irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2025
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $45K"PhysFest NYC" was a physical theater festival that debuted in January 2024. It brought together artists from across the physical theater world--also bringing in performers and companies from Boston and Philadelphia--to showcase their work, discuss the challenges of the field in panels, and learn from each other.
- #2 $19KIn lieu of a Main Stage performance, Broken Box produced a series of works-in-progress showings throughout the summer and fall. This allowed the company members to begin generating work--and receive audience feedback--in preparation for another Main Stage performance in 2026.
named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
DOUBLE TAKE
60-minute performance of eight short stories exploring the act of looking closer, performed wordlessly by a pair of artists at international fringe festivals.
MYTH
Broken Box's first longform narrative performance using speculative fiction to explore inherited trauma, wisdom, and the unknown future, performed by eight mimes.
My Little Eye
40-minute joyful program for children ages 3-9 combining mime stories and spoken narration, hosted by a caterpillar character.
PhysFest NYC
Physical theater festival showcasing artists from across the physical theater world, featuring performances, panels, and collaborative learning.
Physical Storytelling Workshops
Workshops teaching mime technique, body language, and narrative efficiency to artists of all backgrounds, including multi-week classes and weekend intensives.
activities · 9 groups
What they do
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Arts Education Professional Development 4 activities
- Deliver educator training in embodied teaching methodsConducts two-hour in-person Teaching Artist Training sessions for educators focused on integrating movement into pedagogy, emphasizing embodied teaching practices and collaborative storytelling techniques.
- Offer adult and artist training in physical storytellingOffers multi-week and single-session physical storytelling workshops for adults and artists of all backgrounds, including a five-week "Physical Storytelling 101" course and a 5-week class at Brooklyn Comedy Collective, both culminating in public performances. Also leads workshops such as at The Tank’s UnScripted Shakespeare Festival, teaching modern mime techniques rooted in naturalism and collaboration.
- Provide organizational team-building and corporate workshopsDelivers customized team-building workshops for organizations focused on innovation, communication, and collaborative storytelling using mime and physical expression techniques.
- Provide teaching artist services and mentorshipServes as a teaching artist for organizations including BKBX, Arts Ignite, and the International Rescue Committee. Offers teacher mentorship and professional development in partnership with the Arthur Miller Foundation, focusing on embodied teaching methods and collaborative storytelling.
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Experimental Circus and Immersive Theater Production 2 activities
- Conduct performance tours and residenciesTours original mime and physical theater productions nationally, including a week-long residency at Seattle Children's Theater, collaborations with the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado, and performances at Wolf Trap Foundation (DC) and Black Cherry Theater (Baltimore). Also presented internationally at festivals such as Adelaide Fringe Festival and Minnesota Family Fringe Festival.
- Produce and perform original physical theater worksCreates and presents original, wordless physical theater performances that convey stories through movement, lighting, and music, exploring realistic, metaphorical, emotional, and cinematic themes. Productions include "Take Shape," "SKIN," "See Reverse," "Above Below," "Topography," and "MYTH," with recent mainstage debuts and works-in-progress showings leading to full productions.
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Original Music-Theater and Opera Production 1 activity
- Collaborate with musicians and produce live scoresCollaborates with musicians to create original scores and perform live music in conjunction with theatrical performances, enhancing narrative through integrated sound and movement.
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Nonprofit Capacity Building Services 1 activity
- Consult on arts leadership and organizational alignmentConsults with Arts Action Research to support arts leaders in aligning organizational administration with artistic practice, promoting integrated leadership models in the arts sector.
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Youth Theater Arts Education 1 activity
- Deliver youth and school-based mime education programsProvides movement and social-emotional learning programs for students, integrating nonverbal communication and mime into classroom routines to inspire storytelling. Offers workshops for children aged 8–18 to collaboratively create original stories through physical expression, including an afterschool mime club at the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem in collaboration with Classical Theatre of Harlem.
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New Play Development Programs 1 activity
- Develop new work through workshops and showingsProduces works-in-progress showings during summer and fall 2025 to develop new mime performances and gather audience feedback ahead of a planned 2026 Main Stage production. Uses iterative development to refine original content.
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Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
- Host physical theater festivals and public eventsOrganized "PhysFest NYC," a physical theater festival in January 2024 featuring artists from New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, with performances, panel discussions, and professional exchange. Also participates in public arts events such as PAC's Family Day 2026, offering pop-up mime performances and emceed repertoire sets for families.
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Accessibility Services for Cultural Programs 1 activity
- Present accessible and inclusive performancesRegularly integrates accessibility into performances through relaxed shows for neurodivergent audiences, ASL interpretation, open captioning, audio description, tactile sound elements, and sensory-friendly formats. Examples include Deaf Night and Immigrant Night during "Take Shape," Relaxed Performances since 2017, and accessible tours such as at Minnesota Family Fringe Festival and for neurodiverse students in Brooklyn.
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Digital Music and Performance Archiving 1 activity
- Share performances and content via digital platformsOperates a YouTube channel to share performances and educational content publicly, including the BKBKids! channel launched in spring 2020 with captioned, wordless videos accessible to non-verbal and sensory-sensitive audiences.
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financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$257K
Contributions & grants$150K59%
Program service revenue$112K44%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$-6K
expenses
Total expenses$225K
Program expenses64%
Admin / overhead33%
Fundraising3%
Salaries & benefits$89K
Grants paid out$258
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$65K
Cash$61K
Investments$0
Liabilities$18K
Net assets$47K
Liquid reserves3.3 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +55.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 4
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rebecca Baumwoll | Artistic Director | 40 | $58K |
| Tasha Milkman | Creative Director | 20 | $18K |
| Nicholas Abeel | Internal Advisor | 8 | $9K |
| Kate August | Boardmember | 2 | $4K |
board members · 8
- Bryan White — Boardmember
- Cathleen Cavanaugh — Boardmember
- Jason Stevan Hill — Treasurer
- Joel Perez — Boardmember
- Jonas Cartano — Chairperson
- Nicholas Polonio — Boardmember
- Richard Sears — Boardmember
- Samantha Weinerman — Boardmember
relationships · 123
Who they work with
- A.R.T./New York Funder — Financial supporter of Broken Box Mime Theater.
- A.R.T./New York Funder — Provides financial support for the theater's productions.
- A.R.T./New York Funder — Supports BKBX through funding
- A.R.T./New York Funder — Supports BKBX through funding or resources
- A.R.T./New York Funder — Supports Broken Box Mime Theater’s programming.
- A.R.T./New York Government — Supports BKBX
- A.R.T./New York Government — Supports BKBX through funding or resources.
- A.R.T./New York Partner — Supports BKBX through organizational backing or resources
- ART/NY Partner — Hosted "Take Shape" at its Gural Theater for a five-week Main Stage run.
- ASTEP Partner — Partnered on arts-in-education or social impact programming.
- Actors Gymnasium Partner — Partnered on training or performance initiatives.
- Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York (A.R.T./New York) Funder — Provided funding through Access A.R.T./New York for ASL interpretation and video captioning support.
- Arthur Miller Foundation Partner — Collaborates on physical storytelling and teacher mentorship programs.
- Arts Action Research Partner — Consulting partnership to support arts leaders.
- Arts Ignite Partner — Organization with which Becky Baumwoll serves as a teaching artist.
- BMCC, CUNY Partner — Collaborated on educational or campus-based performances.
- BRIC Partner — Partnered on Brooklyn-based arts programming.
- Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado Partner — Collaborated on a joint performance project.
- Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado Partner — Collaborated on interdisciplinary performances combining music and physical theater.
- Bennington Center for the Arts Partner — Partnered on performance or residency programs.
- Black Cherry Theater Partner — Hosted a performance during Broken Box's DC and Baltimore tour.
- Bowdoin College Partner — Collaborated on campus performances or workshops.
- Boys & Girls Club of Harlem Partner — Hosts an afterschool mime club in partnership with Classical Theatre of Harlem.
- BricLab Partner — Partnered on past initiatives.
- Brooklyn Arts Council Funder
- Brooklyn Arts Council Funder — Local funder supporting Broken Box Mime Theater.
- Brooklyn Arts Council Funder — Provides financial support for the theater's productions.
- Brooklyn Arts Council Funder — Supports BKBX through funding
- Brooklyn Arts Council Funder — Supports BKBX through local arts funding or grants
- Brooklyn Arts Council Funder — Supports Broken Box Mime Theater’s artistic programs.
+ 93 more
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.
- Embodied Learning Through Collaborative Devisingmethodology: embodied_learningBy engaging youth and participants in collaborative, game-based physical exercises, the organization teaches storytelling and builds performance skills because embodied, playful co-creation fosters inclusion, creativity, and deeper learning than verbal-only methods.
- Inclusive Access Through Universal Designmethodology: universal-design-for-learningBy designing performances and curricula using Universal Design for Learning and inclusive formats—such as relaxed shows, tactile sound, and wordless storytelling—the organization expands access to mime for diverse audiences because multiple modes of engagement allow participation across abilities, languages, and sensory needs.
- Iterative Artistic Development with Audience Feedbackmethodology: iterative_development_with_audience_feedbackBy testing works-in-progress through audience feedback, the organization refines performances before full production because iterative input ensures relevance, resonance, and deeper connection with diverse communities, improving final artistic and educational impact.
- Movement-Based Social-Emotional Learningmethodology: movement-based social-emotional learningBy using movement and mime in educational settings, the organization fosters social-emotional growth in children because physical engagement deepens self-awareness, empathy, and focus, making SEL foundational for social justice.
- Nonverbal Storytelling for Collective Imaginationmethodology: nonverbal-storytellingBy using contemporary physical theater and nonverbal storytelling, the organization activates audience imagination and communicates universal human truths because simplicity and metaphor in movement transcend language and cultural barriers, fostering shared emotional and cognitive engagement.