Barrington Stage Opens Interactive iCritic Booth Connecting Audiences to Web

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), under the leadership of Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director, and TriStan Wilson, Managing Director, launched an iCritic Booth during the first week of performances for their hit production of "Guys and Dolls". The first of its kind in Berkshire County, the interactive iCritic Booth is located in the Barrington Stage Company Mainstage lobby and allows audience members to record video reviews following Mainstage performances. The videos are then uploaded to BSC's iCritic Booth YouTube channel and shared through social media, email newsletters and BSC's website.

"With the iCritic Booth, we are trying to stay ahead of the curve in social media," said Artistic Director Julianne Boyd. "We want our patrons to know we care what they think about our productions. It's important to our growth and to our development as an inclusive theatre community."

Marketing Director Laura Roudabush, who initiated the iCritic Booth, said "We know that if we are to be successful in building future audiences for the theatre, we need to connect with people through new technology and social media. These are the platforms young people are using to communicate and we are thrilled to see so many children, youth and young adults participate in creating iCritic Booth reviews already."

To date, 40 videos have been posted and viewed nearly 1,000 times. The iCritic Booth is part of Barrington Stage 2.0, a set of technology-based initiatives aimed at developing young audiences including greater incorporation of video into overall audience engagement and cultivation efforts; further development of the BSC website to incorporate blogging, video and social media tools, and the launch of a new membership program for patrons ages 18-35.

Major funding for Barrington Stage's iCritic Booth was secured through a New Generations Program for Future Audiences grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Theatre Communications Group (the National Organization for the American Theatre), awarded to Barrington Stage in 2010.

Future Audiences grants were awarded to five theatres in 2010 with a successful track record of reaching young, culturally specific and/or underserved communities. Matching grants of up to $65,000 ($32,500 per year) were awarded to support the development or expansion of technology focused initiatives aimed at cultivating a diverse audience. Barrington Stage will receive $51,600 between 2010 and 2012 through the New Generations award and will fully match the grant to support Barrington Stage 2.0.

To view videos recorded in the iCritic Booth, visit youtube.com/icriticbooth. For more information on Barrington Stage Company, please visit barringtonstageco.org.

About Barrington Stage Company
Barrington Stage Company, a professional award-winning Equity regional theatre located in the heart of the Berkshires, in Pittsfield , MA , was co-founded in 1995 by Artistic Director Julianne Boyd . Barrington Stage's mission is three-fold: to present top-notch, compelling work; to develop new plays and musicals; and to find fresh, bold ways to bringing new audiences into the theatre-especially young people. Barrington Stage garnered national attention in 2004 when it workshopped, and premiered William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin's musical hit The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which later transferred to Broadway's Circle-in-the-Square Theatre where it won two Tony Awards and played more than 1,000 performances. In 2009/2010 Barrington Stage produced the world premiere of Mark St. Germain's Freud's Last Session, which later moved Off-Broadway to the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater, where it resumed performances on January 14, 2011. For more information, log on to www.barringtonstageco.org.

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