Projects & Reports

January 1, 2003

Rising in Stages: How Steppenwolf Excelled, First on the Boards, Then in the Boardroom, and Ultimately on the Balance Sheet

From an 88-seat facility in a church basement to a nationally acclaimed theater.

The Steppenwolf Theater Company grew from an 88-seat facility in a suburban church basement to become a nationally acclaimed theater. This monograph explores how Steppenwolf achieved success through the continual balancing and rebalancing of business operations, capital investment, and artistic innovation. It’s the “gold standard” story of nonprofit growth over 25 years.