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Quintessence Theatre Company

EIN 27-0469276 · Philadelphia, PA

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair50 out of 100GovernanceStrong95 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

QUINTESSENCE THEATRE GROUP IS DEDICATED TO THE PERFORMANCE AND ADAPTATION OF EPIC WORKS OF CLASSIC LITERATURE AND DRAMA FOR THE CONTEMPORARY STAGE, WHICH IGNITES THE MIND THROUGH THE POWER OF THE ACTOR, DESIGN AND SPOKEN WORD. THE ORGANIZATION EXISTS TO DEVELOP AND PRODUCE THEATRE WHICH IS IMMEDIATE AND NECESSARY, AND THAT STRIVES TO ATTRACT NEW AUDIENCES TO THE ART FORM BY CHALLENGING ITS ARTISTS AND AUDIENCES ALIKE TO CONSIDER WHAT IS ESSENTIAL IN THEATRE AND IN HUMAN NATURE.

Income
$3.2 million
Spending
$2.5 million
Spent on programs
78%
Reserves
-12.8 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 64%
Employees
121
Volunteers
100
Highest pay
$73,907, producing artistic director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 50 out of 100. Higher than 20% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 39% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 23% of income.

  • Income trend

    10 of 15

    Income fell 10% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    78% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 15 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 95 out of 100. Higher than 62% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    14 of 15 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (1)
  1. $1.9 million spent. QUINTESSENCE'S XV ANNIVERSARY SEASON OPENED WITH THE PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE OF AN INTERNATIONALLY CELEBRATED NEW VERSION OF CYRANO DE BERGERAC, DIRECTED BY ALEX BURNS. THE PRODUCTION ATTRACTED 2,300 THEATREGOERS AND RAVE REVIEWS, LEADING TO AN EXTENSION FROM 24 TO 30 PERFORMANCES. FOR THE WINTER FAMILY-FRIENDLY HOLIDAY MUSICAL, WE PRESENTED COLE PORTER'S KISS ME, KATE. THIS PRODUCTION DREW 3,544 ATTENDEES. RETURNING TO OUR ROOTS AS PHILADELPHIA'S ONLY THEATRE COMPANY PRODUCING WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S WORKS IN REPERTORY, THE MARCH-APRIL 2025 RECKLESS ROMANCE REPERTORY FEATURED A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM AND ANTONY & CLEOPATRA. NOTABLY, 12% OF THE AUDIENCE AT ANTONY & CLEOPATRA AND 16% AT MIDSUMMER WERE NEW TO QUINTESSENCE, TOTALING 28% NEW AUDIENCES FOR SHAKESPEARE. IN MAY 2025, QUINTESSENCE PRESENTED NAOMI WALLACE AND MARCUS REDIKER'S THE RETURN OF BENJAMIN LAY, MARKING QUINTESSENCE'S FIRST SUCCESSFUL CO-PRODUCTION WITH A THEATRE FROM NYC. IN MAY-JUNE 2025, QUINTESSENCE THEATRE CAPPED ITS XV ANNIVERSARY SEASON WITH THE WORLD PREMIERE ESTATE SANCTIONED THEATRICAL ADAPTATION OF JAMES BALDWIN'S GIOVANNI'S ROOM AS PART OF ITS PROGRAMMING PLANS TO PRODUCE CLASSIC STORIES FROM DIVERSE EARLY AMERICAN COMMUNITIES. THE ADAPTATION GARNERED SIGNIFICANT NATIONAL ATTENTION, AND ATTRACTED IMPRESSIVE BOX OFFICE NUMBERS, WITH 4,360 ATTENDEES (93% CAPACITY). OTHER NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS INCLUDED COMMUNITY CENTERED EVENTS SUCH AS THE ATTENDANCE OF EGYPTOLOGISTS/CURATORS/PENN MUSEUM PROFESSORS JOSEF WAGNER AND JEN WAGNER AT A POST-SHOW CONVERSATION OF ANTONY & CLEOPATRA, AS WELL AS GREAT CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE RETURN OF BENJAMIN LAY INCLUDING WITH PLAYWRIGHT AND HISTORIAN MARCUS REDIKER AND MARK POVINELLI, WHO PORTRAYED BENJAMIN LAY IN THE PRODUCTION. IN FY25, QUINTESSENCE BOOKED SERVICE FOR 1,977 K-12 STUDENTS, INCLUDING 728 FROM NEARBY TITLE 1 PUBLIC SCHOOLS. OUR PROGRAMS INCLUDED: 25 STUDENT MATINEES AND POST-SHOW DISCUSSIONS FOR 1,468 STUDENTS, 4 IN-SCHOOL WORKSHOPS FOR 175 STUDENTS, 2 LONG-TERM, AFTER-SCHOOL RESIDENCIES FOR 150 STUDENTS, 6 TOURING PERFORMANCES OF THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT WITH POST-SHOW WRITING WORKSHOPS FOR 135 STUDENTS. 3 WEEKS OF SUMMER CAMP AT THE SEDGWICK FOR 36 CAMPERS (JULY 2024), AND 3 SEMESTERS OF OUR SATURDAY PHOENIX & TURTLE CLUB (FALL, WINTER, SPRING) FOR 13 YOUNG ACTORS.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending July 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since September 2010.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.