Theatre Alliance of Greater Philly Plans to Double Theatre Attendance by 2020

The Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia is connecting theatre celebrities with the public through more Philly Theatre Casting Couch events. Supported by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, as part of its Knight Arts Challenge - this audience engagement initiative aims double ticket sales to Philadelphia theatre by 2020.

Currently the Greater Philadelphia theatre industry books over one million tickets to more than 500 shows each season. The plan to double those numbers begins with using the Philly Theatre Casting Couch as a traveling talk show where Philadelphia's theatre celebrities go out to the community to engage their audiences in conversations about theatre. The videotaped interviews are posted on YouTube and considered for inclusion in advertisements about Philadelphia's vibrant theatre industry.

"The Casting Couch breaks down the wall between theatregoer and theatre artist by sitting them down together," says Margie Salvante, Executive Director of the Theatre Alliance. "It gives people the chance to reflect on what live theatre has to offer them, and it gives our theatre stars a chance to engage with the audiences they perform for on a more personal level."

The Philly Theatre Casting Couch idea was first launched in April of 2010 with appearances at various Center City parks and thoroughfares. When matched this $100,000 challenge grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation's Knight Arts Challenge will support an expanded initiative that brings the Philly Theatre Casting Couch to even more and diverse communities in throughout the region.

"Today's audiences demand engagement and a two-way conversation. The Casting Couch is a great way to inspire them and provide a deeply felt reminder of how important the arts are to our lives," said Dennis Scholl, Knight Foundation's vice president/arts.

With this initiative, the Theatre Alliance is discovering how its audiences engage with theatre. The stories that are collected from the Casting Couch interviews back up the findings reported by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance from their Cultural Engagement Index survey of 2009. Fifty-six percent of Casting Couch participants report parents and family as the first people to bring them to the theatre. At 78%, the majority of them had that first experience by the age of 17, and more than half of those were by the age of 10. "People learn to go to the theatre from their families, and they learn it at an early age," says Salvante. "In addition, at a rate of 20%, when families aren't the first to introduce people to theatre, our schools are." The Theatre Alliance is turning these discoveries, along with others, back to its membership to help them understand and improve their engagement with their audiences.

The final piece of the Theatre Alliance Audience Engagement Initiative is to connect individuals with a seat in the theatre by encouraging them to visit www.phillytheatretix.com where they will find convenient, direct access to information about tickets for theatre across the region.

About the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia
The Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia strengthens and leads the region's richly diverse theatre community by promoting positive awareness and serving as a resource for information, professional development, and advocacy. The Greater Philadelphia region spans three states and several counties, and supports over 150 theatre companies - from the oldest continuously operated theatre in the nation, to the small emerging and community theatres. The Theatre Alliance also provides resources to the individual local theatre artists and over one million theatregoers in the region. The Theatre Alliance is guided by a philosophy of collaboration - within the theatre community, the larger arts and cultural community, and the public community at large - toward the goal of increasing the impact of theatre on the Greater Philadelphia region, and seeing Philadelphia emerge as a World Class Theatre City.

Matching support for the Knight Arts Challenge, so far include CHG Charitable Trust, Clear Sound, and PECO. Promotional partners include 6ABC, WXPN and Center City District.

For more, visit www.phillytheatretix.com.

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation advances journalism in the digital age and invests in the vitality of communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. Knight Foundation focuses on projects that promote informed and engaged communities and lead to transformational change. The foundation's Knight Arts Challenge is a $9 million initiative funding innovative projects that inspire and enrich Philadelphia's communities.

For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org.