Theatre Communications Group Celebrates Seventh Annual Free Night of Theater

Theatre Communication Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre has announced the seventh annual Free Night of Theater-the largest audience development program in the U.S. During the month of October, theatres across the country will offer tickets to live performances free-of-charge. In order to enhance Free Night of Theater, TCG partnered with LA Stage Alliance, a long-time Free Night managing partner, to launch a brand-new "Enter-to-Win" ticketing system.

Free Night of Theater was introduced by TCG in 2005 as a three-city pilot program to increase public awareness of and attract new and non-traditional audiences to theatres in communities across the U.S.
Over the past six years, the program has introduced more than 250,000 new theatergoers to the thrill of live performance. In October 2010, more than 600 theatres offered 55,000 tickets to more than 1,800 performances in 21 states.

"We're proud of the impact that the Free Night of Theater program has had across the U.S," said Teresa Eyring, executive director of TCG. "On the heels of our partnership with LA Stage Alliance for the TCG National Conference and with their proven track record of successful ticketing systems, this year's Free Night promises to be even more impactful. The Enter-to-Win ticketing system will allow regions to better target specific demographics, reaching new audiences and increasing the participation of infrequent theatre attendees in their communities."

Terence McFarland, CEO of LA STAGE Alliance added, "It's inspiring to our Alliance members that the ideas developed by our community can have a significant impact in many of our sister regions. Through the Enter-to-Win system, patrons can have a more expansive set of options, and arts organizations will be able to start building relationships with many more patrons than they could before. Our research and reporting partnerships should help move the organization/audience relationship forward in a great new way."

Free Night of Theater will take place from October 1 - October 31, 2011. Participating states include: California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Washington.

Free tickets become available in early September. Ticketing processes and release dates vary by region. For more information and to obtain tickets, visit www.freenightoftheater.net.

For 50 years, Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, has existed to strengthen, nurture and promote the professional not-for-profit American theatre. TCG's constituency has grown from a handful of groundbreaking theatres to nearly 700 member theatres and affiliate organizations and more than 13,000 individuals nationwide. TCG offers its members networking and knowledge-building opportunities through conferences, events, research and communications; awards grants, approximately $2 million per year, to theatre companies and individual artists; advocates on the federal level; and serves as the US Center of the International Theatre Institute, connecting its constituents to the global theatre community. TCG is North America's largest independent publisher of dramatic literature, with 11 Pulitzer Prizes for Best Play on the TCG booklist. It also publishes the award-winning AMERICAN THEATRE magazine and ARTSEARCH®, the essential source for a career in the arts. In all of its endeavors, TCG seeks to increase the organizational efficiency of its member theatres, cultivate and celebrate the artistic talent and achievements of the field and promote a larger public understanding of, and appreciation for, the theatre. www.tcg.org

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