The Victory Theatre Center

What The Victory Theatre Center does

The Victory Theatre Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theatre founded in 1980 by Artistic Directors Tom Ormeny and Maria Gobetti in Burbank, California. It operates two intimate performance spaces from a permanent Burbank headquarters acquired in 1997 — the Big Victory Theatre (93 seats) and the Little Victory Theatre (48 seats) — totaling 141 seats across an approximately 10-foot stage-and-audience envelope. The organization develops and produces new theatrical works, with more than 80% of its 100+ lifetime productions being previously unproduced plays, and it runs an attached dramaturgical workshop program that has supported playwright development for over three decades.

Core product lines are live theatrical productions, the Gobetti-Ormeny (GO) Acting Studio teaching the Meisner technique in small in-person and Zoom classes, theatre rentals of both venues to outside companies and filmmakers, the bi-monthly BackStory spoken-word series streamed in-venue and via Zoom, the Voices for Victory BIPOC playwright showcase, and a Seat Dedication Program selling named plaques. Technology is primarily physical — professional lighting, sound, and dressing-room infrastructure — augmented by conventional ticketing (OvationTix) and donation (Zeffy) SaaS. No AI/ML capabilities, software platform, or proprietary digital products are present in the stack.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue mix: ticket sales (priced around $15 for headline events and $10 suggested donations), acting-class tuition, theatre-rental fees, and a tiered Circle of Friends donor program ranging from $25 Friends to $25,000+ Premier Benefactors, supplemented by foundation and corporate grants (LA County Arts Commission, California Arts Council, Wasserman Foundation, Irvine Foundation, Ron & Cheryl Howard Foundation, Francis Ford Coppola, Arco, Charter, Home Depot). The theatre explicitly discloses that ticket sales cover only about 40% of operating costs, with donations and grants funding the remainder. Customer segments span theatre audiences, aspiring and professional actors, playwrights, other theatre companies renting the venues, and corporate/foundation donors.

Name

The Victory Theatre Center

Legal name

The Victory Theatre Center

Website

https://thevictorytheatrecenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Victory Theatre Center is a Burbank-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1980 that develops and produces new plays across two intimate venues (93 and 48 seats), runs the Gobetti-Ormeny Meisner acting studio, and rents its theatres to outside companies. It serves LA audiences, actors, playwrights, and donors, covering ~40% of costs via tickets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Theatre / Live Theatrical Productions

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB), Theater & Performing Arts Ticketing (HSACALAC)

Keywords

• Live theatre productions
• Acting classes
• Theatre rentals
• New play development
• Dramaturgical workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Burbank

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from live theatre performances, concerts, and special events. Geezerpalooza tickets priced at $15; BackStory at $10 donation.
2. Theatre Rentals: Rental income from Big Victory and Little Victory spaces to outside theatre companies, filmmakers, educators, and community organizations.
3. Acting Studio Classes: Revenue from acting classes including Basic Class (twice weekly), Advanced Class (6 hours weekly), Cold-Reading & Commercial Class, and Business of Acting courses. Audits are free.
4. Individual Donations & Sponsorships: Tax-deductible donations through Circle of Friends program with tiered benefits from $25 (Friends) to $25,000+ (Premier Benefactors). Ticket sales cover only 40% of operating costs.
5. Seat Dedication Program: Selling named seat dedications at $250 per seat, with plaque inscriptio for donors seeking permanent recognition.
6. Corporate Partnerships: Support from corporate sponsors including Ron & Cheryl Howard Foundation, Francis Ford Coppola, Wasserman Foundation, and various local businesses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Victory Theatre Center develops and produces new theatrical works, including world-premiere plays, in its two intimate performance spaces (Big Victory, 93 seats; Little Victory, 48 seats). It also operates the Gobetti-Ormeny (GO) Acting Studio, offering Meisner-technique acting classes, and rents its venues to outside theatre companies, filmmakers, educators, and community organizations. Supporting programs include new play dramaturgical workshops, the BackStory spoken-word series, the Voices for Victory BIPOC playwright series, and a seat dedication donor program.

Product overview

The Victory Theatre Center is a nonprofit performing arts organization offering two core product lines: live theatrical productions in its two intimate performance spaces (Big Victory Theatre, 93 seats, and Little Victory Theatre, 48 seats), and professional acting training through the Gobetti-Ormeny Acting Studio (GO Acting Studio), which teaches Meisner technique in small, exclusive in-person and Zoom classes. Supporting offerings include New Play Development services with script submission and dramaturgical workshops, theatre rentals of both venues, and event series such as BackStory (bi-monthly true stories/poetry) and Voices for Victory (BIPOC playwright showcase). The organization has produced over 100 productions and 85 dramaturgical workshops since 1980, with more than 80% being new, previously unproduced plays.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Big Victory Theatre The larger of two performance spaces at the Victory Theatre Center, with 93 fully equipped seats, a 24' x 18' x 10' stage, professional lighting and sound systems, a lobby with bar, and backstage dressing rooms. Used for full theatrical productions, staged readings, and multi-use events, and rented to outside companies.
• Little Victory Theatre The smaller, more intimate performance space of the Victory Theatre Center, with 48 fully equipped seats, a 19' x 17' x 10' stage, a mixer board, and three dressing rooms. Ideal for workshops, readings, intimate performances, and small-cast productions that benefit from close audience proximity, and available for rent.
• Gobetti-Ormeny (GO) Acting Studio An acting studio led by Maria Gobetti and Tom Ormeny offering small, exclusive classes teaching the Meisner basics technique. Includes Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced classes (e.g., Basic Class twice weekly, Advanced Class 6 hours weekly), Cold-Reading & Commercial Class, audition technique instruction, Business of Acting courses, and private coaching, delivered in person and via Zoom; free audits are available.
• New Play Development Program A dramaturgical program supporting emerging playwrights, involving script evaluation, staged readings, workshops, and full productions. Submissions are accepted via email or mail with a two-reader evaluation process leading to the Artistic Directors' review.
• Theatre Rentals Rental of the Big Victory and Little Victory theatres to theatre companies, filmmakers, educators, and community organizations for performances, rehearsals, workshops, readings, and special events. Includes access to technical equipment, dressing rooms, lobby areas, and free parking.
• BackStory Spoken-Word Series A bi-monthly spoken-word series of true stories, poetry, and flights of fancy, presented live in the theatre and streamed via Zoom. Writers and poets create original pieces inspired by classic stage play or film titles; produced by Rashim Cannad, Laurie O'Brien, Adele Slaughter, and Carl Weintraub.
• Voices for Victory Series A bi-monthly series that provides a stage for up-and-coming playwrights from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities. Features full-length pieces presented as polished readings or near-production performances without full sets or costumes.
• Seat Dedication Program A seat dedication program allowing donors to name a permanent seat in either Big Victory (93 seats) or Little Victory (48 seats) in honor of themselves, loved ones, artists, productions, or special events. Plaques are etched with up to two lines of 14 characters each, with a $250 contribution per seat.

Quantifiable outcome

• Productions moving to Broadway, Off-Broadway, Edinburgh Festival, and regional theatres
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Playwright's ArenacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producing Luca & Uri with Victory Theatre Center - partnership for BIPOC playwright development and new play production.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• South Coast Repertory: Larger Orange County nonprofit theatre with strong new-play development program and Tony Award recognition. Comparable in focus on new works but with substantially greater scale and resources.
• Center Theatre Group: Major LA performing arts organization operating the Mark Taper Forum and Ahmanson Theatre. Broad incumbent producing large-scale theatrical works; much larger scale but same market.
• Geffen Playhouse: Larger established LA theatre with multiple performance spaces and broader programming. Overlaps with Victory's theatre production function but operates at significantly larger scale and budget.

Direct peers

• The Fountain Theatre: Small, intimate Los Angeles theatre producing new works and diverse voices with multiple award-winning productions. Directly comparable as a similarly sized, artistically ambitious nonprofit theatre in the LA market.
• Coeurage Theatre Company: LA-based small nonprofit theatre producing 'Pay What You Want' performances of new and classic works. Comparable as a similarly sized LA theatre company with intimate production model and donor-supported operations.
• Boston Court Pasadena: Small intimate Pasadena theatre producing new works and music programming. Directly comparable as a similarly scaled LA-area nonprofit theatre with an intimate-venue model and new-play focus.
• Road Theatre Company: North Hollywood nonprofit theatre producing new works in an intimate black-box setting. Comparable as a similarly scaled LA theatre focused on original productions with small venue capacity.
• East West Players: Los Angeles nonprofit theatre producing new works centered on Asian American and Pacific Islander voices. Comparable as a similarly sized LA theatre with a distinct artistic mission and BIPOC-focused programming.
• A Noise Within: Pasadena-based nonprofit repertory theatre producing classical and new works in an intimate setting. Comparable in mission and LA-area location, with similar venue scale and donor-supported model.
• Rogue Machine Theatre: LA-based nonprofit theatre company focused on producing new and under-produced plays in intimate venues. Comparable in mission, scale, and emphasis on original work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-Q1BSk81MRmU1WA4BshnqA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-victory-theatre-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 The Victory Theatre Center