Hip Pocket Theatre

What Hip Pocket Theatre does

Hip Pocket Theatre is a Fort Worth, Texas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1976 by Johnny Simons, Diane Simons, and Douglas Balentine that produces experimental, interdisciplinary outdoor theatre integrating dance, mime, music, masks, and puppetry into a distinctive theatrical lexicon. The organization operates from a single outdoor rustic venue at 1950 Silver Creek Road and runs a seasonal performance model June through November, presenting five mainstage productions in its 50th anniversary season (2026) — including collaborations with international puppetry artist Basil Twist — supplemented by the annual Twilight Soiree community immersive event, the BackYard Music local artist series, the Moonlit/Sunlit Readings play development program, and the Cowtown Puppet Slam.

Its product surface is built on a 50-year archive of original works and a $200–$225 Hip Pass season subscription (10 admissions), with revenue diversified across ticket sales via the TicketstotheCity.com platform, a five-tier corporate sponsorship ladder ($1,000–$10,000), individual donations amplified through Network for Good matching campaigns ($50,000 and $25,000), foundation grants (Sid Richardson, Amon G. Carter, Texas Commission on the Arts), and venue rentals. The Diane Simons Mentorship Program, run with New York-based CultureHub, trains Fort Worth students aged 17–22 in stage management, lighting, costume, and puppetry design, and a 22-member Board of Directors plus a 15-member Artistic Advisory Board (including Bruce Balentine and Basil Twist) oversee governance and artistic direction. Current artistic leadership rests with Co-Artistic Directors Lorca and Lake Simons (daughters of founders Johnny and the late Diane Simons), sustaining generational continuity following Diane Simons' passing in January 2025.

Name

Hip Pocket Theatre

Legal name

Hip Pocket Theatre

Website

https://hippocket.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hip Pocket Theatre is a Fort Worth-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit producing experimental interdisciplinary outdoor theatre combining dance, mime, music, masks, and puppetry. Founded in 1976, it serves DFW audiences through seasonal mainstage productions, corporate sponsorships, venue rentals, and student mentorship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theatre & Performing Arts

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM), Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

Keywords

• Experimental theatre productions
• Outdoor performing arts
• Interdisciplinary puppetry
• Community arts programs
• Live theatre performances

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Worth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Individual performance tickets sold through TicketstotheCity.com platform. Performances run June through November with preview nights offering pay-what-you-can pricing.
2. Season Passes (Hip Pass): Season pass offering 10 admissions for $200-$225, providing discounted per-show pricing for returning patrons and creating predictable advance revenue.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Five-tiered sponsorship program ranging from $1,000 (Twilight) to $10,000 (Stargazer), offering advertising, recognition, and tickets in exchange for monetary support.
4. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations accepted through Network for Good platform. Matching grant campaigns (currently $50,000 and $25,000 matching opportunities) amplify donation impact.
5. Venue Rentals: Outdoor rustic venue available for rental for play readings, weddings, rehearsals, music concerts, work gatherings, and parties.
6. Foundation Grants: Support from foundations including Sid Richardson Foundation, Amon G. Carter Foundation, Texas Commission on the Arts, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hip Pocket Theatre produces experimental, interdisciplinary outdoor theatrical productions that integrate dance, mime, music, masks, and puppetry. The company stages five mainstage productions per season (June through November) at its rustic outdoor Silver Creek venue in Fort Worth, Texas, supplemented by community programs such as the Twilight Soiree, BackYard Music, Cowtown Puppet Slam, playwright readings, the Diane Simons Mentorship Program, and venue rentals.

Product overview

Hip Pocket Theatre is an experimental, interdisciplinary outdoor theatre company founded in 1976. The organization operates as a single unified venue offering mainstage theatre productions (featuring original works and adaptations incorporating dance, mime, music, masks, and puppetry) supplemented by add-on programs including the Twilight Soiree community immersive performance, Diane Simons Mentorship Program for student training, venue rentals, BackYard Music live performances, playwright readings, Cowtown Puppet Slam events, Hip Pass season tickets, and volunteer opportunities. The 50th anniversary season (2026) features five mainstage productions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mainstage Theatre Productions Original and adapted experimental theatrical productions performed outdoors under the stars, incorporating dance, mime, music, masks, and puppetry. Targeted at Fort Worth and DFW-area theatre-goers and arts patrons seeking unconventional storytelling experiences.
• Twilight Soiree An annual community immersive outdoor performance experience exploring the natural landscape as theatrical space, featuring installations, vignettes, soundscapes, masks, puppetry, sound, and light. Free community event honouring loved ones and the land.
• BackYard Music Free live music performances before and after mainstage productions at the BackYard stage in the concessions area, showcasing local DFW music scene artists.
• Cowtown Puppet Slam An adult-oriented evening of short-form live puppetry acts welcoming both emerging and seasoned puppeteers to perform new or existing pieces.
• Readings Program (Moonlit Readings and Sunlit Readings) A play development program offering playwrights opportunities to hear their works read aloud, supporting both works-in-progress and completed drafts.
• Venue Rentals Outdoor rustic venue rental services for play readings, weddings, rehearsals, music concerts, work gatherings, and parties at 1950 Silver Creek Rd., Fort Worth, TX 76108.
• Hip Pass (Season Pass) Season pass offering 10 admissions to mainstage productions for $200-$225, providing discounted access to the theatre's annual season.
• Diane Simons Mentorship Program A collaborative mentorship program run in conjunction with CultureHub, providing Fort Worth-based high school and college students (ages 17-22) hands-on training in stage management, lighting design, costume design, and puppetry design with mainstage show experience and stipends.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CultureHubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHip Pocket Theatre, in conjunction with New York-based CultureHub, collaborates on The Diane Simons Mentorship Program. This collaborative mentorship program benefits Fort Worth-based high school and college students (ages 17-22) interested in technical theatre, providing training in stage management, lighting design, costume design, and puppetry design.
• Live Theatre League of Tarrant CountyminorOthersHip Pocket Theatre is a proud member of the Live Theatre League of Tarrant County, a local theatre industry organization that supports and promotes live theatre in the Tarrant County area.
• Local DFW Music ArtistsminorOthersBackYard Music program features local DFW music scene artists performing live before and after productions. Featured artists include Claire Hinkle, Skeleton McKee, and Coins or Bubble Wrap during A Twisty Intergalactic Spectacle run.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Players Theatre: Wisconsin-based outdoor classical theatre producing summer repertory seasons under natural settings since 1979. Comparable as an outdoor-focused regional theatre operating a seasonal model in a rural or naturalistic setting with subscription-style ticketing.
• Chalk Repertory Theatre: Boulder, Colorado-based experimental theatre producing devised, site-specific, and interdisciplinary work. Comparable as a small nonprofit experimental theatre with site-responsive productions and ensemble-based creation, similar to Hip Pocket's interdisciplinary approach.
• Imago Theatre: Portland-based experimental theatre producing original, physical, mask-and-puppetry-driven productions with international touring. Comparable as an interdisciplinary ensemble theatre with a strong puppetry and mask tradition similar to Hip Pocket's core vocabulary.
• Sandglass Center for Puppetry: Small Vermont-based puppetry company producing experimental puppet and devised works for adult audiences. Comparable to Hip Pocket's Cowtown Puppet Slam and puppetry-focused programming as a specialized puppetry-driven nonprofit ensemble.
• Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company: Washington, D.C. nonprofit theatre dedicated to producing bold, experimental new plays. Comparable as a nonprofit experimental theatre company producing contemporary, boundary-pushing work and engaging diverse local communities.
• St. Ann's Warehouse: Brooklyn nonprofit theatre known for presenting bold, experimental, and international productions. Comparable as a nonprofit venue producing experimental work that brings together local and visiting artists, similar to Hip Pocket's guest-artist model.
• La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club: New York-based nonprofit experimental theatre founded in 1961 that produces boundary-defying, interdisciplinary work by emerging and international artists. Closely comparable as an experimental, nonprofit, ensemble-driven theatre company with a multigenerational artistic community.

Broad incumbents

• Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Large-scale regional outdoor theatre in Ashland, Oregon producing a long seasonal repertory. Comparable as an outdoor-oriented theatrical producing organization with a multi-month seasonal model, though at much larger scale than Hip Pocket.
• Bass Performance Hall / Performing Arts Fort Worth: Fort Worth's primary performing arts presenter hosting national touring productions. Comparable as a competing presenter in the same local market where Hip Pocket operates, sharing overlapping patron and sponsor pools.

Regional players

• Dallas Theater Center: Major DFW regional theatre producing Broadway-scale and new works in the same metroplex as Hip Pocket. Comparable as a fellow nonprofit regional theatre competitor for the Fort Worth/DFW audience and donor base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/HipPocketMemories
• Facebookfacebook.com/HipPocketTheatre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hip-pocket-theatre

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Hip Pocket Theatre