curtain players
Curtain Players is a volunteer-run nonprofit community theatre founded in 1963 in Galena, Ohio, serving central Ohio audiences with six productions per season in an intimate 78-seat converted church venue. It is funded by ticket sales, tiered patron donations, foundation grants, and community partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1963
- HeadquartersGalena, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What curtain players does
Curtain Players, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community theatre company founded in 1963 and headquartered in Galena, Ohio, serving the central Ohio region including the northeast suburbs of Columbus, Westerville, and New Albany. The organization operates an intimate 78-seat theatre venue housed in a converted country church at 5691 Harlem Road, presenting six theatrical productions per season (typically September through May) that span contemporary and classic works, plus an annual Simply Staged reader's theatre program showcasing new works from local playwrights each January. The company is governed by a member-elected Board of Directors (currently led by President Jill Taylor for 2026-2028 and Kathy Hyland serving the unexpired term through June 2026, with Vice President Jim Petsche, Treasurer Liane Golightly-Kissner, and Secretary Kirsten Peninger) and is staffed entirely by volunteers covering acting, directing, stage management, technical production, front-of-house, and committee roles.
The organization generates revenue through five principal streams: (1) ticket sales via curtainplayers.org, Arts People online ticketing, phone reservations, and at-the-door box office (including Thursday Throwback pricing at $17 and Pay-What-You-Will preview nights), (2) an annual patron drive and membership program with seven giving tiers ranging from Understudy ($25-49) to President's Club ($2,500+) conferring recognition, lobby display, flex passes, and a lobby plaque, (3) corporate and foundation grants including Delaware County Foundation support for programs and capital improvements, (4) the Kroger Community Rewards affiliate program where a percentage of supporters' Kroger purchases generates quarterly donations (NPO 82084), and (5) donations facilitated through The Columbus Foundation's Giving Store. Ticket sales cover only a portion of operating expenses, with patron donations and grants filling the funding gap.
Curtain Players maintains no proprietary technology platform - core operations rely on a standard website, Arts People ticketing integration, Ludus ticketing policy pages, and organic social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) plus RSS newsletters. The company is a member of the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT), Ohio Community Theatre Association (OCTA), Central Ohio Theatre Roundtable, Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce, and Westerville Visitors & Convention Bureau. It has earned multi-year recognition including Jebby Awards, OCTAFest awards, and internal honors such as the Richard D. Near Award and Booth Muller Volunteer of the Year Award.
curtain players firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- curtain players
- Legal name
- Curtain Players, Inc.
- Website
- https://curtainplayers.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1963
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Curtain Players is a volunteer-run nonprofit community theatre founded in 1963 in Galena, Ohio, serving central Ohio audiences with six productions per season in an intimate 78-seat converted church venue. It is funded by ticket sales, tiered patron donations, foundation grants, and community partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
curtain players industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Theatre
- NAICS
- Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)
Keywords
Where curtain players is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Galena
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
curtain players business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from ticket sales for theatre productions. The theatre offers regular performances with ticket prices ranging from standard admission to discounted Throwback Thursday pricing ($17).
- Donations and Memberships: Annual fund campaign combining membership drive and gift program. Donors of $10 or more become members. Multiple patron giving levels provide benefits including recognition, mailings, flex passes, and lobby display listings.
- Patron Drive Donations: Annual patron drive with designated funds (General Fund, Maintenance Fund, Technical Equipment Fund). Patron levels range from Fan ($100-249) to President's Club ($2500+).
- Kroger Community Rewards: Partner program where percentage of Kroger purchases using Kroger Plus Card generates quarterly donations for the theatre.
- Corporate/Foundation Grants: Support from organizations like Delaware County Foundation for program and capital improvement expenses.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Throwback Thursday pricing |
| Subscription | Annual | Understudy Level ($25-49) |
| Subscription | Annual | Actor Level ($50-99) |
| Subscription | Annual | Stage Manager Level ($100-499) |
| Subscription | Annual | Director Level ($500-999) |
| Subscription | Annual | Producer Level ($1000-2499) |
| Subscription | Annual | President's Club ($2500+) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
curtain players product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Curtain Players produces and performs live community theatre productions in an intimate 78-seat converted church venue in Galena, Ohio, presenting six productions per season plus the annual Simply Staged reader's theatre event. The organization sells individual tickets to performances and sustains operations through an annual patron drive, membership donations, foundation grants, and community rewards partnerships. All activities are run by volunteers under a 501(c)(3) nonprofit structure governed by an elected Board of Directors.
Product overview
Curtain Players is a nonprofit community theatre company offering a portfolio of theatrical productions across six shows per season, performed in their intimate 78-seat converted church venue in Galena, Ohio. Their core product consists of seasonal play subscriptions featuring both contemporary and classic works, supplemented by the Simply Staged new works program, membership benefits, patron drive donations, and community partnerships including the Kroger Community Rewards program. Founded in 1963 and serving Central Ohio for over 60 years, the company operates as a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by AACT, OCTA, and Theatre Roundtable.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Season Productions (2026-2027 Season 64) Six theatrical productions presented annually including The Sunshine Boys, The Birds, Twelfth Night, Perfect Wedding, Stage Kiss, and Catch Me If You Can, performed Friday/Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees for central Ohio audiences.
- Season Productions (2025-2026 Season 63) Six theatrical productions including Colder Than Here, Wait Until Dark, The Revolutionists, Gross Indecency, Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson, and Forever Plaid.
- Season Productions (2024-2025 Season 62) Six theatrical productions including The Secret Garden, Laura, Little Women, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Whose Wives Are They Anyway?, and Fireflies.
- Simply Staged Reader's Theatre Program Annual reader's theatre event showcasing new works in progress from local playwrights, held each January with selected scripts performed in reader's theatre fashion for central Ohio audiences.
- Annual Membership Program Annual membership obtained by donating $10 or more to the annual fund, providing recognition, mailings announcing productions, and other appreciation gestures for theatre supporters.
- Patron Drive Fundraising Program Annual fundraising campaign with patron levels from Understudy ($25-49) through President's Club ($2500+) providing benefits including program listings, lobby displays, and flex passes, with designated funds for General, Maintenance, and Technical Equipment.
Quantifiable outcome
- Multiple annual award recognitions from OCTAFest and Jebby Awards
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use curtain players
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
curtain players technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
curtain players partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Ohio Community Theatre Association (OCTA)coreCurtain Players is a member of OCTA, participating in regional festivals and receiving recognition through OCTAFest awards.
- American Association of Community Theatre (AACT)coreCurtain Players is a member of AACT, which recognizes community theatres for directing, acting, and technical excellence.
- Central Ohio Theatre RoundtablecoreCurtain Players is a member of Theatre Roundtable, which recognizes theatres for commitment to quality.
- Westerville Area Chamber of CommerceminorCurtain Players is a member of the local Chamber of Commerce supporting the Westerville business community.
- Westerville Visitors & Convention BureauminorCurtain Players is a member supporting local tourism and visitor services.
- KrogerminorKroger Community Rewards Program allows shoppers to designate Curtain Players as their nonprofit, with a percentage of purchases generating quarterly donations for the theatre (NPO number: 82084).
- The Columbus Foundation (The Giving Store)minorCurtain Players accepts donations through The Columbus Foundation's Giving Store platform.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
curtain players competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Gallery Players: A community theatre company based in Ohio presenting multiple productions per season with a comparable volunteer-driven, audience-supported operating model. Directly comparable as a like-sized regional community theatre serving a similar central-Ohio audience.
- Players Theatre Columbus: A long-established central Ohio community theatre presenting classic and contemporary plays on a seasonal schedule. Operates with a similar volunteer/part-time-staff community theatre model in the same geographic market.
- Evolution Theatre Company: An Ohio-based theatre company producing seasonal productions for central Ohio audiences. Comparable as a small producing theatre competing in the same Columbus-area market for both audiences and creative talent.
- New Stage Players: A small community theatre producing a multi-show season with volunteer involvement, similar in scale and operating model. Comparable as a peer-sized community theatre competing for regional audiences and donor dollars.
Regional players
- Short North Stage: A professional regional theatre company based in Columbus presenting musicals and plays to central Ohio audiences. Comparable as a regional theatrical producer competing for the same Columbus-suburb arts-spending dollars, though with paid staff and a larger venue footprint.
- Phoenix Theatre (Indianapolis): A community-rooted regional theatre in the Midwest producing a multi-show season with a mix of classics and contemporary works. Comparable business model as a regional/community theatre serving a mid-size U.S. metro area.
Broad incumbents
- CATCO (Contemporary American Theatre Company): The largest professional theatre company in Columbus, producing a multi-show season and operating from a larger facility. Comparable as a regional theatre competing for central Ohio audiences and donors, though at a materially larger scale and budget.
Emerging players
- Otterbein University Department of Theatre: Otterbein's academic theatre program in Westerville produces multiple shows per season and feeds talent into the central Ohio theatre ecosystem. Comparable as a regional producer in the same geographic catchment that overlaps with Curtain Players' volunteer and audience pool.
Others
- American Association of Community Theatre (AACT): The national membership organization for community theatres of which Curtain Players is a member. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler providing programming, festivals, and recognition that directly support community theatres like Curtain Players.
- Ohio Community Theatre Association (OCTA): The state-level community theatre association that runs OCTAFest, the regional festival where Curtain Players' productions have won recognition. Comparable as an enabling organization whose programming, festivals, and awards directly shape Curtain Players' competitive standing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
curtain players social profiles
Digital presencecurtain players financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
curtain players leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
curtain players funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
curtain players M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about curtain players
What does curtain players do?
Curtain Players produces and performs live community theatre productions in an intimate 78-seat converted church venue in Galena, Ohio, presenting six productions per season plus the annual Simply Staged reader's theatre event. The organization sells individual tickets to performances and sustains operations through an annual patron drive, membership donations, foundation grants, and community rewards partnerships. All activities are run by volunteers under a 501(c)(3) nonprofit structure governed by an elected Board of Directors.
Is curtain players a public or private company?
curtain players is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was curtain players founded?
curtain players was founded in 1963.
Where is curtain players based?
curtain players is headquartered in Galena, United States, in the North America region.
How does curtain players make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are donations and Memberships, patron Drive Donations, kroger Community Rewards and corporate/Foundation Grants.
Who are curtain players's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Gallery Players, Players Theatre Columbus, Evolution Theatre Company and New Stage Players. Regional players are Short North Stage and Phoenix Theatre (Indianapolis). CATCO (Contemporary American Theatre Company) is listed as a broad incumbent. Otterbein University Department of Theatre is listed as an emerging player. Others are American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) and Ohio Community Theatre Association (OCTA).
Does curtain players have an API?
No public API is recorded for curtain players.
What industry is curtain players in?
curtain players's product category is Community Theatre. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAB, Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies, with a secondary code of MPAGALAB, Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses). Its NAICS code is 71111 and its SIC code is 7900.