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Irondale Productions Inc
Brooklyn, NY · EIN 133178772 · Form 990 · FY2024 · Medium ($1M-$10M) · irondale.org
revenue
$1.0M
expenses
$1.3M
net assets
$481K
employees
15
program ratio
80%
mission · from form 990

The Organization's primary purpose is the research into theatrical forms and techniques, the creation of new works for the theatre and the exploration of intuitive learning processes.

profile · synthesized from sources

Irondale Ensemble Project is a Brooklyn-based theatre company founded in 1983 that creates original and ensemble-driven performances while advancing social justice through community programs. The organization engages youth through free theatre training and school residencies, and fosters empathy across divides via programs connecting police and civilians. It operates from its own venue, The Space at Irondale, which supports emerging artists through subsidized rentals.

named programs · 8 · from sources

What they call their work

Devising History
School residency program that uses theatre to reanimate historical source material in partnership with the Brooklyn Center for History and Weeksville Heritage Center.
Exact Communication™
Training program using theatre techniques to improve communication skills for organizations, emphasizing empathy and audience awareness.
Junior Company
Free theatre training program for middle school students (ages 10–14) focusing on acting, improvisation, and ensemble-building.
Masterclasses
Instruction series led by founding artists in performance, improvisation, and ensemble theatre techniques for emerging theatre makers and teaching artists.
STEM to STEAM
Uses theatrical improvisation to help science students improve communication skills and transform information into knowledge.
Tech Track
Program teaching technical theatre skills to students interested in behind-the-scenes production, culminating in the Teen Ensemble’s Summer Show.
To Protect, Serve, and Understand (TPSU™)
10-week workshop bringing police officers and community civilians together through improvisation and storytelling to build trust and mutual understanding.
Young Company
Pre-professional theatre training for high school students (ages 14–18) that includes developing scripted and improvised works for public performance and internships in theatre operations.
activities · 8 groups

What they do

  • Youth Theater Arts Education 2 activities
    • Delivering theatre-based education programs in schools and non-traditional settings
      Provides in-school residencies, curriculum enhancement, and theatre partnerships in public schools, as well as educational programming in prisons, shelters, and other community spaces. Programs include Devising History, which brings historical material to life through theatre, and STEM to STEAM, which uses improvisation to improve science students' communication skills.
    • Running youth and pre-professional theatre training programs
      Offers hands-on theatre training for middle and high school students, including acting, improvisation, ensemble-building, and technical theatre skills. The pre-professional program culminates in two public performances annually and includes internships in theatre operations.
  • Arts Professional Advocacy & Equity Initiatives 1 activity
    • Mentoring emerging artists and contributing to arts networks
      Provides mentorship to emerging artists and theatre ensembles, and helped found the Network of Ensemble Theatres and the Downtown Brooklyn Arts Alliance, supporting broader capacity in the arts sector.
  • Law Enforcement-Community Relations Programs 1 activity
    • Operating To Protect, Serve, and Understand (TPSU) program
      Runs a 10-week empathy-building program that brings together NYPD officers and community members through improvisation, storytelling, and dialogue to build trust and mutual understanding, culminating in public performances. The program was launched in 2021 and is explicitly designed in response to police violence.
  • Subsidized Rehearsal and Performance Space 1 activity
    • Operating a community theater space and subsidizing access for emerging artists
      Operates The Space at Irondale, a 6,000 square foot adaptive reuse theater in a 19th-century church building with flexible seating for up to 250, a gallery, café, and performance space. The organization subsidizes access to this venue for emerging and under-served artists and ensembles.
  • Professional Theatrical Production 1 activity
    • Producing and presenting new theatrical works
      Creates and presents original and contemporary theatre productions annually through multi-year investigations into the function and impact of theatre, including performances of works by Shakespeare, Brecht, and others. The organization has directed over eighty plays since 1983 and hosts hundreds of events at its performance space in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.
  • Arts Education Professional Development 1 activity
    • Providing professional communication training through theatre techniques
      Offers Exact Communication workshops that use theatre-based methods to coach scientists, business leaders, educators, and other professionals in clear, empathetic communication.
  • Benefit Events for Arts and Culture 1 activity
    • Supporting international artistic exchange and humanitarian efforts
      Brought nine Ukrainian children to perform their play *Mom on Skype* at Irondale in August, with ticket proceeds donated to Ukrainian war and humanitarian relief efforts.
  • Uncategorized 2 activities
    • Conducting research in theatrical forms and techniques
      Engages in ongoing research into theatrical forms, techniques, and intuitive learning processes, including through the development and coordination of long-term artistic investigations and programs.
    • Distributing educational and creative resources to the public
      Shares a free booklet of improvisation games for home use and distributes weekly letters from the artistic director on theatre, art, history, current events, and baseball to engage and educate audiences beyond the stage.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.03M
Contributions & grants$658K64%
Program service revenue$367K36%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.26M
Program expenses80%
Admin / overhead12%
Fundraising8%
Salaries & benefits$423K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.28M
Cash$45K
Investments$0
Liabilities$795K
Net assets$481K
Liquid reserves0.4 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -1.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 3
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
James Niesen Art Director 40 $65K
Terry Greiss Executive Direc 40 $65K
Maria Knapp Managing Direct 20 $20K
board members · 13
  • Barbara Hauben-Ross — Chair Emerita
  • Barbara Mackenzie-Wood — Director
  • Erkam Emre — Director
  • Hollis Headrick — Chair Emeritus
  • Judy O Segal — Director
  • Ken Rothchild — President
  • Kim G Quarles — Vice President
  • Kimberly Giannelli — Director
  • Libby Handros — Director
  • Lizanne Hart — Director
  • Rivka Rivera — Secretary
  • Rory Greiss — Treasurer
  • Stephanie Bok — Director
relationships · 26

Who they work with

  • Axe-Houghton Foundation Funder — Funder of Irondale Productions Inc
  • Axe-Houghton Foundation Funder — Provides funding that supports free access to Irondale's youth programs.
  • Brooklyn Center for History Partner — Collaborates on the Devising History program to reanimate historic source material through theatre.
  • ConEdison Funder — Funds Irondale's youth programs, contributing to their availability at no cost.
  • Downtown Brooklyn Arts Alliance Coalition — Helped create and is affiliated with the Downtown Brooklyn Arts Alliance.
  • Givebutter Partner — Platform used to host the online auction in support of Irondale.
  • Hyde and Watson Foundation Funder — Funder of Irondale Productions Inc
  • Iowa Foundation for Education, Environment, and the Arts Funder — Funder of Irondale Productions Inc
  • Irondale Ensemble Network — Core performing ensemble responsible for producing and presenting theatrical works
  • JJ Segal Foundation Funder — Funder of Irondale Productions Inc
  • Jean and Louis Dreyfus Foundation Funder — Funder of Irondale Productions Inc
  • Medium Partner — Hosts the organization's content and writings by the artistic director.
  • NYPD Partner — Collaborates with NYPD officers in the To Protect, Serve, and Understand program to build trust and empathy between police and community members.
  • Network of Ensemble Theatres Coalition — Helped create and is affiliated with the Network of Ensemble Theatres.
  • New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Government funder of Irondale Productions Inc
  • New York State Council on the Arts Government — Government funder of Irondale Productions Inc
  • Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation Funder — Funder of Irondale Productions Inc
  • Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation Funder — Provides financial support enabling Irondale's youth programs to be offered free of charge.
  • Pinkerton Foundation Funder — Funder of Irondale Productions Inc
  • Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation Funder — Funder of Irondale Productions Inc
  • Sonya Staff Foundation Funder — Funder of Irondale Productions Inc
  • The PR Social Partner — PR firm providing public relations services for Irondale Ensemble Project.
  • The Pinkerton Foundation Funder — Supports Irondale's youth programs, allowing them to be offered at no cost to participants.
  • Victoria Entel Partner — Contact person for stock gifts, legacy giving, corporate sponsorships, and in-kind donations.
  • Weeksville Heritage Center Partner — Partners on the Devising History program to use theatre in reanimating historical content.
  • info@irondale.org Government — Contact email for staff assistance
strategies · 4

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.

  • Ensemble-Based Creation to Deepen Artistic and Educational Impact
    methodology: ensemble_based_creation
    By developing original works and education programs through ensemble-based creation led by founding artists, Irondale fosters deeper artistic ownership and continuity, because sustained collaborative processes produce more authentic and impactful theatre and learning experiences.
  • Integrated Arts Education for Youth Development
    methodology: youth_development_through_theatre
    By integrating theatre-making with education and social justice, Irondale supports youth in developing authentic self-expression and communication skills, because structured creative engagement provides a safe container for identity exploration during critical developmental transitions.
  • Research-Integrated Theatre for Intuitive Learning
    methodology: intuitive_learning_through_theater
    By combining the creation of new theatrical works with research, Irondale explores how performance can access and cultivate intuitive learning processes, because embodied rehearsal and improvisation engage cognitive modes beyond rational discourse.
  • Theatre as a Catalyst for Civic Engagement and Empathy
    methodology: theatre_of_empathy
    By using theatre to provoke thought, explore social justice issues, and foster perspective-taking, Irondale Productions creates shared spaces for civic dialogue and builds empathy across divided communities because embodied storytelling makes abstract social issues personally resonant.