What The Seagull Project does

The Seagull Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (legally The American Chekhov Project dba The Seagull Project) headquartered in Seattle, Washington, founded in 2011 by four theater professionals — Brandon J. Simmons, Julie Briskman, Alexandra Tavares, and John Bogar. The company specializes in intensive, ensemble-based productions inspired by Anton Chekhov's works and broader classical Russian drama, having staged all four major Chekhov plays (The Seagull in 2013, The Three Sisters in 2015, The Cherry Orchard in 2017, and Uncle Vanya in 2019) plus a co-produced adaptation of Maxim Gorky's The Lower Depths with Intiman Theatre in 2024. Upcoming productions include The Fainting Spells (three new Chekhov comedy adaptations by local playwrights, April 2026) and Bertolt Brecht's Galileo (January 2027). Underlying operations rest on a stable 13-member core ensemble that has trained together continuously since 2011 with weekly text, physical, vocal, and dramaturgical work, supported by resident creative staff (Resident Director John Langs, Resident Scenic Designers, Resident Costume Designer, Co-Resident Lighting Designers, Resident Sound Designer/Composer Robertson Witmer) and led since 2024 by Artistic Director Gavin Reub.

The organization produces work through established Seattle venue partnerships (ACT Theatre and its Central Heating Lab/ACTLab since 2013, Intiman Theatre, Hugo House, and Erickson Theatre) and maintains the Great Souls reading series and podcast as lower-priced ($10/ticket) audience-development programming. Revenue combines ticket sales, a tiered individual donation program ($100 to $10,000+), the Legacy Fund for Artistic Excellence (anchored by $15,000 foundation commitments), donor-advised fund giving, and recurring fiscal sponsorship from 4Culture, the National Endowment for the Arts, and ArtsFund. The company has also cultivated international visibility as the first theater company in history to receive a US Embassy grant for work staged at Ilkhom Theatre in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 2014, and has won multiple Gregory Awards including Outstanding Production (2015, 2017) and Outstanding Ensemble (2024).

The company serves theater enthusiasts and patrons drawn to rigorous classical drama, alongside arts donors and the broader Seattle arts community, with growing community partnerships (Mary's Place, Recovery Cafe, Path with Art) connecting productions to social-service audiences for relevant thematic content such as The Lower Depths. Customers/audiences are geographically concentrated in Seattle with the Pacific Northwest as secondary reach; the go-to-market motion is community-led, driven by live programming, donor stewardship, and ensemble identity rather than traditional consumer marketing. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, headcount sits in the 11-50 range, and there are no patents, technology platforms, or SaaS components — the core offering is live, human-scaled performance art.

Name

The Seagull Project

Legal name

The American Chekhov Project dba The Seagull Project

Website

https://theseagullproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Seagull Project is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit theater company founded in 2011 that produces intensive, ensemble-based productions of Chekhov's major plays and related classical drama, serving theater patrons, arts donors, and the Seattle arts community through venue partnerships with ACT Theatre, Intiman Theatre, and Hugo House.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theater Production

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)

akta.pro primary industry

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH)

Keywords

• Ensemble theater productions
• Chekhov dramatic adaptations
• Live stage performances
• Actor ensemble training
• Literary reading series

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from live theater performances including main stage productions and the Great Souls reading series.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations at various levels ($10,000+, $5,000-$9,999, $2,500-$4,999, $1,000-$2,499, $500-$999, $250-$99, $100-$249, up to $99), legacy fund contributions, and donor-advised fund giving.
3. Fiscal Sponsorship Support: Support from fiscal sponsors including 4Culture, NEA, and ArtsFund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Seagull Project is a non-profit ensemble-based theater company that stages live theatrical performances, primarily of Anton Chekhov's major plays and related Russian dramatic works, using a long-form, intensive actor-driven process. In addition to mainstage productions, the company runs the Great Souls reading series featuring Chekhov's short stories and works by other writers, and supports ongoing actor training and dramaturgical investigation with a 13-member core ensemble based in Seattle.

Product overview

The Seagull Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit theater company specializing in Chekhov's works through intensive actor-driven ensemble processes. The company produces mainstage theatrical productions of Anton Chekhov's plays (The Seagull, The Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard, Uncle Vanya) and related works (The Lower Depths, Galileo, The Fainting Spells). Supporting programs include the Great Souls reading series and podcast, donor-advised fund giving services, and the Legacy Fund for artistic excellence. The portfolio centers on their signature ensemble-based approach to Chekhov's dramatic canon, supplemented by community partnerships, new play development, and educational programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Great Souls: A reading series featuring performances of Anton Chekhov's short stories and works by other writers, produced in partnership with ACTLab at ACT — A Contemporary Theatre and Hugo House.

Products and services

• The Fainting Spells Upcoming mainstage production of three new adaptations of Anton Chekhov's comedies for Seattle theater patrons.
• Galileo Upcoming mainstage production of Bertolt Brecht's landmark play about Galileo Galilei, presented for Seattle theater patrons at Intiman Theatre.
• Great Souls Recurring themed reading series featuring performances of Chekhov's short stories and works by other writers, with ensemble members and local guest artists. Tickets priced at $10 per person.
• Donor-Advised Fund Giving Donor-advised fund giving program that enables individual philanthropists to direct contributions from their donor-advised funds to support the organization's operations and artist wages.
• Legacy Fund for Artistic Excellence Multi-year legacy giving program structured as a $15,000-level three-year pledge to sustain artistic growth and long-term ensemble development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Gregory Award for Outstanding Production (2015, 2017)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Intiman TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2024Co-production partner for The Lower Depths (February 2024) featuring ensemble of 14 actors. Intiman Theatre is a historic Seattle theater company celebrating 50 years. The partnership enables The Seagull Project to present productions at the Intiman Theatre venue.
• Ilkhom Theatre (Tashkent, Uzbekistan)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Historic international partnership hosting The Seagull in 2014 as part of a US theater festival. The Ilkhom Theatre is a renowned theater in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
• ACT TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Original venue partner for The Seagull (2013) produced through ACT's Central Heating Lab. Continues partnership through ACTLab hosting the Great Souls reading series. ACT Theatre is Seattle's home for adventurous new plays and productions.
• Hugo HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner venue for Great Souls reading series alongside ACTLab. Hugo House is Seattle's independent writing center supporting readers, writers, and literary programs. The partnership expands audience reach and supports local literary community.
• Mary's PlaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for The Lower Depths production, which explored themes of poverty and life in society's margins. Mary's Place is a Seattle organization supporting families experiencing homelessness.
• Recovery CafeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for The Lower Depths. Recovery Cafe provides a supportive community for those in recovery from addiction and mental health challenges.
• Path with ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for The Lower Depths. Path with Art is a Seattle nonprofit using art to empower people affected by homelessness and those in recovery.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ACT Theatre: Seattle-based contemporary theater producing adventurous new and classic productions. Direct venue partner of The Seagull Project since 2013 (Central Heating Lab, ACTLab) and host of Great Souls reading series; operates in the same regional market with similar dramatic repertoire focus.
• Strawberry Theatre Workshop: Seattle-based small nonprofit theater with an ensemble-driven model focused on classical and contemporary drama. Comparable scale, nonprofit structure, and ensemble-based artistic approach to The Seagull Project in the same Seattle market.
• Intiman Theatre: Historic Seattle theater company (50+ years) that co-produced The Seagull Project's The Lower Depths (2024) and upcoming Galileo (2027). Comparable small-to-mid-sized nonprofit classical/contemporary drama ensemble operating in the same Seattle market.
• Book-It Repertory Theatre: Seattle-based nonprofit theater company known for literary adaptations and ensemble-driven classical work. Comparable in scale, nonprofit status, and mission-driven artistic focus to The Seagull Project, operating in the same regional arts ecosystem.

Regional players

• Seattle Repertory Theatre: Largest resident theater in the Pacific Northwest, producing classic and contemporary plays at scale. A broader regional incumbent sharing Seattle audiences and donor pools with The Seagull Project, but with significantly larger production budget and broader repertoire.
• Round House Theatre: Maryland-based professional nonprofit regional theater producing classical and contemporary plays with a resident ensemble. Comparable ensemble-based model and classical drama focus, but serves the greater DC/Baltimore market rather than Pacific Northwest.
• PlayMakers Repertory Company: North Carolina-based professional regional theater with a resident company producing classical and contemporary drama. Comparable ensemble structure and nonprofit mission-driven approach, but operates in a different regional market than The Seagull Project.
• Taproot Theatre Company: Seattle-area professional nonprofit theater producing plays and musicals with a resident company model. Comparable in regional market and ensemble-based production approach, though with broader repertoire including musicals and faith-based works.

Broad incumbents

• Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Major regional repertory theater producing classical Shakespeare and Chekhov-adjacent works in Ashland, OR. Broader incumbent with much larger scale and longer production season, but overlapping classical dramatic canon and ensemble-driven methodology.

Emerging players

• Penumbra Theatre Company: St. Paul, MN-based nonprofit ensemble theater with a strong classical/contemporary repertoire focus and community-centered mission. Comparable small-to-mid ensemble nonprofit structure with similar emphasis on social impact through dramatic work.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheSeagullProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theseagullproject

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Seagull Project