combustible company

What combustible company does

Combustible Company is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theater company founded in 2013 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company produces live physical theater performances, drawing on the Margolis Method, a distinctive actor-training methodology in which Artistic Director and co-founder Kym Longhi is the first Certified Instructor in the United States. Productions span original devised works (Herocycle, Monster Heart, Flying and Falling), adaptations of classics (The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Imaginary Invalid, The Hairy Ape, Machinal), and contemporary plays (An Iliad, The Revolutionists, The Gun Show), often integrating puppetry, multimedia, and live music.

The company's underlying operational technology is minimal and typical of small arts nonprofits: a Squarespace website (combustiblecompany.org), Mailchimp for email and SMS communications, and OvationTix for ticketing at partner venues. There is no proprietary software platform or digital product; the "product" is each live performance staged with a rotating ensemble of artists led by a core team.

Combustible Company's business model is a hybrid of ticket sales, donations, and competitive arts grants. Tickets are sold through venue box offices (The Southern Theater in Minneapolis and St. Croix Festival Theatre in St. Croix Falls, WI), the Minnesota Fringe Festival platform, and OvationTix. Donations are collected via the website (bit.ly/weGive25), and productions have received grant funding from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council. The company also generates modest fee income from the Margolis Method Intensive workshop. Its customer base is dispersed Twin Cities and western Wisconsin theater audiences and individual donors; there are no enterprise customers or contracted revenue streams.

Name

combustible company

Legal name

Combustible Company

Website

https://combustiblecompany.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Combustible Company is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit physical theater company founded in 2013 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It produces live performances rooted in the Margolis Method for theater audiences in the Twin Cities and western Wisconsin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theater / Performing Arts

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Circus & Physical Theatre (MPAGABAL), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Live theater performances
• Physical theater productions
• Nonprofit arts organization
• Theatrical workshop training
• Ensemble devised theater

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

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 at venues including The Southern Theater (Minneapolis), St. Croix Festival Theatre (St. Croix Falls, WI), and the Minnesota Fringe Festival. Tickets sold through venue box offices, OvationTix, and Fringe Festival ticketing platforms.
2. Donations and Fundraising: The company is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It collects donations through its website (bit.ly/weGive25) and likely through other fundraising campaigns. Donations are separate from ticket purchases.
3. Grant Funding: Productions have been funded in part by grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, made possible by a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. These are competitive grant awards, not revenue from product/service sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Combustible Company produces and stages live physical theater performances for regional audiences in the Twin Cities and western Wisconsin. Its offerings include original devised productions, reimagined classics, and contemporary plays staged at partner venues, alongside the Margolis Method Intensive training workshop for performers. The company sells tickets through venue box offices, OvationTix, and the Minnesota Fringe Festival ticketing platform, and supplements revenue with donations and arts grants.

Product overview

Combustible Company is a Twin Cities-based nonprofit theater company that creates bold, imaginative physical theater productions. The company operates as a single unified ensemble offering rather than a platform architecture. Their portfolio includes original devised works (Herocycle, Monster Heart, Flying and Falling), adaptations of classics (The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Imaginary Invalid, The Hairy Ape, Machinal), contemporary plays (The Revolutionists, An Iliad, The Gun Show), and historical pieces (Missing Mississippi Moons and Selma '65). They also offer immersive site-specific productions (Bluebeard's Dollhouse) and educational programming through the Margolis Method Intensive workshop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Machinal A reimagined 1928 expressionistic play by Sophie Treadwell about a woman trapped in a mechanized society, adapted and directed by Renee Hatton as her directorial debut. Performed for general theater audiences at the Minnesota Fringe Festival and St. Croix Festival Theatre.
• The Revolutionists An irreverent, girl-powered comedy set during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror featuring playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, Marie Antoinette, and Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle. Performed for general theater audiences at St. Croix Festival Theatre.
• An Iliad A modern-day retelling of Homer's classic by Lisa Peterson and Denis O'Hare, directed by Kym Longhi, featuring Erik Hoover as The Poet and Nick Miller as The Muse. Performed for general theater audiences.
• The Hairy Ape A new adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's 1922 classic exploring connections between the rage of the working class, the need for belonging, and nihilism. Performed for general theater audiences at the Center for Performing Arts in Minneapolis.
• Monster Heart A dreamlike feminist adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, exploring what it means to 'make a monster' through physical theatre, singing, and puppetry. Performed for general theater audiences at The Southern Theater in Minneapolis.
• Missing Mississippi Moons and Selma '65 A duet of solo performances featuring Missing Mississippi Moons by Antonio Duke and Selma '65 by Catherine Filloux, shining light on deep racial inequities. Performed for general audiences online via Broadway on Demand.
• The Gun Show A play by EM Lewis exploring her complicated relationship with firearms, addressing America's most dangerous pastime with poignancy and dark humor. Performed for general theater audiences at Off-Leash Art Box in Minneapolis.
• Imaginary Invalid A fresh translation of Moliere's 300-year-old play about a hypochondriac seeking free healthcare, featuring Motown- and pop-inspired songs. Performed for general theater audiences at Gremlin Theatre in St. Paul.
• Bluebeard's Dollhouse An immersive theater event merging Charles Perrault's Bluebeard with Ibsen's A Doll's House, featuring theater, dance, puppetry, and live music at the James J Hill House. Performed for general theater audiences in St. Paul.
• Herocycle Combustible Company's inaugural production combining Evel Knievel's exploits with Joseph Campbell's monomyth, creating a heroic tale of daredevil conquests. Performed for general theater audiences.
• The Tempest William Shakespeare's classic reimagined with a feminist perspective where Prospera embodies trauma, seeking control and ultimately forgiveness and healing. Performed for general theater audiences at The Southern Theater.
• A Midsummer Night's Dream A walking play performed outdoors at Scott Reed Theater in Minocqua, WI, celebrating the world's awakening from pandemic with Shakespeare's dream of fairy forests. Performed for general theater audiences in Minocqua.
• Flying and Falling A celebration of humanity's desire to fly featuring Icarus, Leonardo da Vinci, and Amelia Earhart, told through physical theatre, puppetry, and multimedia. Performed for general theater audiences at Scott Reed Theater in Minocqua, WI.
• Margolis Method Intensive A weeklong summer intensive in Minneapolis, MN teaching physical and vocal expression, interpreting pre-existing text, and creating original work through the Margolis Method. Targeted at theater artists, with artist housing and partial scholarships available.

Quantifiable outcome

• Herocycle named among City Pages' Top Shows of 2013 and Lavender Magazine's Best of 2013 with Outstanding Performances recognition for Erik Hoover and Jim Peitzman
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• St. Croix Festival TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing co-production partner for multiple productions including An Iliad (September 2025) and The Revolutionists (July 2026). St. Croix Festival Theatre is the company's primary Wisconsin venue partner, hosting productions at its Franklin Square Black Box (125 N Washington St, St. Croix Falls, WI). The partnership enables regional geographic reach beyond the Twin Cities into western Wisconsin.
• Vegas Theatre CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer with Combustible Company on Missing Mississippi Moons and Selma '65 (October 2020, online via Broadway on Demand). This was a cross-regional collaboration pairing Combustible Company's physical theater expertise with Vegas Theatre Company's production infrastructure for an online-only production.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mixed Precipitation: Twin Cities-based theater company producing original devised works with site-specific and outdoor staging, frequently featuring physical theater and musical elements. Direct peer in size, methodology, and regional market, with overlapping ensemble artists (e.g., Joni Griffith performs with both companies).
• Walking Shadow Theatre Company: Minneapolis-based theater company producing intimate, innovative productions for Twin Cities audiences. Erik Hoover (Combustible Company's founding Associate Artist) has also worked with Walking Shadow, indicating direct talent and stylistic overlap.
• Margolis Brown ADAPTORS Company: The original Margolis Method company where Kym Longhi trained as a core member. Closest methodological peer, sharing the same physical theater vocabulary and training tradition that defines Combustible Company's artistic identity.
• Theatre Novi Most: Twin Cities theater company producing innovative and physically dynamic productions. Erik Hoover has performed with both companies, indicating direct artist-level overlap and comparable production aesthetics.
• Wonderlust Productions: Minnesota-based theater company with which Combustible Company's founding Associate Artist Erik Hoover has worked. Comparable scale and regional focus within the Twin Cities independent theater ecosystem.
• Pillsbury House Theatre: Minneapolis-based nonprofit theater producing socially engaged productions. Erik Hoover has worked with Pillsbury House, and it competes for similar audiences, grants, and donors as Combustible Company in the Twin Cities.
• Penumbra Center for Racial Healing: St. Paul-based Black arts organization producing theater work centered on racial and social themes. Comparable scale and nonprofit funding model, with overlapping audience interest in socially conscious theater.

Broad incumbents

• Guthrie Theater: Minneapolis-based major regional theater and the largest theater company in the Twin Cities. Broad incumbent that competes for the same donor, grant, and audience pool while operating at vastly larger scale and producing a broader repertoire.
• Park Square Theatre: St. Paul-based established theater company that competes with Combustible Company for Twin Cities audiences and donor support. Erik Hoover has performed with Park Square, indicating direct talent overlap in the regional theater market.
• History Theatre: St. Paul-based theater company producing historically grounded productions. Erik Hoover has performed there, demonstrating shared talent pool and audience overlap in the Twin Cities regional theater market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/people/Combustible-Company
• Instagraminstagram.com/combustiblecompany

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 combustible company