What Theater Works does

TheaterWorks is a Peoria, Arizona-based 501(c)(3) non-profit community theater founded in 1986 by David Wo, operating from the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts (10580 N. 83rd Drive). The organization produces a six-to-seven-show MainStage Season of plays and musicals on a 274-seat Main Stage, supplemented by a 65-seat Black Box, a Studio, and a Conference Room available for facility rentals. Programming is augmented by youth education (Kids Alive, TheaterAlive Tots for ages 4-7, Nevermore Revue for ages 8-16, SummerWorks camps, YouthWorks productions), adult classes, an AdaptiveWorks inclusion program, ASL-interpreted performances via a partnership with ASL Impact, and Pay-What-You-Can Peoria Appreciation Nights (from $7).

Revenue is generated from a diversified mix: single tickets and four subscription tiers (Fixed Seat $234, Premium Fixed Seat $297, Flex 6 $336, Flex 12 $636), rush tickets ($15), group sales (10+), field trips ($15/student), education program fees ($150-$435), facility rentals, concessions and bar (20% discount for subscribers), branded merchandise ($30 shirts via State Forty Eight collaboration), and donations/sponsorships. The organization explicitly states ticket sales cover only a portion of operating costs, with donations from foundations (Constance W. McMillin Trust, Piper Trust, Thom & Shelley Gyder Family Foundation), corporations (APS), community organizations (Rotary Club of Peoria, Fry's Community Rewards), and individuals filling the gap.

The technology stack is commodity third-party SaaS: OvationTix for ticketing/subscriptions/donations/rentals, SignUpGenius for audition scheduling, Google Forms for scholarship and field trip registrations, and Amazon Wishlist for in-kind donations. Operations are run by a small staff of 1-10 full-time equivalents plus part-time hourly ($16/hr) and volunteer ushers, under Executive Director Chris Hamby and a Board of Directors chaired by Kristofer R. Kautz (SRP) with representation from APS, First Bank, and the City of Peoria. The organization holds the 2019 Arts Advocate Organization Award and Chris Hamby received the 2020 Arizona Governor's Arts Award.

Name

Theater Works

Legal name

TheaterWorks

Website

https://theaterworks.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TheaterWorks is a Peoria, Arizona 501(c)(3) non-profit community theater founded in 1986 that produces a MainStage Season of plays and musicals, offers youth and adult performing-arts education, and rents venue space at the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts to the West Valley community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theater and Performing Arts

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 industries

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH), Community & Amateur Theatre (MPAGABAD), Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN), Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE), Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

Keywords

• Community theater productions
• Performing arts education
• Youth theater programs
• Live theatrical performances
• Venue rental services

Headquarters

HQ city

Peoria

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: Primary revenue stream from single tickets to performances, season subscriptions (6-show fixed seat, flex packages), group tickets, and rush tickets. Ticket prices vary by production and seating.
2. Educational Programs: Revenue from youth classes, camps, and workshops including TheaterAlive programs, youth education classes, adult education, and field trip performances for schools.
3. Facility Rentals: Rental revenue from outside organizations for the Main Stage (274 seats), Black Box (65 seats), Studio, and Conference Room. Pricing differs for for-profit vs non-profit organizations.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Non-profit organization that relies on donations, memorial and honorary gifts, planned giving, matching gifts, and special fundraising events like the Pave the Way Brick Fundraiser and Linda Thompson Memorial Fund.
5. Concessions and Bar: Concessions and bar sales during performances, with 20% discount for subscribers.
6. Merchandise: Sale of TheaterWorks merchandise including branded t-shirts (collaboration with State Forty Eight clothing at $30 each).
7. Volunteer Exchange Program: Volunteers contribute hours that can be exchanged for complimentary tickets to productions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TheaterWorks produces and presents live theatrical productions at the 274-seat Main Stage of the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts, including MainStage Series plays and musicals, YouthWorks productions for younger audiences, and City of Peoria community events. It also delivers performing arts education through TheaterAlive programs, youth camps (Imagination Camp/SummerWorks), adult classes, Kids Alive, AdaptiveWorks inclusive programming, and school field trip performances, supported by season subscriptions, group tickets, rush tickets, venue rentals, concessions, and donations.

Product overview

TheaterWorks is a community theater organization operating as a single unified offering centered on live theatrical productions at the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts. The portfolio consists of MainStage Series Productions (full-scale plays and musicals for all ages) supported by complementary programs including YouthWorks productions, TheaterAlive educational programs (TheaterAlive Tots for ages 4-7, Nevermore Revue for ages 8-16), Imagination Camp/SummerWorks day camps, Adult Classes, Kids Alive, and AdaptiveWorks inclusive programming. Revenue-generating add-ons include Season Subscriptions (Six Show Fixed Seat and Flex Packages), Group Tickets, Rush Tickets ($15), and Peoria Appreciation Nights (pay-what-you-can from $7). Facility Rentals provide additional venue access through Main Stage, Black Box, Studio, and Conference Room spaces. The organization also hosts City of Peoria Events as a venue partner. The ecosystem is unified by the OvationTix ticketing platform and accessible educational outreach programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kids Alive: Youth performance program established in 1987 providing a platform for creativity and performance opportunities for young people.
• AdaptiveWorks
• Main Stage Series
• YouthWorks
• Theater Alive
• SummerWorks
• 5th Wall Playhouse

Products and services

• MainStage Series Productions Full-scale theatrical productions of classic and contemporary plays, musicals, and comedies presented at the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts Main Stage (274 seats). The 2026/27 season includes Annie, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Addams Family, A Christmas Carol, Seussical, Into the Woods, and Shrek The Musical.
• YouthWorks Productions Theater productions designed for younger audiences, sparking a love for theater in children and teens through age-appropriate shows and youth-oriented programming.

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of PeoriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for City of Peoria Events program hosting performances by local and regional artists. Co-sponsorship of Peoria Appreciation Nights Pay What You Can program with tickets starting at $7. City of Peoria Liaison (MaryLou Stephens) on Board of Directors.
• ASL ImpactcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide ASL Interpreted performances for each MainStage production, making theater accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing community members. Optimal seats for ASL viewing indicated with orange spots on seat map.
• DDC (Downtown Development Committee)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity development organization supporting TheaterWorks as cultural anchor in Peoria.
• Fry's Food Stores (Kroger)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFry's Community Rewards program allows shoppers to link their Fry's shopper card to TheaterWorks, with a percentage of purchases donated back at no cost to the shopper.
• State Forty Eight ClothingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration partnership for branded t-shirt merchandise celebrating 40+ years of Arizona theater magic. Shirts sold for $30 at TheaterWorks.
• AmazonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon Wishlist allows donors to purchase essential items used in productions and educational programs, helping reduce costs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Mesa Arts Center: Large multi-venue performing arts center in Mesa, AZ presenting theater, dance, music, and visual arts with education programming. Comparable as a Phoenix-metro regional arts institution serving similar audiences with broader programming scale.
• Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts: Performing arts venue and presenter in the Phoenix metro (Scottsdale) hosting touring productions, concerts, and community programming. Comparable as a regional performing arts venue serving a similar West Valley/East Valley demographic with overlapping programming categories.

Direct peers

• Arizona Broadway Theatre: Professional regional theater also located in Peoria, AZ, producing Broadway musicals and plays. Directly comparable as a same-geography community/professional theater competing for the same West Valley audience with overlapping programming.
• Phoenix Theatre Company: Long-established regional theater company in Phoenix producing plays and musicals with a subscription model and education programs. Comparable as a Phoenix-metro repertory/community theater with similar programming breadth and audience demographics.
• Asolo Repertory Theatre: Regional repertory theater in Sarasota, FL producing a season of plays and musicals with subscription packages and education programs. Comparable as a regional repertory theater company of similar institutional scale and programming diversity.
• Celebrity Theatre: Intimate dinner theater in Phoenix, AZ producing Broadway-style musicals in a theater-in-the-round format. Comparable as a Phoenix-metro regional theater competing for similar family and group audiences with a comparable seat capacity range.
• Hale Centre Theatre: Regional repertory theater with operations in Arizona and Utah, producing plays and musicals with subscription packages and youth education. Comparable regional/community theater model with similar programming, subscription structure, and education vertical.
• Childsplay: Tempe, AZ-based professional children's theater company producing original and adapted works for young audiences with strong education programming. Comparable to TheaterWorks' YouthWorks, TheaterAlive, and field trip programming serving schools and families in the same Phoenix metro.
• Nashville Children's Theatre: Professional children's theater in Nashville, TN producing mainstage productions and education programs for youth and families. Comparable as a regional children's/youth theater with similar education, field trip, and family audience programming model.

Broad incumbents

• Alliance Theatre: Regional theater in Atlanta, GA producing a season of plays and musicals with extensive education and community programs. Comparable as an established regional theater with similar repertory programming and education vertical, though at a larger institutional scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theater-works

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 Theater Works