Getting Started
From zero to a working inventory in under 10 minutes.
Creating Your Account
Go to theatre4u.org
Click Get Started Free or Create Account. No credit card required.
Enter your organization name
Use your program's full name — e.g. "Lincoln High Drama Dept." This appears on your listings and community posts.
Enter your access code (if you have one)
If you were invited as a Leading Player beta member, enter your access code — e.g. LEADINGPLAYER. Leave blank if you don't have one.
Confirm your email
Click the confirmation link sent to your email address. If it doesn't arrive within a few minutes, check your spam folder and ask your IT department to whitelist [email protected].
Complete the onboarding flow
A short welcome overlay guides you through three options to get started: add items manually, import from a CSV spreadsheet, or load sample data to explore the platform.
Setting Up Your Profile
Your profile helps other programs find you and makes your Exchange listings more trustworthy. Go to Profile in the sidebar to set it up anytime.
Program Name
Your school or organization's full name as it appears to other programs.
City & State
Used for proximity sorting in Community Board and Backstage Exchange.
About
A sentence or two about your program — what you produce, your department's focus.
Program Type
School, Community Theatre, College, Professional, or District.
Inventory Management
Catalog everything — costumes, props, lighting, sound, sets, scripts, and more.
Adding an Item
Click "Add Item" in the Inventory toolbar
The gold button in the upper right of the Inventory page. Or click the FAB (floating gold button) on mobile.
Fill in the item details
Name, category, condition, size, quantity, and availability are the core fields. Notes are great for production history or care instructions.
Add a photo
Tap the photo area to upload from your device. One clear photo is worth a thousand words when you're searching for a specific piece at midnight before opening night.
Assign a storage location (optional)
If you've set up storage locations, select one from the dropdown — e.g. "Costume Closet A" or "Storage Container 1". This lets you browse all items in a container later.
Set Backstage Exchange status (optional)
Choose Not Listed, For Rent, For Sale, For Loan, or Rent or Sale. If you haven't joined Backstage Exchange yet, a yellow notice will appear — the item won't be visible to other programs until you join.
Save
Click "Add Item." The item appears immediately in your inventory with its auto-assigned ID.
Item IDs — COST-001 Format
Every item in Theatre4u gets a human-readable ID automatically assigned when it's added. The prefix tells you the category at a glance.
| Prefix | Category | Example |
|---|---|---|
| COST | Costumes | COST-001, COST-047 |
| PROP | Props | PROP-003 |
| SET | Sets & Scenery | SET-012 |
| LITE | Lighting | LITE-008 |
| SOND | Sound Equipment | SOND-002 |
| SCRP | Scripts & Music | SCRP-005 |
| MKUP | Makeup & Wigs | MKUP-001 |
| FURN | Stage Furniture | FURN-004 |
| FABR | Fabrics & Drapes | FABR-002 |
| TOOL | Tools & Hardware | TOOL-006 |
| EFCT | Special Effects | EFCT-001 |
Inventory Views: Grid, Table, and Locations
Grid View
Photo-forward cards showing item name, ID, condition, quantity, and market status. Best for browsing.
Table View
Compact row format for scanning large inventories quickly. Sortable, with inline edit and delete.
Locations View
Browse by storage location — see everything in Container 1, Costume Closet A, etc. Full details below.
Searching & Filtering
The search bar matches against item name, notes, location text, tags, and item ID. Filters let you narrow by category, condition, availability, and market status.
Storage Locations
Create named locations — rooms, closets, rolling racks, storage containers — and know exactly where everything lives.
Setting Up Locations
Go to Inventory → 📦 Locations tab
Click the Locations button in the view toggle at the top of the Inventory page (alongside Grid and Table).
Click "Add Location"
Give the location a name — e.g. "Storage Container 1", "Costume Closet A", "Prop Room Shelf 3", "Upstage Right Rack".
Add a short code (optional)
A 1–8 character code like SC1 or CCA. This appears large on the printed QR label for quick visual identification — helpful when you have many bins.
Print a QR label for the container
Click the 🖨 QR Label button on any location. Print it and stick it on the bin or door. Scanning it will eventually link to a public view of that container's contents.
Assigning Items to Locations
When adding or editing any item, a Assign to Location dropdown appears if you have locations defined. Selecting a location links the item structurally — not just as a text label.
Browsing a Location's Contents
In the Locations tab, each location shows a live item count. Click the count link (e.g. "20 items →") to open a modal listing every item in that location — with its ID, category, condition, and quantity. You can click Edit directly from that view to update any item.
QR Code Labels
Every item and storage location gets a scannable QR code. Stick them on bins, racks, and shelves.
Printing an Item QR Label
Open an item's detail view
Click any item in Grid or Table view to open its detail panel.
Find the QR Code Label section
Scroll to the QR section. The code is already generated — you'll see the item name and its ID (e.g. COST-047) alongside the scannable code.
Click Print or Save
Print opens a print-ready page with the item name, ID, and QR code. Save downloads the QR image as a PNG you can use in a label maker or Word document.
What's on the Printed Label
Item Name
Full item name at the top of the label.
Item ID
The COST-001 style ID in large amber text — readable at a glance without scanning.
QR Code
Scans to the item's public detail page — category, condition, location, and photos.
Location
If a location is set, it appears on the label below the category.
Location Container Labels
In the Locations tab, each location has its own 🖨 QR Label button. The container label shows the location name, short code in large type, current item count, and a QR code. Print one for every bin, closet, and rack.
Print All QR Codes at Once
In Reports, click Print All QR to generate a printable sheet with QR labels for your entire inventory — useful at the start of a season or after a major acquisition.
Backstage Exchange
Browse items from other programs. List your own for rent, sale, or free loan. Keep the community's resources in circulation.
Joining Backstage Exchange
Click Backstage Exchange in the sidebar
Pro and District users see a join screen on their first visit explaining exactly what gets shared and what stays private.
Review the privacy disclosure
Only items you explicitly mark as For Rent, For Sale, For Loan, or Rent or Sale appear in the Exchange. Your other inventory, messages, and financial data are never visible to other programs.
Click "Join Backstage Exchange"
You're in immediately. Your listed items become visible to other Theatre4u programs right away.
Listing Your Items
Open any item in Inventory and edit it. Under Backstage Exchange, change the listing status:
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Not Listed | Private — only visible to your organization |
| For Rent | Available weekly at your set price |
| For Sale | Available to purchase outright |
| Rent or Sale | Either arrangement welcome |
| For Loan | Free loan with optional deposit; set the loan period in weeks |
Requesting an Item from Another Program
Browse the Exchange and find an item
Use search and category filters to find what you need.
Click "Request"
Opens a form showing the item details, rental price or sale price, and a message field.
Choose dates and add a message
Specify the dates you need the item and any relevant details about your production.
Submit the request
The item owner receives an email notification and can approve or decline from their Requests page.
Arrange payment directly with the owner
Theatre4u™ records the agreed price — but cash payment happens directly between your organizations outside of Theatre4u™. Use a school check, Venmo, invoice, or whatever you both agree on.
Leaving Backstage Exchange
You can leave Backstage Exchange at any time from the Exchange page or from Profile → Settings. Your items will immediately stop appearing to other programs. Your inventory and data are unaffected.
Managing Requests
Handle incoming requests for your items and track outgoing requests you've made.
Handling an Incoming Request (Owner)
You receive an email notification
When someone requests one of your items, you get an email from [email protected] with the details.
Open Requests in the sidebar
The red badge shows how many pending requests are waiting.
Review and Approve or Decline
Click the request to see full details. Approve to accept — the requester is notified immediately. Decline with an optional reason if you're unavailable.
Mark as Returned when done
When the item comes back, click Mark Returned. This completes the transaction and updates the item's availability calendar.
Messages
Real-time chat with other programs about items and transactions.
Every approved request opens a conversation thread automatically between your program and the requester. You can also start a conversation directly from any item in Backstage Exchange by clicking Message.
Real-time
Messages appear instantly — no need to refresh.
Email Notifications
You'll receive an email when you get a new message while offline.
Unread Badge
The sidebar shows a badge with your unread message count.
Community Board
A shared space for theatre programs to connect — post shows, auditions, resource shares, and more.
Post Types
| Type | Use for |
|---|---|
| 🎬 Upcoming Show | Share production dates, venue, ticket links |
| 🎤 Audition Notice | Seeking cast or crew members |
| 📸 Production Photos | Share photos from recent shows (up to 6 images) |
| 🔍 Item Wanted | Looking for a specific prop, costume, or piece of equipment |
| 🤝 Resource Share | Offering resources, tips, templates, or useful materials to other programs |
| 📢 Announcement | News, updates, or anything else your community should know |
Making a Post
Click Community in the sidebar
If you haven't joined yet, you'll see the join screen first.
Click "+ Share Something"
The gold button at the top of the Community Board.
Choose a post type and fill in the details
Add a title, body, and any photos. Your program name and city appear automatically on the post.
Filtering by Region
Use the state/region dropdown at the top of the Community Board to filter posts by geography. "Nearby" shows programs within your proximity. You can also filter by post type to see only Audition Notices, Item Wanted posts, or Resource Shares.
Productions
Track which items are assigned to which show. Build a production library over time.
Create a Production
Go to Productions and click New Production. Add the show name, dates, and notes.
Assign Items
Link inventory items to a production — build a prop list, costume list, or full equipment manifest for each show.
Production History
Past productions stay in the system. Useful when remounting a show or tracking what you've produced.
Reports
Analyze your inventory and export data in a format you can actually use.
Category Breakdown
Item counts and estimated value by category — good for grant applications and end-of-year reports.
Condition Report
See how much of your inventory is New, Good, Fair, or Poor — helps prioritize purchasing decisions.
Market Status
How many items are listed, what's for rent vs. sale vs. loan.
Export CSV
Download your full inventory as a spreadsheet. Opens in Excel or Google Sheets. Includes all fields: name, category, condition, location, ID, and more.
Print All QR
Generates a printable sheet of QR labels for your entire inventory.
Funding Tracker
Track grants, district allocations, booster income, and expenditures — for any funding source, any state.
Setting Up a Funding Source
Go to Funding in the sidebar
Available on Pro and District plans.
Click "Add Funding Source"
Choose the type: Grant, District Allocation, Booster/Fundraising, Earned Income, Donation, or Other.
Enter the funding details
Amount awarded, fiscal year, and any notes. The tracker builds a running total of available vs. spent funds as you log purchases.
Logging Expenditures
For each purchase, click Add Expenditure on a funding source. Enter the vendor, amount, date, category (Instruction, Equipment, Supplies, etc.), and a description. The tracker updates your remaining balance automatically.
Migrating from Prop 28 Tracking
If you previously used Theatre4u's Prop 28 tracking tool, a migration option is available in the Prop 28 section of the sidebar. It moves your existing purchase records into the Funding Tracker as a Grant funding source. Your original data is preserved.
Mobile App
Add items by photo, scan QR codes, and check your inventory from anywhere — no App Store required.
Installing on iPhone
Open Safari on your iPhone
The mobile app requires Safari on iOS — Chrome and other browsers don't support installation on iPhone.
Go to theatre4u.org/app
Make sure you're logged in to your account.
Tap the Share button
The box-with-arrow icon at the bottom of Safari's toolbar.
Tap "Add to Home Screen"
Scroll down in the share sheet if you don't see it immediately. Tap Add to confirm.
Open from your home screen
The Theatre4u™ icon appears on your home screen. Tap it to open the app in full-screen mode — no browser chrome, no address bar.
Installing on Android
Open Chrome on your Android device
Go to theatre4u.org/app.
Tap the three-dot menu
Upper right corner of Chrome.
Tap "Add to Home Screen" or "Install App"
Android may show a banner automatically if you visit the page a few times. Either tap the banner or use the menu option.
What's in the Mobile App
Home
Recent items, quick stats, and fast access to your most-used actions.
Items
Full inventory list with search. Tap any item to view or edit details.
Add Item
Gold FAB button — tap to add a new item. Snap a photo directly from your phone's camera.
Funding
Log expenditures and check balances on the go — available on Pro plan.
District Administration
Manage multiple school theatre programs from one account.
Inviting Schools to Your District
Go to District in the sidebar
Available on the District plan. Shows all linked school accounts.
Click "Invite School"
Enter the teacher's email address. They receive an invite link.
School accepts the invite
When they click the link, their Theatre4u account is linked to your district. Their inventory and data remain theirs — you gain view access.
Switching Between Schools
In the District dashboard, click any school name to switch into that school's context. The inventory, reports, and funding views all switch to show that school's data. Click "Back to District" to return to the district overview.
CSV Import
Already have an inventory spreadsheet? Upload it directly.
Importing from a Spreadsheet
Prepare your spreadsheet
Export as CSV from Excel or Google Sheets. Column headers don't need to match exactly — the importer will map them for you.
Go to Inventory and click the import button
The CSV import option is in the Inventory toolbar.
Map your columns
The importer detects columns and suggests mappings. Review and confirm before importing. Common columns: Name, Category, Condition, Quantity, Location, Notes.
Review and import
A preview shows the first few rows. Click Import to load everything. Item IDs are assigned automatically to all imported items.
Team Sharing — Students & Staff
Invite students and staff to help manage inventory. Three role levels give you precise control over what they can do.
The Three Roles
| Role | Who it's for | What they can do |
|---|---|---|
| 📋 Stage Manager | Senior students, tech directors, co-directors | Add, edit, and delete items · Upload photos · Access Funding Tracker · View Backstage Exchange and Community Board · View Messages and Requests |
| 🔧 Crew | Students helping catalog or move inventory | Add and edit items · Upload photos · QR lookup — cannot delete items or access financial features |
| 🎟 House | Students who need read-only access, parents, volunteers | View and search inventory · Look up items by QR scan — cannot add, edit, or delete anything |
Inviting Someone to Your Team
Go to Profile → Team
In the sidebar, click Profile then scroll to the Team section.
Choose how to invite
Two options: Email Invite — enter their email and choose a role, they get a direct link. Join Code — generates a short code like ABC-123 you can share via text or post in your drama room.
They visit theatre4u.org/join
They enter the code or click the email link, create a free account, and are immediately added to your team with the role you assigned.
They log in to Theatre4u
They sign in at theatre4u.org normally. The app automatically shows your program's inventory with their role applied. A banner at the top shows them which program they're managing and what role they have.
Managing Your Team
Change Roles
Promote a Crew member to Stage Manager (or vice versa) at any time from the Team list. Takes effect on their next page load.
Remove Members
Remove anyone from the team instantly. They lose access immediately — their account still exists but no longer sees your inventory.
Reset Join Code
If a join code is shared too broadly, generate a new one. Old code stops working immediately.
See Who's Active
The Team list shows all current members, their roles, and when they joined.
Suggested Uses by Role
| Task | Best role |
|---|---|
| Photographing and cataloging new items after a show | 📋 Stage Manager or 🔧 Crew |
| Strike inventory — checking items back in | 📋 Stage Manager or 🔧 Crew |
| Printing QR labels and tagging storage bins | 🔧 Crew |
| Looking up whether a costume is in stock | 🎟 House |
| Parent or volunteer checking availability | 🎟 House |
| Managing rentals and Exchange listings | 📋 Stage Manager |
| Co-director or tech director — full inventory management | 📋 Stage Manager |
Plans & Pricing
Start free. Upgrade when you're ready.
| Feature | Free | Pro | District |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory items | Up to 50 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| QR labels & photos | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Storage Locations | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Item IDs (COST-001) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Productions tracking | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CSV import & export | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Browse Backstage Exchange | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Post to Backstage Exchange | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Funding Tracker | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Community Board | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mobile App | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-school management | — | — | ✓ |
| District dashboard | — | — | ✓ |
Pro is $12/month or $120/year. District is $49/month or $500/year. Leading Players in the beta program have free access for the duration of the beta period.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Theatre4u without upgrading to Pro?›
What is the COST-001 number on my items?›
My item is marked For Rent but it's not showing in Backstage Exchange. Why?›
How does payment work between programs?›
When your request is approved, the agreed amount is logged and visible to both parties. Payment happens directly between your organizations outside of Theatre4u — by school check, Venmo, PayPal, invoice, or any method you both agree on. Coordinate in the Messages thread attached to each request.
Both parties are responsible for completing payment as agreed. Theatre4u is not liable for non-payment between organizations.
Is the mobile app available in the App Store?›
Can I use the Funding Tracker for any type of funding?›
Can multiple people at my school use the same account?›
How do I set up storage locations for my bins and closets?›
What image formats can I upload for item photos?›
How do I get my school's IT department to whitelist Theatre4u emails?›
Can students use Theatre4u to help with inventory?›
What's the difference between a Join Code and an Email Invite?›
Can team members see my funding data or billing?›
Still have questions?
Email us at [email protected] and we'll get back to you within one business day.
Contact Support