder's domain reputation. Additional monetisation vectors (premium casting analytics, production-side subscriptions, sponsorship through the Foundation) appear underdeveloped relative to the platform's claim of 100,000+ users, and disclosed revenue remains private, leaving actual commercial scale unverified.
Stage Door Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Stage Door Network
- Legal name
- The Stage Door Network/Gignition
- Website
- https://stagedoornetwork.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Stage Door Network is a free, web-based professional network connecting theatre casting teams, artists, and agents through job postings, audition management tools, and a shared artist database, with companion fan and foundation platforms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Stage Door Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Theatre Casting and Hiring Platform
- NAICS
- Performing Arts Companies (7111)
- SIC
- Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Theatre Services & Design (Scenic/Costume/Props/Stage Management) (MPAGABAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL)
Keywords
Where Stage Door Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Stage Door Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Freemium Storage Subscriptions: Core platform features are free (browsing jobs, applying, creating profiles, posting jobs). Revenue generated from optional paid storage tiers for users needing additional media upload capacity beyond the free 500MB allocation
- Advertising Revenue: Platform is subsidized by ads and promotions from advertising partners to keep core services free for users
- Stage Door Foundation Donations: Not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization provides financial assistance to theatre artists; fans can donate through recognition programs with portions benefiting the foundation
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Tier - 500MB storage |
| Subscription | Monthly | 1GB Storage Tier |
| Subscription | Monthly | 15GB Storage Tier |
| Subscription | Monthly | 100GB Storage Tier |
| Subscription | Monthly | 2TB Storage Tier |
| Subscription | Monthly | 5TB Storage Tier |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Stage Door Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Stage Door Network operates a theatrical search engine and professional networking platform that connects casting teams, producers, and artists through free job postings, audition management tools, and a centralized database of theatre professionals. The platform is supplemented by a fan engagement sub-product (Stage Door Pass) for show tracking and reviews, and a separate 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation (Stage Door Foundation) that supports new work development and provides financial assistance to theatre artists.
Product overview
Stage Door Network is a platform-plus-subsidiaries architecture built around a core professional network for the theatre community. The core Stage Door Network platform serves as a theatrical search engine for casting and hiring, supplemented by the Digital Casting Assistant module (for audition management workflows) and the Stage Door Pass fan engagement sub-product. A related non-profit entity, the Stage Door Foundation, operates as a 501(c)(3) supporting new work development, and all three organizations are powered by the shared Stage Door Network database of artists and fans.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Stage Door Pass: Fan platform allowing theatre fans to track shows they see, track artists in productions, write reviews, collect passport stamps, and engage with their favorite artists.
- Stage Door Foundation
- Digital Casting Assistant
Products and services
- Stage Door Network Core Platform Theatrical professional network functioning as a search engine for casting and hiring; allows free job posting, free profile creation, free job applications, and centralized access to a database of theatre artists for casting directors, producers, and production companies. Designed by Broadway creatives as a simplified solution for hiring every role in a production — onstage, backstage, and front of house.
- Stage Door Pass Fan engagement platform powered by Stage Door Network that allows theatre fans to track the shows they see, track theatre artists in those shows, write reviews, collect passport stamps in a Stage Door PASSport dated to each attendance, and connect and engage with their favourite artists.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 100,000 theatre makers use the platform worldwide
Companies that use Stage Door Network
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Stage Door Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Stage Door Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Stage Write SoftwarecoreStage Write Software is created by the same team behind Stage Door Network. It is trusted by over 100,000 theatre makers worldwide. Both platforms are designed by the same Broadway creatives and likely share technical infrastructure or user base.
- Open Jar StudioscoreOpen Jar Studios is Broadway's Artistic Home and a premiere music theatre training program. The network connects the larger theatre community beyond the Broadway community, with Open Jar supporting show development. Jeff Whiting is President of Open Jar Studios.
- Open Jar InstitutecoreFounding Artistic Director of The Open Jar Institute, a premiere music theatre training program. Jeff Whiting founded both Open Jar Institute and Stage Door Network, creating direct alignment between training and casting networking.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Stage Door Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Casting Networks: Casting Networks provides online casting tools, audition self-tapes, and digital submissions across entertainment verticals. It overlaps directly with Stage Door Network's Digital Casting Assistant workflow and two-sided casting marketplace.
- Actors Access (Breakdown Services): Actors Access, operated by Breakdown Services, is a primary casting platform used across film, television, and theatre. It is directly comparable to Stage Door Network's hiring and audition-management functionality for actors and casting professionals.
- Backstage: Backstage is a long-established casting and jobs platform serving actors and casting directors with paid casting submissions. It is directly comparable to Stage Door Network as a marketplace for theatre/film casting, though Backstage charges applicants while Stage Door Network does not.
Broad incumbents
- LinkedIn: LinkedIn is the dominant general professional network with a broad Jobs platform that partially overlaps with Stage Door Network's hiring marketplace. While not specialized in theatre, it represents a structural competitive substitute for casting and hiring use cases.
- Indeed: Indeed is a leading global job search platform with broad reach across industries including entertainment and production roles. It is a broad incumbent competitor for job-posting and talent-search workflows that Stage Door Network addresses for theatre.
- BroadwayWorld: BroadwayWorld is a leading theatre news, reviews, and jobs site serving Broadway and regional theatre audiences and professionals. It overlaps with Stage Door Network's fan engagement (Stage Door Pass) and theatre community focus.
- Playbill: Playbill is the iconic Broadway/theatre media brand and also operates Playbill Jobs, a hiring platform for the theatre industry. It serves the same theatre community as Stage Door Network with a broader media-and-jobs portfolio.
Regional players
- The Stage (UK): The Stage is a UK-based theatre industry publication and jobs board serving British theatre professionals. It is comparable to Stage Door Network's professional networking and jobs functionality but operates in a different geography.
Others
- Open Jar Studios: Open Jar Studios is Broadway's artistic home and a premiere music theatre training program led by the Stage Door Network founder. It is an adjacent ecosystem partner for training and show development rather than a marketplace competitor.
- Stage Write Software: Stage Write Software is created by the same founder (Jeff Whiting) and is trusted by 100,000+ theatre makers. It is adjacent/partner software for theatrical production rather than a direct competitor, sharing infrastructure and user base with Stage Door Network.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Stage Door Network social profiles
Digital presenceStage Door Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Stage Door Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Stage Door Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Stage Door Network 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 Stage Door Network
What does Stage Door Network do?
Stage Door Network operates a theatrical search engine and professional networking platform that connects casting teams, producers, and artists through free job postings, audition management tools, and a centralized database of theatre professionals. The platform is supplemented by a fan engagement sub-product (Stage Door Pass) for show tracking and reviews, and a separate 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation (Stage Door Foundation) that supports new work development and provides financial assistance to theatre artists.
Is Stage Door Network a public or private company?
Stage Door Network is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Stage Door Network founded?
Stage Door Network was founded in -1.
Where is Stage Door Network based?
Stage Door Network is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Stage Door Network make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Freemium Storage Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are advertising Revenue and stage Door Foundation Donations.
Who are Stage Door Network's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Casting Networks, Actors Access (Breakdown Services) and Backstage. Broad incumbents are LinkedIn, Indeed, BroadwayWorld and Playbill. The Stage (UK) is listed as a regional player. Others are Open Jar Studios and Stage Write Software.
Does Stage Door Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for Stage Door Network.
What industry is Stage Door Network in?
Stage Door Network's product category is Theatre Casting and Hiring Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAO, Theatre Services & Design (Scenic/Costume/Props/Stage Management), with a secondary code of MPAIAFAL, Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions). Its NAICS code is 7111 and its SIC code is 7819.