The Edge Theater

What The Edge Theater does

The Edge Theater is a privately held performing arts rental venue operating from two adjacent buildings in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood. Its core asset is a portfolio of six bookable spaces: a 104-seat proscenium theater (5451 N. Broadway) and a 45-seat black box called The Edge Off Broadway (1133 W Catalpa Ave.), supported by a Multi-Purpose Room, Flex Space, and two lobbies. The facility is equipped with professional-grade production infrastructure including extensive lighting and sound inventories, an electric fly system, an LED projector, a Clear-Com intercom, modern sound and light boards, adaptable rigging, street-level load-in garage doors, and shared costume-care equipment (washer/dryer and commercial steamer). Two hours of technical training and quickstart guides are bundled with performance rentals.

The business model is direct-to-consumer venue rental. Revenue comes from per-performance rentals ($300-$625), weekly rentals ($1,000-$1,500), and hourly rentals of rehearsal and meeting space ($8-$12 standard, $25-$75 corporate), augmented by bar service and paid technician ($30/hr) and Front of House Attendant ($22/hr) labor. Producers retain 100% of ticket sales and process them through third-party platforms (Zeffy, ThunderTix); the venue does not take a ticket commission. Ushers are supplied through a lasting partnership with the Saints Organization, and an in-house partnership with Idle Muse Theatre Company dates to the venue's 2016 founding. All rentals require liability insurance and a security deposit.

The Edge Theater serves a horizontal mix of mid-market customers: community and professional theater companies, dance studios, corporate clients, and arts educators in the greater Chicago market. Marketing is concentrated in organic social (@edgetheaterchi) and the company website, with email-based inquiry as the primary booking channel. The business is bootstrapped and family-operated under owner Anne Phillips, with no outside institutional investment, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed headcount or financial figures.

Name

The Edge Theater

Legal name

The Edge Theater

Website

https://edgetheater.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Edge Theater is a privately held, family-operated performing arts rental venue in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood, offering two performance spaces (104-seat proscenium and 45-seat black box) plus rehearsal and meeting rooms to community theater companies, dance studios, corporate clients, and arts educators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Venue Rental

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Musical Groups and Artists (71113)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Venue Guest Services & Front-of-House Operations (Ushers, Box Office, Accessibility) (MPAGALAK), Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL), Specialty & Entertainment Venue Property Management (BPAJAGAO)

Keywords

• Performing arts venue
• Theater rental
• Performance space
• Rehearsal space
• Event venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Performance Space Rental: Rental of The Edge Theater (104-seat proscenium) and The Edge Off Broadway (45-seat black box) for performances and events. Includes all technical equipment, box office space, and front-of-house staff.
2. Rehearsal and Meeting Space Rental: Hourly rental of Multi-Purpose Room, Flex Space, and lobby areas for rehearsals, auditions, workshops, meetings, and corporate events.
3. Bar Service: Front of House staff certified to serve beer, wine, cider, liquor, and non-alcoholic beverages. 100% of ticket sales go to producers.
4. Technical Services: Technician services at $30/hr for audio, lighting, and projection technicians who maintain equipment, train renters, and perform strike check-outs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

The Edge Theater is a performing arts rental venue operating two performance spaces—a 104-seat proscenium stage (The Edge Theater) and a 45-seat black box theater (The Edge Off Broadway)—along with a Multi-Purpose Room, Flex Space, and lobbies. It rents these spaces to theater producers, performing arts groups, and event organizers on an hourly and multi-day basis, and also provides bar service and optional technician staffing for productions.

Product overview

The Edge Theater operates as a dual-venue performing arts rental facility in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood. The portfolio consists of two main performance spaces: The Edge Theater (a 104-seat proscenium stage) and The Edge Off Broadway (a 45-seat black box), complemented by supporting spaces including a Multi-Purpose Room (30' x 30') and Flex Space (11' x 30'). The offering includes comprehensive rental services with bar and box office facilities, technical equipment, and hospitality staff.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Edge Theater (104-seat Proscenium Stage) A 104-seat proscenium-style performance venue available for rent to theater producers, performing arts groups, and event organizers for full theatrical productions, rehearsals, and live performances.
• The Edge Off Broadway (45-seat Black Box Theater) A 45-seat black box theater available for rent to producers and performers seeking an intimate, configurable performance environment for smaller-scale productions and experimental work.
• Multi-Purpose Room Rental A multi-purpose room within the venue available for rent to support rehearsals, workshops, small meetings, and ancillary event functions.
• Flex Space Rental A flexible ancillary space available for rent to support productions, receptions, and event overflow needs.
• Production Technician Services Optional in-house technical staffing provided to renters for lighting and sound operation during productions and events.
• Bar Service On-site bar and concession service available to productions and event renters, providing beverage and refreshment sales to audiences and guests.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered foundational and core.

• Idle Muse Theatre CompanyfoundationalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2016Idle Muse Theatre Company was the inaugural tenant, producing 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' as the first show when The Edge Theater opened in March 2016.
• Saints OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLasting partnership with The Saints Organization provides trained usher staff to assist with Front of House needs during performances and events at The Edge Theater.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Access Theater: NYC rental venue offering flexible black-box and studio spaces to independent producing companies—closely matches Edge's model of monetizing equipment, space, and front-of-house services rather than owning content.
• The Neofuturists: Chicago performance ensemble operating its own intimate venue with ongoing runs and rental of adjacent spaces—similar in scale and in combining owned productions with venue-rental flexibility.
• The Factory Theater: Small Chicago ensemble theater operating a dedicated venue, presenting its own productions and renting space to the indie-theater community—directly comparable in size, geography, and customer profile.
• The Tank: NYC-based theater and performing-arts rental venue that offers multiple performance spaces to independent producers on a rental basis—directly comparable business model of venue-as-rental-platform rather than producing theater.
• The Chopin Theatre: Chicago-based multi-space performance venue that rents to producing companies and hosts its own productions—closest direct analog in the Chicago small-theater rental market, with similar intimate scale and primary-product positioning.
• Redtwist Theatre: Small Chicago theater operating an intimate performance space on a similar rental and production model, serving indie producers and competing for the same Edgewater-adjacent audience pool.

Regional players

• Provision Theater Company: Small Chicago theater with an intimate venue, comparable seat count, and similar mid-market positioning—competes for the same indie-producer and small-company rental/performance demand within Chicago.

Broad incumbents

• Lookingglass Theatre Company: Established Chicago theater operating a dedicated performance venue with strong brand equity—competes for mid-market producing companies and audience share at the broader end of Edge's competitive set.
• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Premier Chicago theater institution operating multiple performance spaces; represents the established end of the market where larger-budget producers and audiences flow, setting competitive pressure on small rental venues like Edge.
• Raven Theatre: Established small Chicago theater with multiple performance spaces in Edgeville—competes for the same Chicago indie-producer customer base while also producing its own season, putting it partially in incumbent territory relative to Edge.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/edgetheaterchi
• Facebookfacebook.com/edgetheaterchi
• Instagraminstagram.com/edgetheaterchi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-edge-theater

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 The Edge Theater