What Mabou Mines does

Mabou Mines is a nonprofit experimental theater company founded in 1970 by JoAnne Akalaitis, Lee Breuer, Philip Glass, Ruth Maleczech, and David Warrilow, headquartered at 122 Community Center (122 CC) in New York City's East Village. The company operates an 84-seat theater (officially listed as 99-seat) with state-of-the-art lighting, sound, video, and seating systems, alongside dressing rooms and a rehearsal studio, following a city-funded building renovation completed in 2017. Its core products are avant-garde, multi-disciplinary theatrical productions integrating theater, dance, music, puppetry (including bunraku-style work), multimedia, video, and film, with signature works including Mabou Mines DollHouse (gender-reversed Ibsen), Peter & Wendy (bunraku puppet theater, UNIMA Excellence in Puppetry Award recipient), Mabou Mines Lear, Red Beads (aerial puppetry), and the 2025 film restoration Moi-même.

Mabou Mines generates revenue across five streams: (1) sliding-scale ticket sales ($25–$45 for mainstage productions, $14 for cinema screenings), (2) institutional grants and foundation support from NEA, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, NYSCA, Howard Gilman Foundation, Shubert Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, and other funders, (3) individual donations through a formal GIVE program and the Mabou Mines Development Foundation, Inc., (4) space rentals — subsidized non-profit theater and rehearsal studio ($30/hour, $190/day, $1,400/week) plus commercial/private rates, and (5) merchandise sales via BigCartel. Distribution channels include its own 122 CC theater, the annual AND... festival (co-produced with The Tank's RE/VENUE Initiative), the Mabou Mines Cinema series at Anthology Film Archives, international touring co-productions across 20+ countries, and film streaming on Kanopy.

The company is staffed by a lean administrative team including four Co-Artistic Directors (Mallory Catlett, Sharon Ann Fogarty, Karen Kandel, Carl Hancock Rux), a Producer, General Manager, Production/Facilities Manager, House Managers, and two tiers of artist affiliates (Associate Artists and Senior Artistic Associates). Customer segments are twofold: audiences attending performances at the 84-seat theater, festivals, and touring venues, and the broader artist/presenter community served through the Resident Artist Program (RAP), subsidized rentals, and co-production partnerships with major US and international venues including The Public Theater, Kennedy Center, Edinburgh International Festival, Spoleto, and Moscow Art Theatre.

Name

Mabou Mines

Legal name

Mabou Mines Development Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://maboumines.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mabou Mines is a 1970-founded nonprofit experimental theater company based at an 84-seat East Village theater, presenting multi-disciplinary avant-garde productions and film programs for New York audiences, touring partners in 20+ countries, and emerging artists via its Resident Artist Program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Mabou Mines generates revenue through ticket sales for performances at its 84-seat theater, festival events, and co-presented shows. Ticket prices range from $25-$45 (sliding scale) for main productions to $14 for cinema screenings (with discounts for seniors, students, and members).
2. Institutional Grants and Foundation Support: The company receives significant funding from public agencies (NEA, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, NYSCA) and private foundations (Howard Gilman Foundation, Shubert Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, and others).
3. Space Rentals: The theater and rehearsal studio are available for rent through a non-profit subsidized rental program and commercial/private rentals, providing rental income to the organization.
4. Individual Contributions and Donations: The company operates a 'GIVE' program for individual donations and maintains a development foundation (Mabou Mines Development Foundation, Inc.) for fundraising.
5. Merchandise Sales: Online shop (BigCartel) selling merchandise including the 3 DVD set of Lear '87 Archive and other items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mabou Mines is an avant-garde experimental theater company that develops and presents multi-disciplinary live performances integrating theater, dance, music, puppetry, multimedia and film. The company operates an 84-seat theater at 122 Community Center in NYC's East Village, produces an annual festival (AND...), curates a film series (Mabou Mines Cinema), runs artist residency programs (RAP, SUITE/space), and rents its theater and rehearsal space to other artists.

Product overview

Mabou Mines is an avant-garde experimental theater company offering a portfolio of live performance productions, film programs, and venue rental services. The core offerings include the annual AND... festival featuring multi-disciplinary performances, the Mabou Mines Cinema film series showcasing archival and contemporary works, and individual theatrical productions ranging from classical adaptations to original works. Supporting programs include the SUITE/space performance series, the Resident Artist Program (RAP) for emerging artists, and The Ruth Maleczech Award for excellence in experimental theater. The company also operates a fully equipped 84-seat theater and rehearsal studio available for rental to other artists and companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mabou Mines Theater: The company's primary performance venue - a 99-seat theater located at 122 Community Center in New York's East Village.
• Mabou Mines Cinema
• SUITE/space
• RAP (Resident Artist Program)
• The RUTH MALECZECH Award
• AND...

Products and services

• AND... Festival Multi-disciplinary festival of performance that gathers artists across generations and histories of affiliation with Mabou Mines, featuring co-artistic directors, associates, former resident artists, and collaborators across disciplines.
• Mabou Mines Cinema Film series exploring rarely-screened films made by Mabou Mines' founding members and collaborators from 1968-2008, co-presented with Anthology Film Archives in NYC.
• Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov Adaptation of Chekhov's Three Sisters set in an airport terminal, following three women with histories of displacement from Vietnam, India, Peru and other locations.
• A Maroon Tale Performance depicting the life of a West African slave who escapes plantation systems and lives as a Maroon, with a parallel narrative in contemporary New York City.
• KALIGUGA Performance examining the historical figure of Caligula through texts by Suetonius and Albert Camus, conceived and directed by Žilvinas Jonušas, running 75 minutes.
• Moi-même Restored and reimagined 1968 Paris-shot film by Lee Breuer and Mojo Lorwin, featuring a Jean-Luc Godard cameo and original Mabou Mines members; resurrected across 50+ years.
• Resident Artist Program (RAP) Residency program supporting emerging and mid-career theater artists with rehearsal and development resources, co-founded by Ruth Maleczech and Terry O'Reilly in 1991.
• SUITE/space Program supporting artists and companies through curated performances and artistic development opportunities at Mabou Mines' theater.
• Theater Rental Program Fully equipped 84-seat theater with green room and dressing room available for non-profit and commercial/private rentals, with optional technical, box office and marketing support.
• Rehearsal Studio Rental 25'x24' rehearsal space (capacity 30, piano available upon request) offered on subsidized non-profit terms and commercial/private rates.
• The Ruth Maleczech Award Award program honoring co-founder Ruth Maleczech's legacy and recognizing excellence in experimental theater performance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mabou Mines DollHouse is the second most widely toured production of Ibsen's A Doll's House in the past 100 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

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

• The Tank (RE/VENUE Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMabou Mines co-produces its AND... 2026 festival with The Tank as part of their RE/VENUE Initiative, a platform supporting experimental performance and emerging artists in New York.
• Anthology Film ArchivesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMabou Mines Cinema is a co-presented series with Anthology Film Archives (32 Second Avenue, NYC), featuring rarely-screened films by company members and collaborators from 1968-2008. The series ran March 13-19, 2026.
• The Public Theater / New York Shakespeare FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoseph Papp and The Public Theater have been Mabou Mines' longest-standing co-producing partner since the company's founding, presenting numerous productions including Dead End Kids, Hajj, Wrong Guys, Cascando, Dressed Like an Egg, and Shaggy Dog Animation.
• St. Ann's WarehousemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt. Ann's Warehouse presented Mabou Mines DollHouse (premiering November 8, 2003) and other co-productions, serving as a key Brooklyn venue for the company's work.
• Movement ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTerry O'Reilly co-founded Movement Research in 1979, a center for teaching, performance and publication serving the dance community. The organizations share the 122 Community Center building and have an ongoing collaborative relationship.
• Performance Space New YorkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellow tenant at 122 Community Center, Performance Space New York shares the renovated building with Mabou Mines and other arts organizations.
• Alliance for Positive ChangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-tenant at 122 Community Center along with Mabou Mines, Painting Space 122, and Movement Research.
• Sundance Theatre LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSundance Theatre Lab in Utah hosted development workshops for Mabou Mines DollHouse in 2003.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Wooster Group: NYC-based experimental theater company producing innovative, multi-disciplinary performance since the 1970s. Shares Mabou Mines' avant-garde aesthetic, downtown NYC base, and overlapping artistic community (Greg Mehrten is an Associate Member of both).
• HERE Arts Center: NYC-based nonprofit supporting multi-disciplinary, experimental performance across theater, dance, music, puppetry, and film. Directly comparable in scale, programming approach, and downtown NYC experimental focus.
• Performance Space New York: Co-tenant at 122 Community Center alongside Mabou Mines. Presents experimental performance work in NYC, sharing both physical infrastructure and overlapping artist communities.
• New York Theatre Workshop: Off-Broadway nonprofit theater producing new and experimental work in NYC. Comparable in mission, artist development focus, and downtown/off-Broadway positioning, though slightly larger scale.
• The Kitchen: NYC nonprofit presenting experimental performance, visual art, and media since 1971. Highly comparable in avant-garde mission, downtown Chelsea location, and multi-disciplinary programming model.
• La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club: Pioneering experimental theater organization founded in 1961 in NYC's East Village, focused on nurturing innovative and diverse theatrical work. Most directly comparable to Mabou Mines in mission, scale, and downtown experimental theater positioning.
• Signature Theatre: Off-Broadway nonprofit theater dedicated to playwrights' bodies of work. Comparable as a NYC nonprofit theater with strong institutional funding base and artist residency focus, though Signature focuses on living writers versus Mabou Mines' experimental multi-disciplinary work.
• St. Ann's Warehouse: Brooklyn-based nonprofit presenting innovative theater and co-producing experimental work. Direct co-production partner of Mabou Mines (premiered DollHouse in 2003), sharing a curatorial focus on boundary-pushing performance.

Emerging players

• The Tank: NYC nonprofit presenting emerging and experimental performance work. Direct co-production partner for Mabou Mines' AND... 2026 festival via its RE/VENUE Initiative, sharing focus on emerging artists and experimental formats.

Broad incumbents

• The Public Theater: NYC's largest downtown institution presenting theater, musicals, and public programming. Mabou Mines' longest-standing co-producing partner since founding; serves as a broad incumbent that both supports and overlaps with Mabou Mines' experimental mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mabou-mines-development-fndtn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles27 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 Mabou Mines