irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $272KOUR OUTREACH PROGRAM BEGAN WITH QUEENS LIBRARY IN 1991 AND NOW SERVES ALL FIVE BOROUGHS OF NEW YOK CITY, BRINGING OVER 1,000 PROGRAMS ANNUALLY TO LIBRARIES AND SCHOOLS. WE OFFER A SELECTION OF 66 DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND WORKSHOPS, FEATURING MUSIC, DANCE, POETRY, HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHIES AND MUCH MORE. THIS YEAR WE PRESENTED THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS: THE LEGACY OF JUNE THIRTEENTH, KOREAN STORYTELLING, ART OF MIME, BRAINY BABIES, AND MANY MORE.
- #2 $13KTHE URBAN STAGES SUMMER THEATRE CAMP RUNS FOR FIVE WEEKS. STUDENTS FROM 6th TO 8th GRADES ATTEND CLASSES IN ACTING, STORY TELLING IMPROVISATION, WRITING, DANCE, SINGING AND STAGE PRODUCTION. CLASSES RUN FROM 9:30AM TO 5:30PM FIVE DAYS A WEEK. THE STUDENTS SHOWCASE THE SKILLS THEY HAVE LEARNED IN A CULMINATING PERFORMANCE AT THE URBAN STAGES THEATRE. THE PLAY IS CONCEIVED, WRITTEN, DESIGNED ACTED, DANCED AND SUNG BY ALL THE STUDENTS, WHO WORK VERY HARD TO BRING THEIR VISION TO LIFE. THIS YEAR OUR SUMMER CAMP WAS 2 WEEKS ONLY AND WE OFFERED FREE TUITION TO OUR CAMPERS.
named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Outreach Program
Provides over 1,000 annual performances and workshops in music, dance, poetry, and storytelling to schools and libraries across all five boroughs of New York City, featuring a rotating selection of up to 88 different programs.
Urban Stages Summer Theatre Camp
Five-week summer program for students in grades 6–8 offering classes in acting, storytelling, improvisation, writing, dance, singing, and stage production, culminating in a student-created performance at the Urban Stages Theatre.
Winter Rhythms
Annual cabaret and musical series featuring tributes to legendary performers and musical eras, including performances like "Nights at the Algonquin" and "Shana Farr Sings the Barbara Cook Songbook."
activities · 8 groups
What they do
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New Play Development Programs 2 activities
- Host staged readings and play development programsSelects 10–15 full-length plays annually from open submissions (no fees or agents required) for staged readings; additionally selects 1–3 plays per year for workshopping toward Off-Broadway production, supporting new play development through its Development Program.
- Present short play festivals and challengesOrganizes short-form play initiatives such as the 36-Hour Play Festival and "The Acronym Plays" challenge, resulting in live staged readings of selected works; published 32 new plays from 178 submissions in March 2022.
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Artist Support Grants 1 activity
- Commission and support emerging playwrightsFunds original play creation by commissioning works and paying royalties and fees to writers; awards a $500 Emerging Playwright Award with press coverage to recognize excellence and dedication in play development.
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Arts Education Access Programs 1 activity
- Deliver free educational theater tours to libraries and schoolsConducts an extensive outreach program delivering over 1,000 annual arts and cultural performances and workshops—including plays on history, science, literature, dance, and storytelling—to public libraries and schools across all five boroughs of New York City; programming is admission-free and offered in multiple languages.
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Youth Theater Arts Education 1 activity
- Operate a summer theater camp for youthRuns an annual summer theater camp for students in grades 6–8 (ages 10–14), offering instruction in acting, playwriting, improvisation, singing, dance, and stage technology, culminating in the creation and performance of an original musical; capped at 15 students for individualized training and offered with free tuition.
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Performing Arts Venue Rental 1 activity
- Operate and rent theater venueOperates a 76-seat theater at 259 West 30th Street in Manhattan, hosting public performances and offering full-week rentals ($6,500/week) with 24/7 access and discounted rehearsal and scenic shop facilities for commercial and nonprofit productions.
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Professional Theatrical Production 1 activity
- Produce Off-Broadway plays and musicalsProduces 1–2 full Off-Broadway theatrical productions annually, including world and New York premieres, with professional contracts for playwrights, directors, and performers; notable past productions include "The Audit," "The American Dream," and Pulitzer-nominated works like Eisa Davis’ Bulrusher.
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Live Music Performances & Concerts 1 activity
- Produce annual Winter Rhythms music festivalPresents the annual Winter Rhythms festival each December, featuring over 100 artists in more than 20 unique performances of music, poetry, and storytelling; the festival has received awards including the Bistro Award and M.A.C. Award.
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Digital Music and Performance Archiving 1 activity
- Provide virtual and expanded outreach programmingOffers virtual streaming of performances such as the award-winning "Heroes and Villains Monologues" series, which attracted over 500 viewers and won a Bronze Telly Award; expanded digital access to programming since 2020, reaching tens of thousands of participants.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$926K
Contributions & grants$345K37%
Program service revenue$430K46%
Investment income$-119-0%
Other revenue$151K
expenses
Total expenses$856K
Program expenses79%
Admin / overhead12%
Fundraising9%
Salaries & benefits$287K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineOther
balance sheet
Total assets$248K
Cash$179K
Investments$0
Liabilities$44K
Net assets$203K
Liquid reserves2.5 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +44.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 9
- APRIL GOW — BOARD MEMBER
- FRANCES HILL — ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
- LYNN SAN ANDRES — BOARD MEMBER
- MARTHA SPROULE — BOARD MEMBER
- MARY CHURCHIL — BOARD MEMBER
- MICHAEL COLBY — VICE PRESIDENT
- MIK CHWALEK — TREASURER
- PEGGY O'BRIEN — SECRTARY
- TOM TOCE — PRESIDENT
relationships · 47
Who they work with
- Broadway Bob Partner — Reviewed and promoted the organization's productions through published critiques.
- Erin Breznitsky Partner — Playwright whose work "Satellites" was presented in a public reading.
- Front Row Center Partner — Reviewed and highlighted educational and inspirational aspects of the organization's historical productions.
- Google Ad Grants Funder — Provides in-kind advertising support through Google’s Ad Grants program.
- Hi Drama Partner — Reviewed and endorsed the organization's theatrical work celebrating actors.
- Ivey Lowe Partner — Director who led the public reading of "Satellites".
- Ivoryton Playhouse Partner — Presented the world premiere of "The Porch on Windy Hill" in 2021.
- Juan Ramirez Jr. Partner — Playwright and performer in "The American Dream," produced by the organization
- Leigh Selting Partner — Director of "The Audit" and production stage manager
- Lynda Crawford Partner — Playwright of "The Audit," produced by the organization
- Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs Government — Awarded the Ruth Kurtzman Benefit Series M.A.C. Award to Urban Stages' Winter Rhythms festival in 2015.
- Maria Mileaf Partner — Director of "The American Dream"
- Merrimack Repertory Theatre Partner — Presented a production of "The Porch on Windy Hill" in Massachusetts.
- Michèle Aldin Kushner Partner — Playwright whose work "Country Road Z" was presented in a public reading.
- Molly Wee Restaurant Partner — Local restaurant partner supporting urbanStages.
- New York Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Public funder supporting urbanStages in partnership with the City Council.
- New York State Council on the Arts Government — State arts council providing support with backing from the Governor and Legislature.
- Northlight Theatre Partner — Hosted an acclaimed production of "The Porch on Windy Hill" in Chicago.
- Ocabanon Restaurant Partner — Local restaurant partner supporting urbanStages.
- OffOffOnline Partner — Published reviews analyzing character portrayals in the organization's plays.
- OnStage Blog Partner — Provided critical coverage of the organization's historical theater productions.
- Pages On Stages Partner — Reviewed productions by the organization, providing critical endorsement.
- People’s Light Partner — Presented a production of "The Porch on Windy Hill" in Pennsylvania.
- Portia Krieger Partner — Director who led the public reading of "Country Road Z".
- Queens Library Partner — Founding partner for the outreach program, initiating collaboration in 1991 and expanding to serve all five boroughs of New York City.
- Ron Beverly Partner — Playwright whose work "The Spitting Image" was presented in a public reading.
- Splash Magazine Partner — Featured positive audience response and critical reception of the organization's comedy productions.
- Sue Matsuki Partner — Director of Musical Theatre leading the Winter Rhythms festival at Urban Stages.
- The Lucille Lortel Foundation Funder — Foundation funder supporting urbanStages at the Mainstage Producers level.
- The Shubert Foundation Funder — Major foundation funder of urbanStages at the Mainstage Producers level.
+ 17 more
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.
- Barrier-Reduced Community Access Modelmethodology: barrier_reduced_accessBy delivering free, mobile, multilingual, and open-access programming directly through public libraries and community partners, the organization increases equitable arts engagement, because removing financial, geographic, linguistic, and procedural barriers enables participation from historically underserved populations.
- Inclusive Artist Development Pipelinemethodology: inclusive_development_pipelineBy providing an open-access submission process, staged development pathway, and targeted support for underrepresented playwrights—especially women—the organization advances new works toward professional production, because equitable access and structured refinement increase the diversity and quality of voices in the theatrical canon.
- Youth-Led Creative Ownership Modelmethodology: youth_led_creationBy enabling youth to conceive, write, design, and perform original plays, the organization fosters deeper creative development and artistic ownership, because student-centered creation increases engagement and builds confidence through authentic self-expression.