named programs · 11 · from sources
What they call their work
Camp PGT - Design/Tech
Two-week summer program offering hands-on experience in scenic, costume, lighting, and audio design for theatre productions.
Camp PGT - Improv
One-week summer program exploring improvisation techniques and ensemble building, ending in a live improv showcase.
Camp PGT - On Camera
Two-week summer program focused on film and TV production, including scriptwriting, cinematography, lighting, and on-camera acting, ending in a premiere screening.
Camp PGT - Playwriting
One-week summer program guiding students through creating 10-minute plays, with a final staged reading of their work.
Camp PGT - Sketch Comedy
One-week summer program where students write and perform original sketch comedy, culminating in a live show.
Camp PGT - The Pen + The Sword
One-week summer program combining Shakespeare studies and stage combat, culminating in a showcase of scenes and swordplay.
Camp PGT - Young Actors Ensemble
Two-week summer program where students participate in acting, dance, song study, improv, and stage combat, culminating in an ensemble-based musical created for the specific cast.
Community Cabaret
Year-round program where middle and high school students perform music at local nursing homes and senior residences, ending with a spring theatre performance.
First Stage
Year-round program for ages 8–12 that involves rehearsing and performing original musicals in a 120-seat theatre, with flexible rehearsal schedules.
Mainstage
Year-round audition-based program offering comprehensive actor training through full-scale productions of musicals, classics, and contemporary plays.
Private Lessons
One-on-one instruction in voice, acting, and audition coaching with PGT teaching artists, available in-person, online, or hybrid.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Youth Theater Arts Education 3 activities
- Facilitating youth playwriting and original content developmentOffers structured playwriting programs where students collaboratively write and develop 10-minute plays, exploring character, conflict, dialogue, and storytelling through improvisation and creative writing, with opportunities to see their work performed.
- Operating a comprehensive youth theater education programProvides year-round theater education through weekly classes, private lessons, school residencies, and technical internships for children and teens. Curriculum includes acting, dance, voice, improv, stage combat, accents and dialects, monologues, script analysis, and public speaking, with instruction available in-person, online, or hybrid formats.
- Running specialized summer theater programsOperates multi-week and one-week summer programs for children and young adults, including full-day camps for ages 4–6 and older youth tracks. Programs feature daily instruction in acting, dance, voice, improv, on-camera techniques, creative play, and crafts, culminating in student-co-written performances or showcases. Also includes specialized tracks in film/TV production, improvisation, and playwriting.
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Community-Engaged Theater Production 1 activity
- Hosting community engagement and outreach performancesOrganizes a community cabaret troupe that performs at local nursing homes and senior residences, fostering intergenerational connections and expanding access to live theater.
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Youth & Emerging Filmmaker Training 1 activity
- Offering youth-focused creative production and technical theater trainingProvides hands-on training in design and technical theater, including scenic, costume, lighting, and audio design, as well as programs where students collaboratively develop, write, direct, and film original content for television and film, with instruction in cinematography, sound, and storyboarding.
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Performing Arts Venue Rental 1 activity
- Operating a dedicated performing arts facility for youthManages a 20,000 square foot state-of-the-art performing arts complex in downtown White Plains exclusively for children and teenagers, providing performance spaces, production support (props, scenery, costumes), and programming infrastructure.
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Professional Theatrical Production 1 activity
- Producing theatrical performances for children and young adultsProduces professional, high-quality theatrical productions for children, teens, and family audiences, including ensemble-based musicals, original adaptations (e.g., "The Secret Garden"), and established works such as "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Disney's Newsies," "In Wonderland," and "Spongebob." Performances are held year-round in a 120-seat theater within a dedicated performing arts complex.
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Financial Aid and Scholarship Access Programs 1 activity
- Providing need-based financial assistance for program accessOffers need-based tuition assistance to ensure equitable access to all theater programs for children and teens regardless of financial circumstances.
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Sensory-Inclusive Programming and Support 1 activity
- Providing sensory-inclusive theater programmingOffers sensory-friendly/relaxed performances, such as of "Disney's Newsies," designed to create an accessible and supportive theatergoing experience for individuals with autism, sensory sensitivities, anxiety, or learning differences.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.03M
Contributions & grants$269K26%
Program service revenue$593K57%
Investment income$6K1%
Other revenue$165K
expenses
Total expenses$1.07M
Program expenses73%
Admin / overhead22%
Fundraising5%
Salaries & benefits$577K
Grants paid out$117K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.33M
Cash$603K
Investments$0
Liabilities$959K
Net assets$374K
Liquid reserves6.8 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +20.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JILL ABUSCH | PGT ARTISTIC D | 40 | $100K |
board members · 10
- ADAM LEIBNER — TREASURER
- AKANI RODRIGUEZ-LOPEZ — Trustee
- DYLAN PAGER — Trustee
- EILEEN BRINBERG — SECRETARY
- JEFFREY TEITELBAUM — TRUSTEE
- JUSTIN MATLES — TRUSTEE
- MARC WOLF — BOARD CHAIR
- NICOLE FLEISCHMANN — TRUSTEE
- ROSS BAUM — TRUSTEE
- SUSANNAH SCHEFFLER — TRUSTEE
relationships · 13
Who they work with
- Argent Ventures Partner — Corporate in-kind supporter of The Play Group Theatre.
- ArtsWestchester Partner — Annual organization sponsor supporting The Play Group Theatre.
- Blank & Rome Partner — Corporate in-kind supporter of The Play Group Theatre.
- Constant Contact Partner — Corporate in-kind supporter of The Play Group Theatre.
- DHS Images Partner — Corporate in-kind supporter of The Play Group Theatre.
- Ilana Zahava Abusch Partner — Commissioned playwright creating original musicals for the First Stage program.
- James Powers Partner — Commissioned composer creating original musicals for the First Stage program.
- Music Theatre International Partner — Authorized provider of performance materials for Disney's Newsies production at PGT.
- NYS Council on the Arts Government — Public government supporter providing funding to The Play Group Theatre.
- PGT Partner — Provides performance space and production resources to external groups for their shows and events.
- Steven Government — Individual who built PGT's first website and an early theater space; mentioned in historical context.
- The Play Group Theatre Partner — Operates the Little Theatre program for children ages 4-6 as part of its programming.
- Westchester County Government Government — Government entity providing support to The Play Group Theatre.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Inclusive Community as Developmental Environmentmethodology: inclusive_community_buildingBy fostering a diverse, equitable, and supportive community that encourages mutual encouragement and collective risk-taking, the organization enhances artistic and personal growth because belonging and psychological safety enable deeper engagement and vulnerability in creative expression.
- Non-Competitive Theater for Holistic Developmentmethodology: non-competitive creative processBy using a non-competitive creative process that emphasizes collaboration over performance excellence, the organization promotes personal growth, self-esteem, and inclusive participation because reducing performance pressure allows youth to engage emotionally, take social risks, and internalize life lessons through theater.
- Youth-Centered Creative Processmethodology: student-centered_creationBy centering youth voices and creative input in theatrical production — through student-co-created original musicals, ensemble-based creation tailored to participant strengths, and improvisational ensemble development — the organization fosters ownership, collaboration, and personal growth because active creative agency reinforces confidence, decision-making, and emotional risk-taking.