It’s that time again! Theatre NorthWest is gearing up to announce its lineup for next season. Rest assured that it will be a magical and mysterious experience for ticket holders (and that’s the only hint you’re going to find in this article – my lips are sealed until the announcement on May 4th)!
Naturally, I’m about to tell you how to score a huge discount on the upcoming season. But I also want to touch on why you should come see our plays.
I have taken some communications courses recently. Something that is talked about a lot in marketing and communications is identifying your “competitors.” To Theatre NorthWest, it is assumed that this is other arts-based businesses and events in town, including the Prince George Symphony Orchestra, concerts, festivals and dance performances. However, those of us in the local arts scene know that we are not actually each other’s competition. Our patron lists are almost identical. Audiences are not picking between us, but rather actively attending whatever they can.
In actuality, our real competition is Netflix (or online streaming services to be more general) and it has gotten worse since those “stay at home” years. Streaming services are cheap, require no planning, and offer tons of choice. While I can certainly agree that everyone needs quiet nights at home, there is a lot to be said for hopping off that couch every few months and experiencing a different form of entertainment.
A recent study by the University of Texas looked at 18 to 29-year-olds and found that binge-watching was connected to negative physical and mental health effects and an increase in addictive behaviour patterns. I am outside of that age range, but I have certainly fallen victim to how easy it is to spend whole afternoons binge-watching a new show. The angry impatience I feel when Netflix releases only one episode at a time is also concerning. Plus, I sometimes fall asleep in a funny position while letting Netflix auto-play, which makes my neck hurt for, like, a month!
Contrarily, a study by the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that attending live theatre was associated with overwhelmingly positive effects. Attending a play increased the empathy audience members had for the groups depicted in the story. It also changed their opinions about social and political issues and led to increased charitable donations for issues both related and unrelated to the performance.
So now that you know why you should come see us lets talk about how to get a great deal on your tickets!
Did you know that by purchasing a subscription to Theatre NorthWest you can attend all four shows for as low as $19 per ticket? That’s nearly a 60% saving off our regular, single-ticket price! We offer subscription packages with varying levels of flexibility to accommodate shift workers, date nights, and those who prefer not to drive in the dark. There’s something for everyone. If you want more information about our subscription options, call or visit us! We’ll help you choose the package that fits your lifestyle.
Finally, make sure to grab a ticket to our last play of the season, Where You Are by Kristin Da Silva. It runs May 4th – 24th at Theatre NorthWest. It’s a heartwarming and hilarious play you won’t want to miss!
Tickets are available at tickets.theatrenorthwest.com
Anna Russell is an artistic associate and the audience services manager at Theatre NorthWest
