This paper aims to guide entrepreneurial theatre artists in beginning a nonprofit theatre arts venture. It will provide an in-depth analysis of the foundations required to begin a nonprofit theatre organization and analyze the need for expanding upon traditional structures and styles. Incorporating evidence and research from relevant literature, coursework, and market data as well as analysis of a strategic plan for The Common Theatre Company, this paper finds that non-profit theatre companies can be positively served by developing unique products and services and a nontraditional governance model as an extension of the foundational needs of a nonprofit organization. The traditional theatre venture generally includes a mission revolving around production content, follows a basic season, exclusively offers plays or musicals in its programming, and is governed by a top-down Board of Directors structure. The Common Theatre Company represents a new approach to this typical model offering diverse programming, a unique community partnership angle, and a collaborative governance structure. In a market geared toward non-arts industries that finds audiences across sectors overstimulated and oversaturated, small nonprofit theatres need more resources geared toward them. This paper is meant to serve as a blueprint for the emerging theatre company and a guide to finding unique ways to stand out in any market.
","abstract_html":"<p> This paper aims to guide entrepreneurial theatre artists in beginning a nonprofit theatre arts venture. It will provide an in-depth analysis of the foundations required to begin a nonprofit theatre organization and analyze the need for expanding upon traditional structures and styles. Incorporating evidence and research from relevant literature, coursework, and market data as well as analysis of a strategic plan for The Common Theatre Company, this paper finds that non-profit theatre companies can be positively served by developing unique products and services and a nontraditional governance model as an extension of the foundational needs of a nonprofit organization. The traditional theatre venture generally includes a mission revolving around production content, follows a basic season, exclusively offers plays or musicals in its programming, and is governed by a top-down Board of Directors structure. The Common Theatre Company represents a new approach to this typical model offering diverse programming, a unique community partnership angle, and a collaborative governance structure. In a market geared toward non-arts industries that finds audiences across sectors overstimulated and oversaturated, small nonprofit theatres need more resources geared toward them. This paper is meant to serve as a blueprint for the emerging theatre company and a guide to finding unique ways to stand out in any market.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["McMillan, Kelsey"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Interdisciplinary Studies","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Multi-Disciplinary Program","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Scott Shattuck M.F.A.","Anne Smith Ph.D.","Cindy Davis Ph.D."],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2023,"date_issued":"2023-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2023-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:30:45Z","subjects":["Theatre","Theater","Strategic Plan","Nonprofit","Business Plan","Arts","Entrepreneur","Governance","Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations","Nonprofit Administration and Management","Other Theatre and Performance Studies"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/510","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Scott Shattuck M.F.A.","Anne Smith Ph.D.","Cindy Davis Ph.D."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["McMillan, Kelsey"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2023-05-24T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Multi-Disciplinary Program"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Interdisciplinary Studies"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Theatre","Theater","Strategic Plan","Nonprofit","Business Plan","Arts","Entrepreneur","Governance","Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations","Nonprofit Administration and Management","Other Theatre and Performance Studies"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/510"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This paper aims to guide entrepreneurial theatre artists in beginning a nonprofit theatre arts venture. It will provide an in-depth analysis of the foundations required to begin a nonprofit theatre organization and analyze the need for expanding upon traditional structures and styles. Incorporating evidence and research from relevant literature, coursework, and market data as well as analysis of a strategic plan for The Common Theatre Company, this paper finds that non-profit theatre companies can be positively served by developing unique products and services and a nontraditional governance model as an extension of the foundational needs of a nonprofit organization. The traditional theatre venture generally includes a mission revolving around production content, follows a basic season, exclusively offers plays or musicals in its programming, and is governed by a top-down Board of Directors structure. The Common Theatre Company represents a new approach to this typical model offering diverse programming, a unique community partnership angle, and a collaborative governance structure. In a market geared toward non-arts industries that finds audiences across sectors overstimulated and oversaturated, small nonprofit theatres need more resources geared toward them. This paper is meant to serve as a blueprint for the emerging theatre company and a guide to finding unique ways to stand out in any market.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Developing the Nonprofit Theatre: Building a Foundation for the Emerging Theatre Company"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Scott Shattuck M.F.A.","Anne Smith Ph.D.","Cindy Davis Ph.D."],"dc:creator":["McMillan, Kelsey"],"dc:date.available":["2023-05-24T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This paper aims to guide entrepreneurial theatre artists in beginning a nonprofit theatre arts venture. It will provide an in-depth analysis of the foundations required to begin a nonprofit theatre organization and analyze the need for expanding upon traditional structures and styles. Incorporating evidence and research from relevant literature, coursework, and market data as well as analysis of a strategic plan for The Common Theatre Company, this paper finds that non-profit theatre companies can be positively served by developing unique products and services and a nontraditional governance model as an extension of the foundational needs of a nonprofit organization. The traditional theatre venture generally includes a mission revolving around production content, follows a basic season, exclusively offers plays or musicals in its programming, and is governed by a top-down Board of Directors structure. The Common Theatre Company represents a new approach to this typical model offering diverse programming, a unique community partnership angle, and a collaborative governance structure. In a market geared toward non-arts industries that finds audiences across sectors overstimulated and oversaturated, small nonprofit theatres need more resources geared toward them. This paper is meant to serve as a blueprint for the emerging theatre company and a guide to finding unique ways to stand out in any market.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/510"],"dc:subject":["Theatre","Theater","Strategic Plan","Nonprofit","Business Plan","Arts","Entrepreneur","Governance","Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations","Nonprofit Administration and Management","Other Theatre and Performance Studies"],"dc:title":["Developing the Nonprofit Theatre: Building a Foundation for the Emerging Theatre Company"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Multi-Disciplinary Program"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Interdisciplinary Studies"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:30:45Z"}