Reach new audiences through the new-and-improved Free Night NYC.

It is that time of year again for Free Night NYC. We’ve heard your feedback and have exciting changes to announce. These changes address concerns around the ticketing system and the no-show rates, so please take a look and sign up to participate by September 1, 2011.

In partnership with LA Stage Alliance and through a generous grant from Sony Pictures Entertainment, a brand new, enter-to-win ticketing system has been created for use across the country. 

What’s different about this system?

1. It will no longer be a race to the finish for our patrons to get tickets. Instead, audiences will have one week to peruse the site and choose their top 5 picks in priority order.
2. Participating theaters will no longer need to allocate the number of tickets to any given performance until seeing the demand for the particular show. Once the number of requests is received, theaters can determine how many tickets to give.
3. Free Night NYC will offer two blocks of ticket releases to the patrons. The first block is for performances between October 1-16 and the second block is for performances between October 17-31. This will not affect the inputting of shows for participating theaters, but will assist in the curbing of no-show rates.
4. There will be a webinar training session hosted by LA Stage Alliance and NYC’s Regional Administrator on Monday, August 15 at 2pm EST.  This will be between 45-90 minutes in duration.

Who participates in Free Night of Theater?

Last year 140 theatres across all five boroughs offered over 400 performances that were enjoyed by 10,000 theatergoers; 80% of whom were first-time visitors to their FREE NIGHT theatre.  54% of these audience members were under the age of 35; 20% between 35 and 44 years old!  Women accounted for 66% of the participants, and they were quite diverse: 36% were White; 16% Hispanic/Latino; 14% African-American; and 12% Asian American/Pacific Islanders.  In fact, New York City’s audience was much more diverse than the national average (52% White; 10.7% Hispanic/Latino; 10.6% African-American and 9.8% Asian-American/Pacific Islanders) and skewed slightly younger. 

New to Free Night NYC? For more information or to sign up to participate, visit www.freenightnyc.net or email Jennifer Conley Darling at [email protected].

Free Night NYC Managing Partners

The Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York
The Arts & Business Council of New York
The League of Independent Theater
Theatre Development Fund
Theatre Communications Group