Chicago Street Theatre

What Chicago Street Theatre does

Chicago Street Theatre is a community theatre organization headquartered in Valparaiso, Indiana, operating continuously since 1955. The organization produces live theatrical productions including dramas, comedies, family shows, Shakespeare, new works, and cult musicals, and hosts the One Night Jam concert series featuring Grammy-nominated and winning artists across country, folk, blues, rock, and Americana. It also operates a year-round youth theatre education program for ages 5-18, with tiered offerings from beginner classes at $190 per semester through the Teen Company Workshop at $285 and specialized six-week Saturday workshops at $150. The theatre occupies a converted Assembly of God Church building purchased in 1997, with subsequent renovations adding a new lobby, stadium seating, tech booth, and the Edith B. Wood Studio theatre.

The organization operates as a private non-profit with a staff of 1-10 employees. Its revenue model combines ticket sales distributed through the Ludus online ticketing platform and in-person box office, education program tuition, Flex Pass subscription packages for repeat patrons, and donations plus memberships including the Jack Hagman Scholarship Fund. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. Pricing is structured at three primary tuition tiers for education programs, with discount codes for continuing students and multi-student families.

Chicago Street Theatre's core technology consists of conventional theatrical equipment and stagecraft; the organization has no proprietary software, AI or ML components, or digital platform products. Distribution is local and physical, concentrated at the Valparaiso venue, with online ticketing and class registration serving as the primary digital touchpoint. The organization serves Northwest Indiana residents across three segments: ticket-buying audience members for productions and concerts, families enrolling children in education programs, and volunteer performers and production technicians. There are no external investors, partnerships, mergers, or acquisitions documented in available materials.

Name

Chicago Street Theatre

Legal name

Chicago Street Theatre

Website

https://chicagostreet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Chicago Street Theatre is a Valparaiso, Indiana community theatre producing live theatrical productions, hosting the One Night Jam concert series, and running youth theatre education for ages 5-18. It serves Northwest Indiana residents through ticket sales, classes, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Theatre and Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE), Musical Theatre (Non-Broadway/Fringe) (MPAGABAG)

Keywords

• Community theatre productions
• Youth theatre education
• Live performance venue
• Concert series programming
• Theatre arts nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Valparaiso

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from ticket sales for theatrical productions and concerts including the One Night Jam concert series
2. Education Program Tuition: Revenue from youth classes, workshops, and Teen Company programs with tiered pricing based on program type and duration
3. Donations and Memberships: Donations, flex passes, and member support including student memberships bundled with education programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Chicago Street Theatre produces live theatrical performances (dramas, comedies, family shows, Shakespeare, and cult musicals) and hosts the One Night Jam concert series. It also delivers year-round theatre education programs for youth ages 5-18, including youth classes and workshops, the Teen Company program, and summer camps.

Product overview

Chicago Street Theatre is a community theatre organization offering a portfolio of live performance and educational programs. The core offerings include mainstage theatrical productions (dramas, comedies, Shakespeare, family shows, and cult musicals), the One Night Jam concert series featuring musical artists, and comprehensive youth education programs. Education offerings span youth classes and workshops for ages 5-18 across multiple skill levels, the Chicago Street Teen Company for high school students, and rotating Saturday workshops covering specialized topics like stage combat, stagecraft, design, and dance. The Flex Pass add-on provides discounted multi-show ticketing for patrons.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Theatre Productions Live theatrical performances including dramas, comedies, family shows, Shakespeare, new works, and cult musicals performed at the Chicago Street Theatre venue in Valparaiso, Indiana. Targeted at local community audiences and regional theatre-goers.
• Youth Classes & Workshops Year-round theatre education programs for ages 5-18 covering foundational acting skills, scene study, improv, character development, and performance preparation across multiple skill levels. Targeted at children and teens and their families.
• Chicago Street Teen Company

Quantifiable outcome

• Year-round education serving youth ages 5-18 with multiple skill levels from beginner to advanced performance academy
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Drury Lane Theatre: Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois commercial dinner theatre producing musicals; comparable as an Illinois-based producing venue offering live theatrical productions to a suburban Midwest audience.

Direct peers

• Court Theatre: University of Chicago-affiliated professional theatre producing classics and new works with education programs; comparable as a non-profit producing theatre serving a regional Midwest audience.
• Marriott Theatre: Lincolnshire, Illinois theatre-in-the-round producing mainstage productions with youth education offerings; comparable as a Midwest regional theatre with both productions and youth training pathways.
• Timber Lake Playhouse: Small Illinois summer community theatre producing plays and musicals with volunteer participation; comparable as a small-scale community theatre with similar operating model.
• Penobscot Theatre Company: Maine-based non-profit regional theatre with mainstage productions and youth programming; comparable community-scale non-profit theatre with both productions and classes.
• Actors Theatre of Louisville: Regional non-profit theatre in Louisville with mainstage productions and education programs; comparable on mission as a non-profit performing arts organization with both staged works and youth programming.
• Indiana Repertory Theatre: Indiana-based professional regional theatre presenting mainstage productions and education programs; directly comparable as another Indiana non-profit theatre with both production and youth/community programming.
• American Players Theatre: Spring Green, Wisconsin non-profit theatre producing classical and contemporary works with education/outreach components; comparable as a non-profit producing theatre with similar community mission.
• Lookingglass Theatre Company: Chicago-based non-profit theatre with strong education and community engagement programs; comparable on operating model combining mainstage productions with youth theatre education.

Broad incumbents

• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Major Chicago-based theatre company with extensive education and community engagement programs; comparable as a non-profit theatre operator with both staged productions and youth programming, but at far larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-street-theatre

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 Chicago Street Theatre