What is Theatilo? One platform for theatre groups

Anyone who runs a theatre group knows the patchwork of tools: rehearsal dates live in a messenger group, the member list in a spreadsheet, the scripts sit as photocopies in a cupboard or as attachments in ten different emails, and someone keeps the accounts in a notebook. Every single tool works — together they form a system in which something constantly gets lost. Theatilo set out to end this patchwork.

What is Theatilo?

Theatilo is a management platform for theatre groups and amateur stages. It brings everything that needs organising alongside the actual work on stage into one place: the members with their contact details and roles, rehearsal and performance dates including attendance replies, the scripts and pieces, the group’s internal communication and the finances. Directors and organisers mainly work in the browser, the ensemble uses the iOS and Android apps — and everyone sees the same, up-to-date picture.

That sounds like administration at first, and that is exactly the point: administration is the part of theatre work that nobody misses when it quietly works in the background. Every hour that no longer goes into reminder messages, list-keeping and hunting for slips of paper belongs to the rehearsal again.

Born out of Chorilo

Theatilo is not a fresh start on a greenfield site. The platform grew out of Chorilo, an established management solution for choirs. Many requirements are almost identical for choirs and theatre groups: both organise regular rehearsals with many participants, both work towards performances, both manage members, works and a club treasury. Theatilo takes over these functions, matured over years, and translates them into the language and workflows of the stage — concerts become performances, sheet music becomes scripts and pieces, voice sections become roles.

For you as a user, this heritage means one thing above all: Theatilo does not start from zero, but with a foundation proven in hundreds of ensembles — including mature apps, well-thought-out permissions and hosting on servers in Germany.

Members, dates and rehearsals in one place

The heart of every group is its people. In Theatilo you manage your members with all the details your stage needs — from contact information to custom fields, groups and functions. Scheduling builds on top of that: you create rehearsals and performances, members accept or decline with a single tap, and you can see at any time who you can count on for rehearsal night. Automatic reminders take over the chasing-up that otherwise tends to stick with the directors, and anyone who likes can subscribe to the schedule directly in their calendar app.

Scripts and pieces, digital

You upload pieces and scripts once, centrally — after that, every member carries them on their own device, with the option of adding highlights and annotations directly in the document. Copying, distributing and collecting stacks of paper becomes a thing of the past, and if a cut version arrives shortly before the premiere, everyone instantly has the same version. If you prefer to organise your files locally on your computer, the desktop app Theatilo Files keeps a folder on your machine automatically in sync with the platform.

You learn your lines by listening

A feature that exists in this form only for the stage: Theatilo reads your play aloud. Every role is given a fixed reading voice, stage directions are handled by a narrator voice. You choose an act and roles and learn your lines by listening — on the way to work, out for a walk or on the sofa in the evening. If you want to test yourself, you mute your own role and speak your lines yourself whenever your cue comes up. For musical productions, the voice trainer additionally creates practice audio for every singing voice.

Communication without the paper chaos

Announcements to the whole group, follow-up questions in comments, polls for finding the next date and direct chats — in Theatilo, communication happens where all the other information already lives. Push notifications make sure important messages arrive, without you having to run a private messenger group with all its data-protection side effects.

Cash book, tickets and productions

Even the least popular task of club life has its place: the built-in cash book keeps income and expenses transparent and traceable. For performances you can sell tickets directly through Theatilo, and temporary ventures — the summer theatre, a musical production, a guest performance with a befriended stage — are organised in dedicated project areas that work like a small ensemble connected to the main group.

Who is Theatilo made for?

Theatilo is aimed at amateur stages and independent theatre groups, at school and youth theatre, at musical ensembles and at clubs that need to keep their administration under control alongside the productions themselves. Theatre associations also get their own area for communicating centrally with their member stages. In short: Theatilo is made for everyone with more people on and behind the stage than a single spreadsheet can manage.

How to get started

You can try Theatilo without risk: register for free, set up your stage and test all features for 60 days at your own pace, in real rehearsal life. You will find an overview of all features on the features page — and if you would rather have Theatilo shown to you, we will walk you through the platform in a personal online presentation.