named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
Community Matinee Preview
Discounted $12-ticket matinee performances designed to increase accessibility for community members.
Or,
Staging of Liz Duffy Adams’ semi-historical comedy about Aphra Behn, England’s first professional female playwright, navigating love, espionage, and art in 17th-century London.
Pay-What-You-Will Performances
Designated performances where attendees can pay what they can afford, promoting access to theater regardless of income.
Speaker Series
Events featuring playwrights and other guest speakers discussing the context and creation of the plays, such as Ronán Noone’s exploration of Eugene O’Neill’s work.
Talk Back Thursdays
Post-performance discussions with members of the creative team, offering audiences insight into the artistic process and themes of the play.
Thirst
Production of Ronán Noone’s play exploring the immigrant experience through the lives of two Irish servants and an American chauffeur in 1912, set parallel to Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Post-Performance Audience Engagement 1 activity
- Facilitate audience engagement eventsHosts post-performance talkback sessions with members of the creative team after Thursday shows and organizes speaker series events that explore thematic content related to productions—such as discussions on feminism, Irish history, horror literature, or playwright backgrounds—to deepen audience understanding and inspire dialogue. Events have included collaborations with scholars and public figures, such as horror scholar Ian Downes.
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Performing Arts Ticket Access Programs 1 activity
- Host community-accessible performancesIncreases accessibility to theatre through community matinee preview performances offered at reduced ticket prices (e.g., $12) and multiple pay-what-you-will performances for each production, allowing attendance based on ability to pay. These initiatives are consistently offered across seasons and productions, including "Emma," "Spring Awakening," "Thirst," "Or," and "Ghosts."
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Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
- Present special community programmingHosts broader cultural and educational community events beyond mainstage productions, including the Cultural Classics Exchange Series, subscriber-only open rehearsals, and participation in citywide arts festivals such as Buffalo’s Curtain Up! celebration, which integrates performances with public street parties and district-wide engagement.
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Professional Theatrical Production 1 activity
- Produce and stage theatrical performancesProduces and stages a diverse range of theatrical productions, including classic works, contemporary adaptations, and original plays, at The Andrews Theatre in Buffalo, NY—the only theatre-in-the-round in Western New York—bringing audiences within 12 feet of the stage. Recent productions include feminist re-imaginings of Jane Austen’s "Emma," modern adaptations of Ibsen’s "Ghosts," holiday-themed mysteries like "A Sherlock Carol," and world premieres such as "Denouement."
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$722K
Contributions & grants$393K54%
Program service revenue$270K37%
Investment income$6740%
Other revenue$57K
expenses
Total expenses$845K
Program expenses67%
Admin / overhead27%
Fundraising6%
Salaries & benefits$480K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.05M
Cash$36K
Investments$617K
Liabilities$101K
Net assets$945K
Liquid reserves9.3 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +1.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 13
- Alice O'Donnell — Trustee
- Barbara O'Neill — Secretary
- Benjamin Verdi — Trustee
- Brendan Brady — Treasurer
- David Conboy — Trustee
- John Earshen PhD — President
- Kelley St John — Trustee
- LaCherie Reid — Trustee
- Marina Murray — Trustee
- Meghan Carrig — Trustee
- Michael Collins — Trustee
- Michael Prendergast — Trustee
- Sidney Mosher — Vice President
relationships · 21
Who they work with
- Abbey Theatre Partner — Collaborative relationship indicated by Thomas Kilroy's history of play premieres and readings at the Abbey Theatre, including public readings and productions.
- Accessibility Initiative Partner — Collaborates on accessibility efforts as part of the IDEA Initiative.
- Actors’ Equity Association Government — The actor Aleks Malejs appears through the courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.
- Anya Reiss Partner — Collaborates with playwright Anya Reiss on a new adaptation of Spring Awakening.
- Bruckman Media Partner — Produced publicity videos for the production of "Thirst."
- Cassie Cameron Partner — Contributed rehearsal photography for the production of "Or."
- Ian Downes Partner — Collaborated with horror scholar Ian Downes for a speaker series event on the themes of "A Skull in Connemara."
- Joan Woods Partner — Collaborated with perfume maker Joan Woods to create a unique bog scent for "Distillation"
- Jorge Luna Photography Partner — Collaborated on publicity and archival photography, including the behind-the-scenes photo series "Becoming the Dream."
- Jorge Luna Photography Partner — Provided publicity and rehearsal photography for the production of "Or."
- Kate Hamill Partner — Playwright whose adaptation of "Emma" is being produced by the theater company.
- Keelie Sheridan Partner — Artistic Director and director of the production of "Emma" at Irish Classical Theatre Company.
- Keelie Sheridan Partner — Co-directed the production of "Or" and contributed rehearsal photography.
- Luke Casserly Partner — Collaborated with performer Luke Casserly on the creation and performance of "Distillation"
- RADA Network — Collaborative training relationship through the Lir Academy for artistic development.
- Road Less Traveled Productions Partner — Doug Weyand, director of the production, is an ensemble member and has directed works for this organization, indicating an ongoing professional relationship.
- TRW PLAYS Partner — Presented "Thirst" through special arrangement with TRW PLAYS, a theatrical licensing agency.
- Theatre Alliance of Buffalo Network — Doug Weyand serves on the Executive Committee of this regional theater network, indicating institutional affiliation and collaboration.
- Trinity College Dublin Network — Collaborative training relationship through the Lir Academy for artistic development.
- United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 Government — The scenic designer is a member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).
- Western New York Network — Member of the cultural community in Western New York.
strategies · 5
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.
- Contemporary Adaptation for Social Relevancemethodology: contemporary_adaptationBy reimagining classic plays through a contemporary lens, the theater makes enduring themes resonate with modern audiences, particularly youth, because updating narrative context deepens engagement with current social issues such as intergenerational dynamics and identity.
- Feminist Reinterpretation to Challenge Theatrical Normsmethodology: feminist_reinterpretationBy interpreting classic literature through a feminist lens and breaking the fourth wall, the theater reframes patriarchal narratives and invites critical audience reflection, because this approach disrupts traditional authority in storytelling and centers marginalized perspectives.
- Immersive and Multi-Sensory Storytelling for Intimacymethodology: immersive_sensory_storytellingBy integrating scent, sound, and narrative into immersive experiences, the theater creates intimate audience connections, because multi-sensory engagement deepens emotional resonance and narrative impact beyond traditional performance formats.
- Post-Performance Dialogue to Deepen Understandingmethodology: audience_engagement_through_talkbacksBy facilitating talkback sessions with the creative team after performances, the theater enhances audience comprehension of thematic content and artistic choices, because direct dialogue transforms passive viewing into active, reflective engagement.
- Theater as Social Reflection and Resistancemethodology: theatre_as_social_reflectionBy framing theater as a reflection of contemporary social divisions and as an act of resistance, the organization fosters audience engagement with truth, memory, and hope, because artistic expression in times of unrest serves as both critique and a source of resilience.