Free Night of Theater 2007
In 2007, the program expanded through a process of targeted growth to include new regions, cities and theatres; participation was not available to open enrollment. TCG's focus was to selectively introduce Free Night into regions of the country that were previously not represented in the program; specifically communities in the Midwest, mountain states and the Southeast.
Free Night 2007 participants included Atlanta, Austin, Boise, Cincinnati, Cleveland, the state of Connecticut, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Lexington (KY), Los Angeles, the state of New Jersey, the state of North Carolina, Oregon (in Ashland and Eugene), Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle/Greater Puget Sound, South Carolina/Charleston, several states represented by Southeastern Theatre Conference, Utah, Washington D.C. and the state of Wisconsin.
In 2007, TCG continued to work closely with APASO organizations to produce Free Night and also introduced arts councils as management partners. Free Night 2007 offered more than 30,000 free tickets to over 600 performances presented by 398 participating theatre companies from coast to coast.
Ticket Reservations
- 398 participating theatre companies presented more than 600 performances offering more than 30,000 tickets
Shugoll Research Highlights
- Of those trying a new theatre during Free Night 2007, 41% returned to that theatre and purchased tickets, including 4% who purchased a subscription, showing the benefit of the program to the participating theatres
- Of the 41% who returned and purchased a ticket, 52% bought a full price ticket
- Eighty percent of those attending Free Night have gone to a theatre since the program, including 38% of those who only attend the theatre infrequently (two or fewer times or less). Further, 33% say they go to the theater more now than before the program and 85% of them attribute additional attendance to the Free Night program
According to the online survey of the 2007 Free Night patrons, required when they made their ticket reservation, the program attracted a significant number of people who fall into non-traditional theatre participant categories, including infrequent theatregoers, young people, less educated, non-white and those with lower household incomes. Specifically, 25% of those at Free Night attended the theatre two or fewer times in the last year, 28% are under age 35, 21% have less than a college degree, 28% are non-white, and 35% have incomes under $50,000.