named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Annual Festival Season
Free summer theater festival in Delaware Park featuring professional productions of Shakespeare and other classical plays performed by local and regional artists.
Artistic Panel Play Selection
Volunteer panel of artists and community leaders selects plays annually for the main stage, fostering community involvement in artistic decisions.
Education & Outreach Program
Provides arts education through teaching artists who work with schools and community groups, offering workshops and performances to engage youth and underserved populations.
activities · 3 groups
What they do
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Free Outdoor & Community Theater Productions 2 activities
- Host annual attendance of over 45,000 visitorsAttracts more than 45,000 visitors annually to its live Shakespeare productions in Delaware Park, offering accessible cultural programming to the Buffalo community and visitors.
- Produce free outdoor Shakespeare performances in Delaware Park, BuffaloProduces and presents free, professional theatrical performances of Shakespearean plays annually in Delaware Park, Buffalo, New York, typically staging two productions each summer—one tragedy or history and one comedy—across 44 performances over 3.5 weeks. The organization has produced over 100 Shakespeare productions and approximately 3,000 performances since 1976, reaching an estimated 1.8 million audience members.
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Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Programs 1 activity
- Develop and deliver Shakespeare-based educational and outreach programsDevelops and implements curriculum and programming using Shakespeare to enhance literacy, cultivate empathy, and support therapeutic and educational interventions for diverse populations, including public school teens, LGBTQIA+ youth, justice-involved individuals, people with developmental disabilities and autism, and pediatric ICU patients.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Offer premium seating and event packages for performancesProvides premium chaired seating and event packages for guests, including options for up to 50 guests with light fare, soft drinks, wine bar access, and stage recognition; some packages allow outside beverages. Base rentals for event platforms with chair setup are also available.
- Produce and distribute Shakespeare-related digital contentCreated and presented the "Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits" video series in collaboration with WNED PBS, expanding access to Shakespearean performances through digital media.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$819K
Contributions & grants$674K82%
Program service revenue$23K3%
Investment income$68K8%
Other revenue$54K
expenses
Total expenses$662K
Program expenses76%
Admin / overhead16%
Fundraising8%
Salaries & benefits$393K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$2.09M
Cash$534K
Investments$1.19M
Liabilities$12K
Net assets$2.08M
Liquid reserves31.3 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -2.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| LISA LUDWIG KRAMER | EXECUTIVE DI | 40 | $71K |
board members · 17
- ALEXANDRIA ROWEN — VICE PRESIDE
- ANDALYN COURTNEY — PRESIDENT EL
- BARBARA CHASE — BOARD MEMBER
- DENISE MLYNARICK — BOARD MEMBER
- GAIL EVANS — BOARD MEMBER
- JACOB HONAN — BOARD MEMBER
- JESS FRENCH — BOARD MEMBER
- KATIE HOWE — SECRETARY
- LEAH DANIEL — BOARD MEMBER
- MARY YOUNG — TREASURER
- MEG CAIN — BOARD MEMBER
- MITCH SNYDER — BOARD MEMBER
- PETER J HEFFLEY — BOARD MEMBER
- ROBERT MAEFS — BOARD MEMBER
- ROSA ALINA PIZZI — PRESIDENT
- SAUL ELKIN — FOUNDER
- WILLIAM K KENNEDY ESQ — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 24
Who they work with
- Buffalo Public Schools Partner — Meg Cain, a board member, is affiliated with this district.
- Buffalo Zoo Partner — Jess French, a board member, is affiliated with this institution.
- Buffalo's biggest and most central park Partner — Hosts free outdoor theatre performances annually
- City of Buffalo Government — Rosa Alina Pizzi, a board member, is affiliated with the city government.
- Crowley Webb Partner — Andalyn Courtney, board president, is affiliated with this marketing firm.
- Cullen Foundation Funder — Provided funding support for the "Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits" video series.
- Delaware Park Government — Hosts the festival on Shakespeare Hill in Delaware Park, a public park in Buffalo.
- Erie County Arts & Cultural Advisory Board Government — Lisa Ludwig has contributed to this county advisory board.
- Facebook Partner — Uses Facebook to communicate weather-related performance cancellations.
- Gay & Lesbian Youth Services Partner — Lisa Ludwig serves on the board of this organization.
- Hodgson Russ Partner — Zoe Peppas, a board member, is affiliated with this law firm.
- Instagram Network — Uses Instagram as a platform to share photos and videos of productions and engage with audiences.
- Instagram Partner — Uses Instagram to communicate weather-related performance cancellations.
- Institute of Outdoor Drama Committee Network — Lisa Ludwig has contributed to this national committee.
- Lumsden McCormick Partner — Mary Young, board treasurer, is affiliated with this accounting firm.
- Moog Inc. Partner — Katie Howe, board secretary, is affiliated with this company.
- New York State Council on the Arts Funder — Provided funding support for the "Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits" video series.
- New York State Council on the Arts REDC Panel Government — Lisa Ludwig has served on this state-level arts panel.
- Phillips Lytle LLP Partner — Scott Sroka, a board member, is affiliated with this law firm.
- Rupp Pfalzgraf LLC Partner — Jacob Honan and William K. Kennedy, board members, are affiliated with this law firm.
- Steuben Foods Partner — Alexandria N. Rowen, board vice president, is affiliated with this company.
- Theatre District Association Network — Lisa Ludwig serves on the board of this organization.
- Visit Buffalo Niagara Partner — Collaborates on promotional or outreach efforts, as indicated by SDP’s interview with Visit Buffalo Niagara.
- WNED PBS Partner — Collaborated on the production of the "Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits" video series.
strategies · 3
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.
- Community-Informed Artistic Selection for Regional Engagementmethodology: community_informed_selectionBy involving volunteer artists, audience members, and community leaders in selecting annual productions, we ensure regional relevance and ownership, because inclusive decision-making strengthens community investment in the art.
- Free Access Model to Remove Economic Barriersmethodology: free_access_modelBy offering free Shakespeare performances, we increase access to live theater across socioeconomic groups and maximize community engagement because cost is a primary barrier to cultural participation.
- Shakespeare-Based Curriculum to Build Literacy and Empathymethodology: literacy_through_classicsBy using Shakespeare’s texts in educational programming, we improve literacy and foster empathy in K-12 students, because engagement with complex narratives and emotional themes develops both cognitive and social-emotional skills.