Free Night of Theater
Program Goals
Audience development has long been identified by American professional not-for-profit theatres as one of the most pressing and ongoing issues facing the field today and has become an integral part of TCG's long-range vision for the organization.
As the theatre community must increasingly compete with film, the Internet, television and other entertainment options for the American entertainment dollar, TCG and its membership are committed to the necessity of positioning theatre as a viable, exciting form of live entertainment and social interaction. The Free Night of Theater program is a direct result of our efforts to create a collaborative national program that reaches out to future audiences to help build a healthier not-for-profit theatre sector.
In 2009, TCG seeks to build on the continued annual growth of local individual theatre participation in the Free Night of Theater program from 650 companies in 2008 to more than 800 theatres in 2009, which should in turn, attract close to 100,000 new theatregoers.
The program goals are:
Increase public awareness of American not-for-profit theatre
- Communicate that theatre exists as a viable and exciting entertainment option
- Communicate that theatre content is energetic, accessible and relevant in today's world (?)
- Convey that theatre offers something for everyone
- Educate audiences about the value and involvement of the American not-for-profit theatre in their local community
Attract audiences to American not-for-profit theatre
- Build future audiences by targeting new and infrequent theatregoers
- Attract people to attend a theatre they have never before attended
- Reach demographic groups that are non-traditional theatregoers
- Increase access to theatre for those who would not ordinarily attend due to lack of money or exposure
- Create incentives to combat the perceived (and actual) barrier of price
- Provide a unique entry point to theatre through the incentive of free tickets
- Offer diverse programming choices at participating theatres
- Educate and encourage new theatregoers to become ticket buyers
- Increase aggregate paid attendance at theatres around the country
- Combat a declining subscriber base
- Dissemination of the Free Night program results and "best practices" to the field
Expand TCG's Services and Enhance Its Effectiveness in the Field
- Increase the recognition of TCG as the national organization for American professional not-for-profit theatre and as the originator of the Free Night of Theater program
- Increase TCG's name recognition both within, and outside of, the theatre field
- Strengthen the organization's ability to lead the field
- Elevate the American theatre field and position theatre at the center of U.S. cultural policy
- Expand the reach of TCG's programs
- Acknowledge and incorporate goals of theatre field
- Collaborate with APASO and other management partner organizations
- Strengthen TCG's relationship with individual theatres