CROWDED FIRE THEATER COMPANY
Crowded Fire is a vital home for fierce new plays. Known for developing and presenting innovative and provocative new work, Crowded Fire contributes to the creation of a contemporary canon that reflects the diverse world in which we live.
About CROWDED FIRE THEATER COMPANY
Crowded Fire Theater Company is a San Francisco–based 501(c)(3) theater company that develops and produces new plays with a focus on diverse, risk-taking voices. The company operates a performance venue (Potrero Stage) and maintains year-round artistic programs that support playwrights, directors, designers, and emerging theater leaders.
Since its IRS recognition in 2003, Crowded Fire has expanded from a producing company into a hub for new-play development and artist support. In recent years the organization has adopted a formal shared-leadership governance model and launched programs such as an R&D Lab, the IGNITE fund for technicians and designers, audition/solo intensives, and residency/mentorship pathways to strengthen the Bay Area theatrical ecosystem.
Notable achievements
Radical Shared Leadership
Announced in mid-2023 and implemented with a consolidated team by January 2024, Crowded Fire replaced a traditional single-executive model with a multi-person Shared Leadership structure intended to distribute decision-making, improve staff sustainability, and model alternative nonprofit governance in the arts.
Multiple recent world premieres
Crowded Fire produced the world premiere of Star Finch’s Shipping & Handling (presented in 2024) and presented the world premiere of Preston Choi’s limp wrist on the lever (run September–October 2025), underscoring the company’s ongoing commitment to commissioning and staging new plays.
Artist support infrastructure
The organization expanded artist-facing initiatives in 2024–2025 — including a multi-year R&D Lab cohort, the IGNITE grant for designers/technicians, free audition and solo-work intensives, and internships/mentorships — to boost career pathways and new-work development in the Bay Area.
At a glance
- Total assets
- $932K
- Annual revenue
- $233K
- Tax status
- 501(c)(3)Public charity
- EIN
- 71-0913882
- Location
- San Francisco, CA
- Website
- www.crowdedfire.org
- On Mahalo since
- April 2026
Financial figures from the IRS Business Master File, the IRS’s registry of tax-exempt organizations.
Recognition
Is this your organization?
Claim this page to keep it current — add your logo, publish campaigns, and reach the donors and advisors discovering you on Mahalo.
Claim this page