An Open Letter to Professional Theaters

To my Professional Theater friends:

It happens to theaters every day. You try everything to find the right audiences for your theater and make the special connection that will boost community recognition and fill those empty seats. You work to solve problems creatively with outreach camps for teens, play readings for struggling playwrights, and workshops of all kinds.

But still, nothing ever changes.

I’ve learned to appreciate your difficulties and challenges from YOUR perspective, and I have a challenge for you: I want you to forget everything you ever thought you knew about marketing, because StageMagazineOnline.com is changing the face of theater marketing forever.

I only wish I had it available to me when I was at McCarter Theater Company in Princeton, NJ or the Loretto-Hilton Theatre Company (now St. Louis Rep) in St. Louis, MO.

Picture this: You are invited to the swankiest media event. You're ushered into the Green Room where Theater Legends await to talk to YOU. All the greats are there! And over on the other side of the room is the area’s entire community of theater-goers, clapping for you as you come through the door.

They have money in their hands and they're all rushing you at once to buy tickets for your latest production. Security is trying to hold them back but it looks like it might be a stampede! And over in the other corner, actors and actresses of all kinds: tall, short, white, black, thin, fat, begging to audition for you. You pinch yourself and think, "This can't be happening! Everyone together in one room! It must be a dream!"

It's no dream, we assure you. It's really happening, and it's happening right now. StageMagazineOnline.com is a risk-free, virtual Green Room, and everyone is there: performers, staff, theaters, and the loyal Theater Community, starving for top-quality productions.

Aren’t you thrilled you decided to join us in building the grandest, most effective marketing machine and interactive Theater Community Connected By The Internet?

We sure are. We know you’re going to love all the features of Membership, and we know you’ll be excited to tell others just how much your theater has benefited from participating in our program.

Here are just a few of those benefits, ideas that have grown over the years of listening to your Wish List. You can:

• Create your Own Theater ID Page so that even Members who don’t come here looking for YOU will still see all of your information… the way you might see a boutique shop at the Mall when you go there looking for the large department store. We also include a link direct to your web site.

• Present your entire season all in one place. Post Audition Announcements and Job Availabilities and we’ll feature them on our Call Board. Upload your pictures to our site and change them as often as you wish! It’s taking your story directly to a highly specialized group of people to build YOUR audience!

• Keep our Members informed about YOUR productions with our informative Weekly and Monthly eNewsletters PLUS the special feature on our web site announcing Productions Opening This Week so your Opening Nights will never be forgotten.

• Post your Press Releases on our web site, and let our Members know everything that’s new and exciting about your theater!

• Feature your productions in our Reviews section, where we review EVERY production and post honest, fair reviews and accompanying comments.

• Find individuals to fill your production and staff needs using our dynamic, fully searchable Talent File.

• Advertise on our site if you need even MORE exposure and attention. Every Member will see your ad every time they log on, helping you get what you really need: The Cure for the Empty Seat Syndrome.

• Use the special QuikBucks*Referral System to send us your subscribers and friends and when they join us, you get PAID! Referral fees are an incredible way to put ‘found’ money back into your budget! * * * And remember: YOU never share any personal information with us about the people you send to us. YOUR information is totally YOURS. Only when someone decides to join us do THEY tell us who they are (but our electronic system keeps track that YOU sent them, so you get paid referral fees!). * * *

StageMagazineOnline.com offers a virtual smorgasbord of features and benefits tailored to these specific needs, and so much more! As a Theater Member, you are entitled to take full advantage of everything we offer.

And what about those audience members that attend your productions, clap politely, and leave?

We promise they’ll still attend, still clap and… let’s face it, everyone has to go home sometime. But now, when they get home, they’ll run to their computers to log on to StageMagazineOnline.com to share the experience they just had in YOUR theater, to talk with other excited Members about YOUR productions, and to gush about the fabulous time they had because of YOU and YOUR theater.

Honestly, there’s never been a better time for Professional Theater to thrive and grow.

Your audience is looking for YOU. And they’re looking at StageMagazineOnline.com

So Welcome, once again. Contact me directly with any questions or comments at Charlie@StageMagazineOnline.com. I am always available to help you.

We’ll see you online!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
Charlie@StageMagazineOnline.com