Category: Marketing
Happy Halloween!! iO Theater on making fake blood
This morning on NBC5-Chicago, Nick Hausman of iO Theater and ComedySportz shows us the Hitchcock-method of making fake blood. (Believe me, there’s nothing more amateurish than a theatre production that uses blood that is bright red)
Being that this concoction is mostly chocolate syrup, I love the idea of making “blood sundaes” using the recipe. I bet my nieces and nephews would love it!
By the way, this type of thing is a great way for theater companies to get free press. I’m not sure if NBC5 sought out Nick or vice versa, but I’m sure that – after seeing this spot on TV – many viewers checked out the theater companies on the web.
Broadway In Chicago: Skate to "Xanadu"
On Friday, October 24th, be one of the first 20 people to skate to the Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place box office (175 E. Chestnut, Chicago) and receive a pair of tickets to the first performance of “XANADU” on Friday, January 16, PLUS a copy of the original Broadway cast recording!
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What is XANADU???
ANSWER: Put a bunch of smash pop songs, the Tony® Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane and the cutest couple in town into a Broadway blender, and what do you get? A roller-skating, disco-dancing, glow-stick-waving smash-hit musical! Taking audiences back to 1980 California, this hilarious new musical follows the beautiful Kira, who travels to earth to inspire a struggling young artist named Sonny. A vision in leg warmers and wind-swept hair, she helps this hunky painter find his voice, discover true love and build the world’s first roller disco (not necessarily in that order).
Think Fast….
Karin McKie of Tree Falls Productions has written an informative article in CAR (ChicagoArtistResource.org) regarding the best ways for a theatre company to get the word out about their production. You can read it here.
October is National Arts & Humanities Month. Get involved!
Flex-pass for multiple Rogers Park theater companies!
Rogers Park Theatres Offer 2008-2009 Season Flex Pass
$50 to See Four Plays at Four Theatres; Dining Discounts at Local Eateries
What a great, great idea! I know that often potential theatre-goers are wary of being “tied down” to specific dates, which is the m.o. of most theatre subscriptions. (on a personal note, being on the board of my condo, I am very aware that people feign away from being on committees for fear of being “tied down” to a meeting schedule). But now theatre-devotees have an offer they can’t refuse – you can go to various theatres without being shackled to specific dates, specific shows and specific number of seats for the performance. Brilliant!
The participating Rogers Park theatres, all in the Glenwood Avenue Arts District, include Bohemian Theatre Ensemble, Lifeline Theatre, The Side Project, and Theo Ubique. (Okay, it’s a bit of a stretch to designate the Side Project as part of the Glenwood Arts district, but who am I to question). The flexible subscription pass will be valid for any of these theatre’s productions from September 15, 2008, to July 1, 2009. This foursome garnered nine non-Equity Jeff Awards this season alone, and wanted to share this commitment to excellence in this neighborhood with the community, by offering this discounted pass with up to 40% savings over regular single tickets.
Where: The $50, four-show pass – good for one adult or kids show, anytime during the season, from each of the four participating theaters (offer does not include participant shows in venues outside Rogers Park) – is available at each theatre’s box office, and at www.thesideproject.net/tickets.php The pass is business card-sized to be kept throughout the season, to be punched when used at each theatre, and displayed at each restaurant when a discount is requested.
Who: Participating theatres and 2008-2009 season offerings include (call or visit the Web sites for run dates and details):
Bohemian Theatre Ensemble (BoHo) at the Heartland Studio Theater, 7016 N. Glenwood Ave., 773-791-2393, info@bohotheatre.com, www.bohotheatre.com – “Bernarda Alba – A Musical,” “Playing with Fire (After Frankenstein),” “The Tempest.”
Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave., 773-761-4477, info@lifelinetheatre.com, www.lifelinetheatre.com – MainStage shows “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” “Mariette in Ecstasy,” “Busman’s Honeymoon,” and KidSeries shows “Duck for President,” “Snowflake Tim’s Big Holiday Adventure,” “Flight of the Dodo,” “Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle.”
Side Project Theatre Company, 1439 W. Jarvis Ave., 773-973-2150, tickets@thesideproject.net, www.thesideproject.net – “Cut to the Quick,” one-acts including “Static/Cling,” “Splinters and Shrapnel,” “Splayed Verbiage (and other compound fractures): 10-Minute Plays with No Time to Waste” (fall 2008); and “The Bird Sanctuary,” “The Rocks” and a second “Splayed Verbiage” (spring 2009); plus Rascal Children’s Theater titles “The Nerdy Girl and the Intergalactic Dog,” “Tam Lin,” “Spinning Yarns: A Journey Through Legends.”
Theo Ubique at the No Exit Café, 6970 N. Glenwood Ave., 773-743-3355, freddyanz@gmail.com, www.theoubique.org – “Jacques Brel’s Lonesome Losers of the Night,” “Evita.”
Dining Discounts: Rogers Park restaurants near these theatres are partnering to offer dining discounts to pass purchasers for the season through July 1, 2009. The Heartland Café (“good wholesome food for the mind and body”), 7000 N. Glenwood Ave., is offering a 15% discount to audiences with a flex pass; Gruppo di Amici (Roman style Italian food), 1508 W. Jarvis Ave., and the Morseland (“good eats, nice beats”), 1218 W. Morse Ave., will extend 10% off to patrons (with flex pass). In addition, Charmers Café/Dagel & Beli [sic] (coffeehouse and bagels), 1500 W. Jarvis Ave., will offer $2 off one order with flex pass (one visit only-not season long). Theo Ubique offers dinner and show packages at the No Exit Café, 6970 N. Glenwood Ave.
Glenwood Avenue Arts District, in the heart of Rogers Park, features numerous artist studios, music venues, theaters and restaurants and is fast becoming known as a vibrant and unique arts destination, which was described in the Daily Herald – “Rogers Park, on the north edge of Chicago, offers an urban vibe, intimate but exciting theater, a variety of live music, good restaurants and largely free parking, not to mention glorious Lake Michigan beachfront open to all.” The theatres in this area frequently are nominated for, and win, Jeff Awards (www.jeffawards.org), and are often picked to perform at the Chicago Park District’s Theater on the Lake, “best of the best” summer season.
Last word: Again, I think this is a great idea. I would suggest looking into getting Raven Theatre on board (maybe they already have), as well as looking into the type of flex pass the Raven uses – one that never expires. I suggest this because I assume that most people will use all of their flex-pass tickets during the first year anyway – but offering tickets with no expiration date just makes the deal that much sweeter.
