Noveltease Theatre

What it reported doing in 2025

Noveltease Theatre's mission is to create community through storytelling by reviving the historical artform of literary burlesque. We stage unique adaptations of classic works of theatre and literature in order to reclaim and rework the canon from a sex-positive, queer, feminist, and anti-racist standpoint that enlivens and transforms classic works for contemporary audiences. Our work revives the artform of literary burlesque, blending it with contemporary burlesque and theatrical techniques, through our artistic season of two mainstage theatrical productions created and performed by our core artistic company, as well as a mix of 3-4 cabaret productions and educational offerings including workshops and community oriented peer review events. Our mainstage productions are adaptations of literature that use burlesque and dance as part of the storytelling methodology. Through this method - along with casting practices that deliberately racebend and genderbend characters - we reclaim and rework the canon from a sex-positive, queer, feminist, and anti-racist standpoint that enlivens and transforms classic works for contemporary audiences. Guided by the belief that a creative community is made stronger by the individual talents of trusted collaborators, we generate work with our artistic company's strengths in mind, and grow our community through collaboration with various guest artists. We envision a world that celebrates the beauty of the written word and the grace of bodies in motion. Our cabaret productions emphasize this vision by pairing poetry with dance and live music, featuring a wide range of performers both from within and outside of our artistic company. In addition, we offer a free community peer review space for solo artists (especially those in burlesque and cabaret) to receive constructive critique from expert peers on works in progress. This program is free, and is paired with tuition-based dance and theater workshops led by guest artists and members of our artistic company. Throughout our work, we believe that literature connects individuals from generation to generation. The stories that are written down and passed on add to the knowledge and understanding of those who have come before. Theatre as a discipline embodies these stories, giving them new life and form. Through this embodiment audiences can witness and empathize with the characters and the circumstances brought to life. Burlesque as an artform reveals what is hidden and transforms the mundane into something new, bending and breaking social norms in order to showcase truth and beauty.. Combining the disciplines of literary analysis, theatrical form, and burlesque technique to create unique, engaging, transformative works that feel real and approachable to new audiences. In doing so, Noveltease Theatre builds bridges between past and present, nurtures empathy, and encourages self-reflections; fostering community through storytelling.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 54.6%; rating input score 55
• Program expense ratio: 90.5%; rating input score 91

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 39.7%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.03; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 33.3% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 57.8% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 94.6% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings