COMMON MAPS
Map version new-york activity top-down
Main site Contact
Menu
↑ parent activity group ·
research dossier

THE FLYING CARPET THEATER INC

SUNNYSIDE, NY · EIN 200284334 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE A65 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Micro (<$100K) · flyingcarpettheatre.com
revenue
$53K
expenses
$69K
net assets
$16K
employees
mission · from form 990

TO PROMOTE AND SUPPORT THE PERFORMING ARTS AND RELATED CULTURAL ACTIVITIES.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Flying Carpet Theater Inc is a New York-based nonprofit theater company that creates and produces original, socially engaged performances blending magic, music, puppetry, and dance. It develops contemporary stories using historical theatrical forms to inspire community dialogue and social reflection. The company produces both live stage works and filmed performances, with a focus on themes of identity, resilience, and cultural heritage.

named programs · 8 · from sources

What they call their work

Dorothy Fields: On the Sunny Side of the Street
Performance celebrating the life and music of Dorothy Fields, a pioneering female lyricist in American musical theater, blending biography with song.
Dr. Joycelyn Elders Project
Theatrical work centered on the life and legacy of Dr. Joycelyn Elders, the first African American U.S. Surgeon General, highlighting themes of public health, race, and leadership.
Family History Podcasts
Creative audio project using personal and historical narratives to explore identity and intergenerational memory through the lens of family histories.
OPEN
A queer love story and cathartic play about resilience, following a magician who uses illusion to process trauma after her girlfriend becomes a victim of a hate crime; performed live and streamed, with national and international productions.
Radicalization On Social Media Project
Contemporary performance exploring the mechanisms and impacts of online radicalization, using theatrical storytelling to engage audiences in digital-age social issues.
Rising to the Tap
A hybrid tap dance concert and autobiographical one-person show by Andrew Nemr that explores cultural identity, immigration, and the social power of tap dance through personal narrative and performance.
The Dancing Handkerchief
A world premiere musical blending magic, puppetry, and music with early songs by Robert Lopez, telling the story of a magician and his daughter’s separation and reunion through a fantastical theatrical journey.
The Gershwins: Who Could Ask for Anything More?
Biographical musical tribute to George and Ira Gershwin, exploring their creative partnership and lasting impact on American music and theater.
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Youth Theater Arts Education 1 activity
    • Conducts educational outreach through workshops and residencies
      Regularly delivers theatre-based classes, workshops, and performances at community centers, public schools, museums, parks, and universities; has served as artist-in-residence at CUNY, Swarthmore College, University of Nevada, Reno, and Emory University.
  • Experimental Circus and Immersive Theater Production 1 activity
    • Creates and produces original theatre productions
      Develops and produces original theatrical works using physical theatre, circus arts, vaudeville, puppetry, stage magic, cabaret, autobiographical storytelling, and live music; has created and premiered over 20 original plays, including works by Robert Lopez and Geoff Sobelle.
  • Digital Music and Performance Archiving 1 activity
    • Produces filmed and streamed versions of live performances
      Records live theatrical productions and distributes them through film screenings and streaming platforms, including filming "OPEN" at The Tank in NYC, streaming it during Pridefest 2021, and presenting it at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
  • Indigenous Land Acknowledgment Initiatives 1 activity
    • Promotes cultural awareness and land acknowledgment
      Practices land acknowledgment by recognizing the traditional homelands of the Lenni-Lenape, Cherokee, and Muscogee Creek Peoples in New York City and Atlanta.
  • Performing Arts Ticket Access Programs 1 activity
    • Provides free and low-cost theatre access for students and underserved audiences
      Offers free theatre performances to thousands of students annually and provides low-cost performances to increase access for underserved communities.
  • Professional Theatrical Production 1 activity
    • Tours theatre productions nationally and internationally
      Tours original, collaboratively created theatre productions across the United States and abroad, with performances in 15 states and cities in Europe, including at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and venues in Italy.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$53K
Contributions & grants$33K62%
Program service revenue$20K38%
Investment income$10%
Other revenue
expenses
Total expenses$69K
Program expenses
Admin / overhead
Fundraising
Salaries & benefits$30K
Grants paid out
balance sheet
Total assets$16K
Cash
Investments
Liabilities
Net assets$16K
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -49.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
ADAM KOPLAN PRESIDENT 40 $3K
board members · 4
  • BARBARA STIMMEL — DIRECTOR
  • HARLAN EPLAN — DIRECTOR
  • JOEL LIPSITCH — DIRECTOR
  • THOMAS JESULAITIS — DIRECTOR
relationships · 43

Who they work with

  • 59E59 Theaters Partner — Presented the NYC premiere of "SMALL" in August/September 2023.
  • ART New York Partner — Hosted The Flying Carpet Theatre Company for classes, workshops, or performances.
  • ART/NY Partner — Hosted public workshop performances for the development of "SMALL".
  • Adam Koplan Partner — Co-writer of "Death Defying Schtick" and Founding Artistic Director of The Flying Carpet Theatre Company.
  • Alfred E. Smith Recreation Center Partner — Hosted The Flying Carpet Theatre Company for classes, workshops, or performances.
  • All for One Partner — Co-produced the premiere filming of "OPEN" at The Tank in 2019 and participated in its 2021 streaming encore.
  • Andrew Nemr Partner — Collaborative partner in the creation and performance of "Andrew Nemr: Rising to the Tap"
  • CUNY Partner — Hosted The Flying Carpet Theatre Company as artists-in-residence.
  • Dixon Place Partner — Hosted a workshop or residency for "Unblinking Eye".
  • Emory University Partner — Hosted The Flying Carpet Theatre Company as artists-in-residence.
  • George Street Playhouse Partner — Presented a regional performance of "SMALL" in January/February 2025.
  • Guardian Angel Church NYC Partner — Hosted a workshop or residency for "Unblinking Eye".
  • Hostos Academy Partner — Hosted The Flying Carpet Theatre Company for classes, workshops, or performances.
  • Jessi D. Hill Partner — Director of "Death Defying Schtick" and Interim Artistic Director of The Flying Carpet Theatre Company.
  • LaGuardia Performing Arts Center Rough Draft Festival Partner — Hosted a workshop or residency for "Unblinking Eye" in Queens, NY.
  • Lucid Body House NYC Partner — Hosted a workshop or residency for "Unblinking Eye".
  • Luna Stage Partner — Hosted a workshop or residency for "Unblinking Eye".
  • Lyric Theatre Partner — Presented a regional performance of "SMALL" in February 2024.
  • MAP Fund Funder — Provided award funding to support the production of "Forging Ahead."
  • Midnight Theatricals Partner — Associated with the 2025 NYC Off-Broadway premiere of "OPEN" at Women’s Project NYC.
  • National Endowment for the Arts Funder — Provided funding to develop the show "Death Defying Schtick".
  • National Opera Center Partner — Hosted public workshop performances for the development of "SMALL".
  • New Georges Partner — Provided support for the 2025 NYC Off-Broadway premiere of "OPEN."
  • Penguin Rep Partner — Co-produced the world premiere of "SMALL" in March 2022.
  • People’s Light Partner — Presented a regional performance of "SMALL" in January/February 2024.
  • Piano Fight Partner — Hosted a workshop or residency for "Unblinking Eye".
  • Sewanee Conference Partner — Hosted a workshop or residency for "Unblinking Eye".
  • Sheen Center Partner — Hosted the filming of the theatrical production "Dedication" in 2021.
  • Signature Theatre Partner — Hosted public workshop performances for the development of "SMALL".
  • Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Partner — Hosted The Flying Carpet Theatre Company for classes, workshops, or performances.
+ 13 more
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.

  • Amplification of Underrepresented Narratives
    methodology: support_for_underrepresented_voices
    By centering stories from underrepresented communities—including queer, military, and racially marginalized voices—through interview-based and autobiographical methods, the organization fosters inclusion, resilience, and social inquiry, because authentic personal narratives disrupt dominant cultural scripts and create space for empathy, catharsis, and systemic critique.
  • Collaborative and Anti-Oppressive Artistic Practice
    methodology: collaborative-creative-process
    By creating non-hierarchical, communal creative processes and embedding anti-racism and anti-oppression principles into organizational structures, the organization empowers artists and produces transformative work, because equitable artistic environments enable greater vulnerability, authenticity, and sustainable innovation.
  • Historical Forms for Contemporary Dialogue
    methodology: historical-forms-contemporary-stories
    By using historical theatrical forms such as vaudeville, physical theatre, and puppetry, the organization creates innovative performances that engage audiences in deep conversations about contemporary social issues and cultural flashpoints, because these traditional forms provide accessible, emotionally resonant frameworks for exploring complex modern themes.
  • Multidisciplinary Storytelling for Emotional and Social Engagement
    methodology: multidisciplinary_storytelling
    By combining genres and media—such as magic, music, puppetry, digital projections, and live performance—the organization creates hybrid theatrical experiences that deepen emotional resonance and audience engagement with themes like trauma, identity, and family separation, because multimodal storytelling activates multiple senses and cognitive pathways to make abstract or painful topics more accessible.