HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR SHOW: 14 THINGS TO DO
Dan Goldstein 2004

1. your audience supply. don't blow it too early. that is, if you've got some agents or producers coming, get 'em all there on one night and then pull out all the stops to fill the house. don't just keep extending for the sake of extending-you'll dry up your audience and then when it counts you won't have people left.

2. build a list. put out your own sign-in sheet at your shows to get people's email addresses. the list is the single most important thing in show marketing. build yours any way you can. don't send more than a couple messages a month.

3. celebrities. are one way to get people to come to a show.

4. quotes. ask people to send you their feedback about the show. if it's criticism, see 5. if it's positive, collect it together and use it in your plugs and on your website.

5. improve your show. constantly get negative feedback about your show and fix it. the easiest way to fill the house is through the word of mouth generated by happy theatergoers. if your show is too long or sound system too loud, you as a performer/director will never realize it, you need the crowd to tell you. if you're keeping an email list like in point 2, you can ask those people how the show was.

6. get reviewed. here's a sample press kit contents page: 1 high quality digitally-enhanced slide. Credits: Joe Schmo 3 black and white photographs. Credits: Joe Schmo 1 diskette with digital photo 1 Press pass: admits two 1 Cover letter with story angles 1 Single page press release 5 Articles from Chicago Tribune, Chicago Reader, et al. also include who what where when etc. i have templates of these if y'all need them.

7. get a calendar page feature. the easiest way to do this is to get a high quality photograph. two easy ways to get the page are 1) have someone photoshop the photo to make it striking and unusual 2) have the photo be sexy. if you look at the calendar pages, about half the photos their are sexy or suggesting nudity (but of course not showing it).

8. groups. getting groups in really does the trick. use your college alumni organization to organize a trip to see your show. your friends from work. the junior league. whatever you belong to. no easier way to fill 30 seats.

9. food. give away free food.

10. Web. plug creatively on the web. use a photo.

11. love. put love into everything you do, every note you write. it shows.

12. make it personal. invite people personally if you can

13. make a postcard that is stranger-to-your-theater friendly. be extra careful to show exactly where the theater is. draw a map. show subways. absolutely show cross-streets. people are afraid to go to a new place for the first time. the book the tipping point shows how the simple addition of a map has made a huge difference in a real case study.

14. make a website. but don't sink too much time into it because nobody cares about your stupid show website, they just want practical information like where the theater is, how much it costs, and how to reserve tickets and when to arrive. link to it in your IRC message board signature. put quotes there. people like to read cast bios and see cast headshots. repurpose this stuff on the IRC message boards.