The Magik Theatre
Where Imagination is Education
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Mission
The Magik Theatre's mission is to use the power of theatre to create Magikal storytelling for children that Activates imagination, Grows young minds, and Inspires creativity and a love of learning that is Key to a more literate future for our community.
Ruling year
1995
Managing Director
Ms. Mel Zarb-Cousin
Artistic Director
Mr. Anthony Runfola
Main address
420 S. Alamo St.
San Antonio, TX 78205 USA
Formerly known as
Commerce Street Stage, Inc.
EIN
74-2707895
NTEE code
Theater (A65)
Educational Services and Schools - Other (B90)
Youth Development Programs (O50)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
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Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
San Antonio's high illiteracy rate of 25% is the second highest rate among Texas cities. In 2013, the study America's Most Literate Cities from Central Connecticut University ranked San Antonio 73 of 77 cities in overall literacy, which was a slide backwards from our 61st position in 2009. San Antonio has the largest economic gap in America, in which 19% of the population lives below the poverty line. This means that The Magik Theatre is working to combat the low-literacy rate of San Antonio with low-cost but professional literary and theatrical programming.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Tickets to Literacy
Imagine a girl named Rosa. She was born in San Antonio eight years ago, and now attends elementary school in our city’s largest public school district. Rosa’s teacher is tied to a curriculum geared toward achieving high standardized test scores in language arts and math. Rosa’s school shares its music and art teachers with other schools, and has no dance or theatre teachers at all. Half of Rosa’s classmates are economically disadvantaged and 42% are considered at-risk. Of Rosa’s classmates who make it to high school, 1 in 5 will not graduate. To make matters worse, Rosa’s school district, responsible for preparing over 81,000 children for our world, has set aside almost nothing to pay for annual enrichment field trips for Rosa.
As a leader in San Antonio’s arts community, Magik feels a pressing responsibility to help schools meet funding challenges. As we see it, our job is to ensure that the arts remain an integral part of San Antonio students’ educations. To achieve this goal, Magik established Tickets to Literacy in 1996.
If a child wanted to attend a performance at The Magik Theatre, it would cost $16.50 to cover production expenses for each performance. Many schools, however, can not cover this ticket expense. Hence Magik’s Tickets to Literacy draws support from government, foundations, corporations, and individuals to underwrite admission costs for youth at Title 1 schools or in areas with the greatest need. Every season, The Magik Theatre produces six literature-based performances. Magik’s productions bring books and their characters to life for their young audiences. Every production is accompanied by a comprehensive study guide, packed with standards-based activities, in our effort to ensure that every show can be easily integrated into the classroom curriculum, extending every child’s theatre experience as well as broadening his or her understanding and appreciation of a reading.
Magik Theatre on the Road
Transportation costs have become a huge issue for the schoolchildren who attend The Magik Theatre. One teacher confided to us that while her school district had not reduced their field trip funding, it had taken away their transportation funds completely. Some teachers and students, such as those at Bonham Elementary in San Antonio Independent School District, walk to Magik performances. For most of the 55,000 schoolchildren who visit Magik every season, walking is not an option.
The Magik Theatre On The Road directly addresses these transportation problems by bringing live, literature-based performances to students in need throughout San Antonio and Texas. Last season, Magik on the Road visited 33 Texas cities and performed for over 45,000 families.
Magik On The Road is unique. Magik is San Antonio’s only professional repertory theatre company, and in the Texas Commission on the Arts’ Touring Artists and Companies roster Magik is the only San Antonio organization listed that tours full-scale theatre productions. The great depth of experience among our artists and technicians ensures the highest-quality touring productions available to children in Texas.
Magik's Education Department
Education Focus 23-24 Season
To Identify the strengths & opportunities for growth within the existing Magik Theatre education programs and establish a structural foundation to build upon. To invest time into training and education for Teaching Artists and Leadership in social-emotional learning, trauma-informed, and arts-integrated practices to incorporate across education curriculum and programming.To utilize data collection from the community to guide 24-25 education programming expansion with planning.
Mission
To shift the paradigm of Theatre Arts being a reward for a privileged few but actively and intentionally create opportunities to amplify unheard voices. To educate the community on the holistic value of performing arts and fostering connection within the artistic community. To position Magik Theatre as a pillar of academic empowerment, life skill/social-emotional development, and artistic expression. To empower students with artistic, social/emotional, and literacy skills.
Krier Juvenile Treatment and Correctional Center
For almost 20 years, Magik has been providing theater arts programming to youth affected by the law in Bexar County, reducing recidivism among program graduates. Every spring, resident juvenile offenders meet twice a week with teaching artists from The Magik Theatre's company at the Krier Center. Participants work closely with Magik Theatre mentors, who give intensive, hands-on instruction in theatre arts skills while they write and rehearse an original production to perform on stage at The Magik Theatre in front of an audience. In addition to theatre arts training, Magik mentors work with residents to develop important life and social skills, such as conflict resolution and anger management. Through team-building exercises, they learn to positively interact with each other, trust one another, and work together to achieve common goals, while looking inward to gain a better understanding of where they have been, where they are now, and where they hope to be in the future.
Sensory-Friendly Performances
Sensory-friendly performances are designed to create a welcoming environment for people who are on the autism spectrum or may have sensory sensitivities. The integrity of the performance remains the same, while production elements are modified to accommodate individuals with sensory needs allowing families and friends of those with autism or other disabilities the opportunity to enjoy an authentic performance experience together. Our goal is a relaxed and judgment-free theatre experience where audiences can move around or take breaks in the lobby, sing or talk during the performance, or wear sunglasses in the auditorium. Modifications include limited crowds, early access to the theatre, sensory regulating toys, house lights are on and sound levels are lowered, patrons have the freedom to talk and leave their seats during the performance, and electronics are allowed for therapeutic use.
Where we work
Awards
Best Cultural Program 2011
Downtown Alliance
Parent Picks 2010
ParentConnect
Affiliations & memberships
ASSITEJ International (International Assn of Theatre for Children and Young People) 1995
Americans for the Arts 2003
Theatre Communications Groups - Constituent Theatre 2009
TYA 2015
Kulture City 2020
Mental Health/First Aid Certification 2021
San Antonio Rotary 2023
Visit San Antonio 2022
Nonprofit Council 2024
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of free participants on field trips
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, At-risk youth
Related Program
Tickets to Literacy
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Magik provides free tickets through our Tickets to Literacy scholarship. We also offer tickets at a significant discount.
Average price of field trip tickets
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Tickets to Literacy
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This is the price we charge to Title 1 schools.
Total number of fields trips
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Tickets to Literacy
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
On Tuesday to Friday, The Magik Theatre is abuzz with children excited to see our literature-based performances.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
For more than 30 years, The Magik Theatre has nurtured young people's love and understanding of theatre and literature by providing extraordinary, affordable, professional theatre and education experiences. Since our inception, we have produced more than 250 Main-Stage and touring shows, played to 3 million people from over 750 schools in 85 school districts, and employed more than 300 theatre professionals.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Haven for Hope: Creative Drama for Homeless Children
Magik Theatre and Haven for Hope are updating their partnership to include more comprehensive, trauma-
based creative drama activities for children at the shelter. Magiks new Education Manager is taking services
beyond tour productions and tickets to shows and camps. Magik Theatre has offered positive, confidence-
building, creative drama workshops for children and professional theatrical performances at Haven for Hope
since 2014. Traumatic events alter the way children interact with the world around them. As a result, they and
their grownups need creative drama tools to help children exercise autonomy, creativity, and literacy while
learning to express themselves safely.
Cyndi Taylor Krier Juvenile Correctional and Treatment Center
Creative Drama for Incarcerated Youth Teaching Artists are local San Antonio artists whose educational activities focus on social justice through dramatic art. Students worked on devising their own stories, sharing truths, bringing awareness to injustices, and advocating for equality. These students' work was learning how to connect with their sense of truth and build an ensemble to share their truth and hold space for others' truths. They collaborated to amplify each other's stories on stage. The work they created also allowed for better rapport with the officers who watched them develop their stories each week. Juvenile justice officers encouraged them while maintaining expectations and upholding protocol. Students having the opportunity to share their stories at Magik Theatre was significant for both students on stage and their families in attendance. While families may not have had the opportunity to speak during the students' sharing, they were able to find connection and understanding in a new and powerful way.
Partnership with Chicago Children's Theatre: Creative Drama for Healing and Building Resilience
A partnership with Chicago Children's Theatre (Chicago) following the shooting at Robb Elementary School in
Uvalde is leading to a curriculum specific to the trauma of South Texas students. The staff from Chicago joined
Magik to provide a bus full of Robb Elementary students with a creative way of processing experiences and
feelings in a safe, nurturing environment.
Classroom Resources
Each of Magik's educator resource guides is aligned with state requirements and learning objectives.
Guides expand upon the stories students saw on stage during field trips to the Theatre through cross-curricular
activities. Activities are created to support the exercise of academic skills and language by utilizing the
performance they watched as a reference point. These guides are a perfect extension activity and can be a
classroom assignment for grades K through 5. Guides are available for every Magik Theatre production and can
be downloaded for free on our website.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The Magik Theatre has been serving the city of San Antonio and the communities of South Texas for over 30 years. As a leader in San Antonio's arts community and the only resident, professional theatre company dedicated to children Magik feels a strong responsibility to ensure that the arts remain an integral part of San Antonio students' education. Our ticket subsidy program, Tickets to Literacy, discounted 28,500 student tickets in the past year for Title 1 schools, 4824 of which were free to the schools; and another 5,300 students saw one of our touring shows free.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Since our inception, we have produced more than 250 Main-Stage and touring shows, played to more than 3 million people from over 750 schools in 85 school districts, and employed more than 270 theatre professionals.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
The Magik Theatre
Board of directorsas of 05/21/2024
Mrs. Pamela Bramble
ArchPoint
Term: 2023 - 2026
Doren Fein Ruttenberg
Las Casas
Alonzo Guzman
Ernst & Young
Alan Petlin
Petlin Flooring
Chuck Calvin
SpawGlass
John Heard
Heard & Smith, LLP
Richard Flores
Southwest ISD
John Heard
Heard and Smith
Melissa Chamrad
Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation
Sara Chadek
HEB
Adrian Bretado
USAA
Steph Guist
Trinity University
Janell Guzman
USAA
Patrick Laabs
Retired
Karin Wasilyw
RSM US LLP
Natalie Smith
Weston Urban
Marcie Ramsey
KGB Communications
Brittany McCabe
PreK 4 SA
Rana Emerson
College Possible Texas
Meredith Alvarez
Bell Flor
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/29/2024GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
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