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PARK PLAYHOUSE INC

Cohoes, NY · EIN 141717464 · Form 990 · FY2023 · NTEE P20 · Human Services · Medium ($1M-$10M) · parkplayhouse.com
revenue
$2.1M
expenses
$2.0M
net assets
$-649K
employees
29
volunteers
30
program ratio
57%
mission · from form 990

Provide Free summer theater for the general public and present arts events at Cohoes Music Hall.

profile · synthesized from sources

Professional musical theatre company based in New York's Capital Region, producing free summer performances at Park Playhouse in Albany and year-round productions at Cohoes Music Hall. Offers comprehensive arts education through Playhouse Stage Academy for youth ages 4-18. Committed to accessibility, diversity, and inclusion in all programming, with a focus on training the next generation of theatre artists and enriching community cultural life.

named programs · 6 · from sources

What they call their work

Cohoes Music Hall Productions
Presents professional musicals, concerts, and comedy events year-round at the historic Cohoes Music Hall in Cohoes, NY.
Kids Productions
Audition-based theatre productions for students ages 8 through middle school, designed to build production and performance skills.
Park Playhouse Free Summer Theatre
Produces free professional outdoor musical theatre performances in Washington Park, Albany, NY, making theatre accessible to the general public.
Playhouse Stage Academy
Arts education program offering musical theatre training including acting, dance, and vocal classes for students ages 4-18, with conservatory and production opportunities.
Teen Productions
Pre-professional theatre productions for high school students, working alongside professionals in fully realized musicals.
Tykes Productions
Non-audition based theatre productions for children ages 5-10, providing introductory experience in musical theatre performance.
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Performing Arts Ticket Access Programs 1 activity
    • Extends free and affordable access to theatre and arts education programs
      Ensures accessibility across socio-economic backgrounds by offering free admission to select performances, including family shows and summer outdoor musicals, and maintaining affordable pricing for other events and educational programming in the Capital Region.
  • Youth Theater Arts Education 1 activity
    • Offers arts education and pre-professional training through Playhouse Stage Academy
      Provides comprehensive musical theatre training for youth ages 4–18 through evening classes, conservatory programs requiring five or more weekly classes, and tiered production opportunities that include non-audition and audition-based performances. The program emphasizes skill development, collaboration, and professional-level experience.
  • Free Outdoor & Community Theater Productions 1 activity
    • Produces free outdoor musical theatre performances at Park Playhouse in Albany, NY
      Stages professional, free-to-the-public musical theatre productions during the summer season at Washington Park in Albany, NY, with no tickets required for admission. These performances are part of an annual summer theater season aimed at broad community accessibility.
  • Youth Musical Theater Productions 1 activity
    • Produces intimate, year-round professional musical theatre at Cohoes Music Hall
      Produces and presents smaller-scale, affordable professional musical theatre performances year-round at Cohoes Music Hall, including productions such as "13: The Musical" and "Footloose: The Musical," with age-appropriate casting and thematic programming.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Sells gift cards redeemable for tickets to theatre events
      Offers electronic and physical gift cards that can be redeemed for tickets to concerts, musicals, and plays at Cohoes Music Hall and Park Playhouse, available for purchase online, by phone, in person, or by mail with optional gift messaging.
financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$2.09M
Contributions & grants$674K32%
Program service revenue$1.38M66%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$40K
expenses
Total expenses$2.04M
Program expenses57%
Admin / overhead43%
Fundraising1%
Salaries & benefits$898K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$301K
Cash$-15K
Investments$0
Liabilities$950K
Net assets$-649K
Liquid reserves-0.1 mo
1 years on record · 2023–2023
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023

Who runs it

board members · 17
  • Alan Lobel — Board Member
  • Allen Goodman — Chair
  • Ann Wendth — Board Member
  • Benita Zahn — President: Anchor
  • Dorcey Applyrs — Board Member
  • Hon Kathy M Sheehan — Board Member
  • Ilene Stein — Vice President
  • James J Barba — Board Member
  • Kathleen Lasch McNamee — Chair Emeritus
  • Kelsey Knutsen — Board Member
  • Matthew McKeon — Treasurer
  • Matthew Peter — Board Member
  • Molly Adams Breslin — Corporate Secretary
  • Robert McNamara — Board Member
  • Shirley W Arensberg — Board Member
  • Thomas Templeton — Board Member
  • William T Keeler — Board Member
relationships · 14

Who they work with

  • Cohoes Music Hall Partner — Co-producer and performance venue for high-quality, affordable theatrical productions.
  • Cohoes Music Hall Partner — Hosts arts events and free summer theater performances by Park Playhouse Inc.
  • Cohoes Music Hall Partner — Partner venue in a combined membership program offering joint access to performances and benefits.
  • Cohoes Music Hall Partner — Shares office space at Cohoes Music Hall, indicating a collaborative relationship with the venue.
  • Cohoes Music Hall Partner — Venue partner for year-round intimate musical theatre productions.
  • Cohoes Music Hall Partner — Venue partner hosting performances of "Footloose: The Musical."
  • Cohoes Music Hall Partner — Venue partner hosting the performance of "13: The Musical."
  • Cohoes Music Hall Partner — Venue where gift cards can be redeemed and where box office services are located.
  • Cohoes Music Hall Partner — Year-round venue and performance location for professional musicals.
  • GPAC Partner — Venue partner for free summer outdoor musicals at Tawasentha Park in Guilderland, NY.
  • Picotte Companies Partner — Bronze level sponsor of the 2026 Summer Season
  • Playhouse Stage Company Partner — Co-presented the "Elephant & Piggie's" musical production at Park Playhouse.
  • Playhouse Stage Company Partner — Collaborates with PARK PLAYHOUSE INC to deliver performing arts programming and manage sponsorship initiatives.
  • Wicked Smart Apparel Partner — Partner organization that produces and ships Playhouse Stage Company merchandise, with a portion of sales supporting the organization's programs.
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.

  • Accessibility Through Affordability
    methodology: accessibility-through-affordability
    By offering free and low-cost admission to performances, the organization increases access to the arts for diverse socioeconomic groups, because financial barriers are a primary constraint to community engagement in cultural programming.
  • Community Engagement Through Free Public Programming
    methodology: free_public_access_arts_programming
    By offering free outdoor and public-access theatre productions, the organization strengthens community engagement with the arts because removing logistical and financial barriers increases participation and fosters shared cultural experiences.
  • Equity Through Programmatic Integration
    methodology: equity-through-programmatic-integration
    By intentionally integrating diversity and inclusion into play selection, casting, and education programs, the organization advances equity in the arts because representation in content and personnel fosters belonging and broadens cultural relevance.
  • Integrated Support Model for Sustainable Access
    methodology: benefits-linked_support_model
    By linking audience membership benefits (e.g., early access, discounts) to financial support for free programming, the organization sustains affordable access because it aligns audience incentives with mission-driven funding.
  • Youth Development Through Performance Training
    methodology: confidence-through-performance
    By engaging students in musical theatre training, the organization builds confidence and communication skills applicable beyond the stage, because performance fosters self-efficacy and emotional expression in young people.