Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Advertising a show

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   So our local community theatre actually just got back on it's feet in 2002-2003.

They do four shows a season, two plays and two musicals. I don't think they completely have their stuff together yet though. I just finished Stage Managing The Miracle Worker and volunteered to design the poster/flyer/program cover and the president also ended up having me make a newspaper ad and such.

Anyways, the promotion done for the show was a write up in the local paper, the ad I made that didn't get into the paper until just before the second weekend and two actors went on a local community talk show to promote it. There were no ads sold for the program and I saw nothing put up around town.

What I'd like to know is what you guys do to promote your shows because something has GOT to be done around here.

Author	Message
tonyboling Star Joined: 3/15/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 55	Topic: Advertising a show Posted: 3/18/08 at 9:29pm
	So our local community theatre actually just got back on it's feet in 2002-2003. They do four shows a season, two plays and two musicals. I don't think they completely have their stuff together yet though. I just finished Stage Managing The Miracle Worker and volunteered to design the poster/flyer/program cover and the president also ended up having me make a newspaper ad and such. Anyways, the promotion done for the show was a write up in the local paper, the ad I made that didn't get into the paper until just before the second weekend and two actors went on a local community talk show to promote it. There were no ads sold for the program and I saw nothing put up around town. What I'd like to know is what you guys do to promote your shows because something has GOT to be done around here.

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Nanette Celebrity Joined: 8/01/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 399	Posted: 3/19/08 at 9:31am
	For the first show we did, I pounded the pavement in a nearby town and locally having our posters put up. Since then we've just put an ad in the local rags and have sent in the press releases weekly. (If I send something to our paper, it gets printed ... newspapers love "good news".) I also take comp tickets in to the newspapers and radio stations. The radio stations are invited to give them away as "on air" prizes. The newspapers are also invited for an interview and photo shoot. The free publicity works well for us (press releases). Putting up posters didn't really seem to bring in any more than we usually get. In the future we're expanding our advertising to surrounding communities (within 50 miles).
	In a world of margarine, be butter!
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John Luzaich Celebrity Joined: 2/24/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 174	Posted: 3/19/08 at 5:51pm
	Tony, Check out "Other Topics" category, and then under that "Marketing Best Practices". There have been a number of posts and many many good comments and suggestions from people involved in various community theatres from large to small. Many posts have to do with marketing, advertising, and public relations.
	John cfct@cfu.net http://www.osterregent.org http://www.facebook.com/osterregent
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Running Your Theater
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Theater Administration :Running Your Theater

Topic: Advertising a show( Topic Closed)