LOWT And TCG Team Up To Provide The DC Area With Their Annual 'Free Night Of Theater' 10/6-11/19

The League of Washington Theatres (LOWT), in conjunction with Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national association of non-profit theatres in America, presents the Washington, D.C. area's 4th annual FREE NIGHT OF THEATER from October 6 thru November 19, 2009. (The official date for FREE NIGHT OF THEATER nationally is Thursday, October 15 but expanded dates are being offered to increase theatre participation and available tickets as all theatres are not performing on the official date).

FREE NIGHT OF THEATER (FNOT) is TCG's annual national audience development program to attract new theatergoers to America's professional not-for-profit theatres. LOWT has garnered the support of 23 theatres and Washington National Opera to offer potential theatregoers almost 4000 free tickets (as of Sept. 22) to their productions. Washington, D.C. is one of many communities across the country participating in the program, begun in 2005 (in select cities). This is the area's fourth year of involvement.

The goal of FNOT is to encourage ‘first-timers' to see their first live theatre performance while giving regular theatregoers a chance to visit a theatre they have not previously attended. Audience surveys have shown that around 70% of FNOT patrons were attending a specific theatre for the first time, almost 50% returned to that theatre again, and around 80% purchased theatre tickets for an area theatre following their experience with FNOT (survey courtesy Shugoll Research).

Theatregoers will be able to reserve tickets through the LOWT website, www.lowt.org, beginning at noon on Thursday, October 1, 2009. Patrons can reserve up to two (2) free tickets and are encouraged to visit a theatre that they have not previously attended. Once tickets have been reserved through the website, patrons will receive a reminder about their reservation and pick up their tickets at the individual theatre's box office on the night of the show. Typically the tickets are all taken within 20-30 minutes.

DISCOUNT COUPON. Because available tickets are taken online so quickly, LOWT is also further encouraging theatre attendance across the area, as well as satisfy those who may not be able to get tickets with the LOWT Theatre Discount Coupon. This will be posted online and list a variety of additional discount offers from area theatres available through the fall (further details forthcoming).

Organizations participating in FREE NIGHT OF THEATER 2009: Adventure Theatre, American Century Theatre, American Shakespeare Center (Staunton, VA), Arena Stage, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, Folger Theatre, Ford's Theatre, Forum Theatre, GALA Hispanic Theatre, Imagination Stage, Keegan Theatre, MetroStage, Quotidian Theatre Company, Rep Stage, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Signature Theatre, Solas Nua, Synetic Theater, Teatro de la Luna, Theater J, Washington Shakespeare Company, Washington Stage Guild, and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, as well as Washington National Opera.

To post a comment, you must register and login.