Heller Theatre Company

What Heller Theatre Company does

Heller Theatre Company is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit community theatre founded in 2014 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, currently in its tenth season. The company produces exclusively original theatrical works, sourcing scripts from playwrights residing in Oklahoma and bordering states (Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico). Its programmatic portfolio includes full-length original plays, Second Sunday Serials (a monthly serialized format where audience voting determines continuation, September through May), Heller Shorts (a short-play festival), Hellerween (an annual Halloween-themed immersive event in its fifth year), the 25-Hour Play Festival, and PLOT (Playwrights' Lab of Tulsa), a year-round playwright development program. Heller is the only theatre company in Oklahoma with a dedicated Playwright-in-Residence program, currently held by Carlyn Flint for the 2025-2027 term.

The company's underlying 'technology' is traditional theatrical production with a minimalist staging approach; selected Hellerween playwrights receive $10 per performance and the company enforces a no-generative-AI policy for submissions. Performances are delivered live across three Tulsa venues: the Lynn Riggs Theater at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center (621 E. 4th St., mainstage), Studio 308 (308 S. Lansing Ave., Second Sunday Serials), and WOMPA (3306 Charles Page Blvd, Hellerween 2026 immersive format using six distinct spaces). Marketing is community-based, relying on the company website, email newsletter, word of mouth within Tulsa theater networks, and affiliations with Arts Tulsa, GKFF, OCTA, AACT, Oklahoma Arts Council, and AHHA.

Revenue is generated through ticket sales and tax-deductible individual donations (one-time and recurring weekly/monthly/quarterly), with the company noting at least 90% of expenses flow to Oklahoma residents. No external investors, venture funding, or parent entity are disclosed; governance is provided by a volunteer Board of Directors led by President Everett LeViness and Vice President Emily Peterson. The company is an entity that emerged after the original Tulsa Heller Theatre was dissolved following city funding cuts, inheriting the tradition of original-work production rather than operating as a licensed franchise.

Name

Heller Theatre Company

Legal name

Heller Theatre Company

Website

https://hellertheatreco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Heller Theatre Company is a Tulsa-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) theatre that develops and presents exclusively original works by local and regional playwrights, serving Northeast Oklahoma audiences through full-length plays, serialized monthly productions, short-play festivals, and a statewide-exclusive Playwright-in-Residence program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Theater / Performing Arts

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Community & Amateur Theatre (MPAGABAD), Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

Keywords

• Community theater
• Original play production
• Playwright development
• Live theatrical performance
• Nonprofit performing arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulsa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from audience attendance at productions including Second Sunday Serials, Heller Shorts, Hellerween, full-length plays, and the 25 Hour Play Festival.
2. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting the nonprofit mission. The company notes at least 90% of expenses go to Oklahoma residents, with single payment and recurring payment options (weekly, monthly, quarterly).
3. Playwright Royalties: Playwrights receive royalties for scripts performed, including $10 per performance for Hellerween selections and monthly royalties for Second Sunday Serial contributors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Heller Theatre Company develops and presents original theatrical works of social relevance to Northeast Oklahoma through a portfolio of programs including full-length original plays, monthly Second Sunday Serials (episodic productions with audience voting), Heller Shorts (short play festivals), Hellerween (annual immersive Halloween theater), and the 25 Hour Play Festival. The company also runs PLOT (Playwrights' Lab of Tulsa) and a dedicated Playwright-in-Residence position to develop local and regional playwright talent from Oklahoma and bordering states.

Product overview

Heller Theatre Company is a nonprofit theatre that operates as a single unified entity focused on developing and presenting original works of social relevance. The company produces a portfolio of theatrical programs including full-length original plays, Second Sunday Serials (episodic monthly productions), Heller Shorts (short play festivals), Hellerween (annual Halloween immersive theater event), and the 25 Hour Play Festival. The company also maintains a Playwright-in-Residence position and operates PLOT (Playwright's Lab of Tulsa) to foster local playwright development. All programs focus exclusively on original works by playwrights from Oklahoma and bordering states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PLOT (Playwright's Lab of Tulsa): Playwrights' Lab of Tulsa - a program fostering and developing local playwrights
• Second Sunday Serials
• Heller Shorts
• Hellerween
• 25-Hour Play Festival
• Playwright-in-Residence Program

Products and services

• Second Sunday Serials Monthly episodic theater program held second Sunday of each month (September through May) at 7:00PM at Studio 308, where playwrights present short plays and audience voting determines which Top 3 serials continue to the next month. Open to playwrights from Oklahoma and bordering states.
• PLOT (Playwright's Lab of Tulsa)
• Playwright-in-Residence Program
• Heller Shorts
• Hellerween

Quantifiable outcome

• 50+ original works produced in 2019-20 season alone
• +1 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WOMPA (Workspace and Omnipotent Media Projects Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership with WOMPA for Hellerween 2026, providing immersive multi-venue theater spaces. Six short plays will be performed simultaneously at various WOMPA spaces (The Back Lane, The Terrace, The Lounge, The Inner Tube, The Gallery, and one loft) while audiences rotate through the building. WOMPA is open to the public at 3306 Charles Page Blvd Tulsa, OK 74127.
• Arts Tulsa (AAT)minorOthersLocal arts organization partner; logo displayed on website indicating collaborative relationship within Tulsa arts community.
• GKFF (Glencoe/Keystone Family Foundation)minorOthersFoundation partner supporting the arts; logo displayed on website indicating funding/partnership support.
• OCTA (Oklahoma Community Theatre Association)minorOthersState theatre association partner; logo displayed indicating membership and collaborative network.
• AACT (American Association of Community Theatre)minorOthersNational community theatre association; logo displayed indicating national affiliation and best practices sharing.
• Oklahoma Arts Council (OAC)minorOthersState arts agency partner; logo displayed indicating state-level arts funding and support relationship.
• AHHA (Arts and Humanities Council of Tulsa)minorOthersLocal arts council partner; logo displayed indicating collaborative support within Tulsa arts ecosystem.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Capital Repertory Theatre: LORT-affiliated regional theatre in Albany, NY producing a season of contemporary and original plays. Comparable as a year-round producing regional theatre, though typically larger budget and staff.
• Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park: Oklahoma-based professional summer theatre producing classical and original works in the same Tulsa/OKC regional market. Comparable in mission of producing live theatre in Oklahoma with a mix of original and canonical works.
• Perseverance Theatre: Regional professional theatre in Juneau, Alaska producing a mix of new and classic works at a small-staff, single-market scale. Similar operational profile: lean staff, mission-driven, community-supported.
• American Theatre Company: Chicago-based nonprofit producing exclusively new and contemporary American works, often by living playwrights. Closest functional peer on the exclusive-original-plays positioning that defines Heller's brand.
• TheatreSquared: Professional regional theatre in Fayetteville, Arkansas that produces a mix of new works and contemporary plays for a similar-sized mid-South market. Comparable in producing model, regional scale, and emphasis on new-play development.
• City Theatre Company: Small professional regional theatre in Pittsburgh producing contemporary and original works at a comparable scale. Strong functional peer on original-play programming, intimate venue footprint, and nonprofit funding model.

Broad incumbents

• Tulsa Performing Arts Center: Large multi-venue presenting organization in Tulsa offering a much broader and deeper programming slate. Indirect competitor for Tulsa audience attention and donor dollars.
• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Major Chicago-based regional theatre renowned for developing and producing original American plays. Relevant as an upper-bound reference for where an original-works-focused theatre can scale, but operates at vastly larger scale.
• Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company: Washington, DC-based theatre nationally known for producing bold new works. Comparable mission focus on new plays, but operates at substantially larger scale with national profile.

Others

• Oklahoma Arts Council: State arts funding agency that grants operating support to Oklahoma theatres including Heller. Adjacent rather than competitive — acts as a funding channel and ecosystem connector.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heller-theatre-company

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Heller Theatre Company