Midsommer Flight

What Midsommer Flight does

Midsommer Flight is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit theatre company founded in Chicago in 2012 by Beth Wolf, focused on producing free, accessible Shakespeare performances and theatre education programs for Chicago residents, students, and emerging theatre artists. Its core offering is an annual summer outdoor tour of a single Shakespeare production across multiple Chicago park venues, complemented by an indoor holiday run of Twelfth Night at the Lincoln Park Conservatory since 2015. The company runs three education programs: Actor's Flight (six-week scene study classes), Fight Flight (one-day stage combat workshops in multiple weapon disciplines), and First Flight (a school-day program for grades 7-12 priced at $1,000 per school visit). Midsommer Flight also maintains a catalog of original cast recordings (Twelfth Night, As You Like It, Hamlet, Fourteen Lines) distributed on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, CD Baby, and Google Play, and produces the Sommercast monthly podcast covering Shakespeare and Chicago theatre.

The company's underlying "technology" centers on practical theatrical craft rather than software: original music composition for each production, stage-combat choreography by SAFD-certified instructors, and outdoor performance techniques executed without amplification. The ensemble includes certified fight directors and intimacy directors, with Beth Wolf having directed every production since 2012. Distribution is anchored by partnerships with the Chicago Park District and the Night Out in the Parks mayoral initiative, granting access to six neighborhood park venues in the 2026 season.

Midsommer Flight operates as a charitable organization rather than a commercial enterprise, with all live performances free to the public and revenue generated through a hybrid of donations, grants, and program fees. Individual contributions accounted for approximately 75% of income as of 2015, with the remainder sourced from foundation grants (Illinois Arts Council Agency, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, MacArthur Funds for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Arts Work Fund, Harper Court Arts Council), government grants (City of Chicago CityArts, IL Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity), education program tiered/honor-system fees ($40-$400), and modest album sales. A tiered recurring monthly donation program ($5-$100/month) and named-level individual giving (Groundlings through Kings at $5,000+) support ongoing operations, with the company sustaining a staff of 1-10 employees and a cumulative audience of 11,000+ reached since founding.

Name

Midsommer Flight

Legal name

Midsommer Flight

Website

https://midsommerflight.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Midsommer Flight is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit theatre company that has produced free Shakespeare performances in Chicago parks since 2012, serving general community audiences, grades 7-12 students, and emerging theatre artists through outdoor productions and tiered education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Theater

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Musical Theatre (Non-Broadway/Fringe) (MPAGABAG)

Keywords

• Outdoor Shakespeare productions
• Community theater performances
• Theater education programs
• Stage combat workshops
• Cast recording albums

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals at various levels (Groundlings $1-99, Bards $100-499, Dukes $500-999, Princes $1000+, Kings $5000+), plus recurring monthly donations
2. Foundation Grants: Support from Illinois Arts Council Agency, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Harper Court Arts Council, and The MacArthur Funds for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation
3. Government Grants: City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events CityArts Grant and IL Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity funding
4. Education Program Fees: Tiered pricing for acting classes ($250-$400) and stage combat workshops ($40-$75), using honor-system pricing model
5. Album Sales: Original cast recordings sold through iTunes, Google Play, CD Baby, Amazon, and Spotify platforms

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Midsommer Flight is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit theater company that produces free, professional Shakespeare performances in Chicago parks each summer, supplemented by indoor holiday productions and year-round theater education programs. The company offers scene study classes (Actor's Flight), one-day stage combat workshops (Fight Flight), and a school-based Shakespeare arts program for grades 7-12 (First Flight). It also releases original cast recordings of music composed for its productions and produces a monthly podcast (Sommercast) covering Shakespeare and Chicago theater.

Product overview

Midsommer Flight is a not-for-profit theatre company presenting free, accessible Shakespeare productions in Chicago communities since 2012. The company's core offering consists of outdoor summer Shakespeare productions touring to Chicago parks, complemented by an education division offering Actor's Flight (scene study classes), Fight Flight (stage combat workshops), and First Flight (school programs). The company also produces original cast recordings and podcasts, and operates The Flight Deck rehearsal space. All performances are free and open to the public.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sommercast: A monthly podcast where Shakespeare and Chicago meet, featuring interviews with guest artists and perspectives on Shakespeare plays.
• Original Cast Recordings
• Actor's Flight
• Fight Flight
• First Flight

Products and services

• As You Like It (2026 Summer Production) Free outdoor Shakespeare production touring six Chicago parks from June 26 to August 2, 2026, including ASL-interpreted performances; open to the general public.
• Actor's Flight Six-week scene study classes for adult learners focusing on Shakespeare performance, with tiered honor-system pricing ($250, $300, or $350 per session).
• Fight Flight One-day stage combat workshops covering Rapier & Dagger, Knife, Quarterstaff, and Broadsword techniques, led by certified instructors with tiered honor-system pricing ($40, $50, or $75).
• First Flight School Program School-day Shakespeare arts program for grades 7-12 that includes a 75-minute production, a 15-minute talkback, and up to six workshops, aligned with Illinois State Board of Education standards; priced at $1,000 per school.
• Sommercast Podcast Monthly podcast featuring Shakespeare and Chicago theater content with guest artist interviews and performances, distributed on iTunes.
• Twelfth Night Original Cast Recording Original cast album from the 2015 holiday Twelfth Night production featuring original music by Elizabeth Rentfro and Alex Mauney, available on iTunes, Google Play, CD Baby, and Amazon.
• As You Like It Original Cast Recording Original cast album from the 2016 summer As You Like It production featuring original music by Elizabeth Rentfro, available on iTunes, Google Play, CD Baby, and Amazon.
• Hamlet Original Cast Recording Original cast album from the 2017 summer Hamlet production, available on iTunes, Google Play, CD Baby, and Amazon.
• Fourteen Lines (Sonnet Album) Stand-alone album featuring twelve Shakespeare sonnets set to original music by Elizabeth Rentfro and Erick Rivera, available on iTunes, Google Play, CD Baby, Amazon, and Spotify.
• Twelfth Night Holiday Indoor Production Annual indoor holiday production of Twelfth Night performed at Lincoln Park Conservatory Show House room each November-December since 2015.
• The Flight Deck Rehearsal Space Rehearsal space at 1020 W Bryn Mawr Avenue, 3rd Floor Gym in Chicago, available for rental by theatre artists.

Quantifiable outcome

• 11,000+ audience members reached since 2012
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Night Out in the ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMayoral initiative providing world-class performances in Chicago neighborhood parks throughout the year. Co-presenter of outdoor Shakespeare productions.
• Chicago Park DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides park venues for free performances. Partnership enables outdoor productions at Touhy Park, Winnemac Park, Nichols Park, Gross Park, Kelvyn Park, and Lincoln Park.
• Expand the CanonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for staged readings planned for 2026 season.
• League of Chicago TheatresminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPlatform for posting audition listings for theatre artists interested in Midsommer Flight productions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Oregon Shakespeare Festival: One of the oldest and largest professional Shakespeare festivals in the United States, based in Ashland, Oregon. Comparable mission of professional Shakespeare production, though it operates indoor venues with paid ticketing rather than free outdoor touring.
• Nashville Shakespeare Festival: Regional Shakespeare company producing free outdoor Shakespeare in Nashville's Centennial Park alongside indoor ticketed productions and education programs. Closely comparable in combining free summer park programming with education and ticketed indoor offerings.
• Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival: University-affiliated festival producing free outdoor touring Shakespeare across the Midwest. Comparable as a free-tour Shakespeare producer with strong education components, with regional Midwest overlap.
• Chicago Shakespeare Theater: Chicago's largest dedicated Shakespeare company operating year-round on Navy Pier. Directly comparable as a professional Chicago-based organization whose core mission is producing Shakespeare, though it is a larger venue-based company with paid ticketing rather than a free park-touring model.
• Cincinnati Shakespeare Company: Mid-size professional Shakespeare company operating year-round in a dedicated venue in Cincinnati with education programs. Comparable as a non-Broadway regional Shakespeare producer with a similar education-program extension.
• San Francisco Shakespeare Festival: Free outdoor Shakespeare festival operating in Bay Area parks since 1983, with an education program (Will Power) serving schools. Very similar operating model to Midsommer Flight with park-based free performances plus school programming.
• Montana Shakespeare in the Parks: Free touring Shakespeare company that brings professional productions to rural parks throughout Montana. Nearly identical operating model to Midsommer Flight: free admission, park-based outdoor performances, touring ensemble, and arts-education outreach; Midsommer Flight artists have even taught in this program's schools.
• The Public Theater (Shakespeare in the Park): New York-based producer of free Shakespeare in Central Park since 1954. The most famous example of the free outdoor Shakespeare model that Midsommer Flight replicates in Chicago, with comparable artistic mission and free-admission structure.

Others

• League of Chicago Theatres: Industry association representing Chicago-area theaters, of which Midsommer Flight is a member. Comparable only as an ecosystem partner - the League posts Midsommer Flight auditions and confers industry recognition including the Emerging Theatre Award for which Midsommer Flight was a finalist.

Broad incumbents

• The Goodman Theatre: Major Chicago regional theater with multiple stages producing a mix of classical and contemporary work. Comparable Chicago geography and classical-theater programming but operates as a much larger institution with paid ticketing and broader programming beyond Shakespeare.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MidsommerFlight
• Instagraminstagram.com/midsommer.flight
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/midsommer-flight

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Midsommer Flight