Shakespeare plays
Media Resources

Playbill Advertising

Advertise in our 2010-11 Season Playbill

Dear Advertising Sponsor,

A little over a year ago, more local businesses than ever before placed ads in Shakespeare & Company's 2009-2010 season Playbill. As the calendar keeps turning pages, those ads are still working on our Playbill advertisers' behalf as we gear up for the eighteenth and final show of our epic season. Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons) plays from January 29 all the way through March 21, providing even more opportunities for us to steer our patrons your way.

This has been a big year for us. You may have seen some news coverage about the financial stresses we've experienced, alongside our peers in the nonprofit arts world. But know that we are here, and we are strong. What you may not have heard is, with one more show still to go, we've already broken our all-time attendance record this season, and we're closing in on our our best box office revenue ever. We've expanded our season, now producing shows for ten months of the year. We've learned there are big audiences for great theatre in the so-called "off season," and so we've earned more and more exposure for your ad.

Meanwhile, the reviews are in and our reputation as a source of world class theatre continues to grow. In December The Wall Street Journal not only called us "the most consistently satisfying summer drama festival in America," and "first class Shakespeare," but its theatre critic declared our hit production of Twelfth Night to be the best Shakespeare he saw last year, anywhere! And The New York Times said John Douglas Thompson, who starred in our Othello the past two seasons, "staked his claim as the greatest classical actor of his generation" last year. Wow. (And he's coming back this summer to star in our marquee production of Richard III, and sure to bring with him all the increased attention, buzz, and--most importantly--patrons we've grown accustomed to around here.)

With all this momentum, we expect our 2010-11 to be even bigger. We invite you to be part of this exciting journey, and see your ad run in our season Playbill for 10 months and be seen by over 50,000 patrons, from May 2010 - March 2011. The Playbill is a full-color, glossy, magazine-style book that truly sets the industry standard. We haven't found another one like it in the Berkshires or anywhere else. It is specifically designed with extra care so our patrons will keep it, take it home, browse through it at leisure, and use it as a reference throughout the season and beyond. All advertisers receive complimentary tickets with their ad buys to attend our productions, which you can use yourself, reward employees with, or give to clients and friends. We also include lists of "recommended businesses" with ticket orders, equip our Box Office phone center with info about our advertisers, and most importantly, talk you up through word of mouth and pre-show curtain speeches, every day. Ad spaces are filling up, so please reserve your ad today.

And of course there's the ever-popular Business Friends Wine and Cheese event, when we invite every advertiser (and their guests) over for a party highlighted by a free, private performance of one of our new shows. Some people say this is the unofficial start of the summer celebration season; it's also an unparalleled networking opportunity.

By becoming a Shakespeare & Company Playbill advertiser for the first time, or continuing a longstanding relationship, you are not only promoting your business but supporting the most exciting arts story in the Berkshires. Now more than ever, we need to support each other and create an echo chamber of commerce. Our patrons are your patrons, and vice versa. Please reserve your space today, or call us with any questions or ideas.

We look forward to working with you this season!

David Joseph
Director of Sales
(413) 637-1199 ext. 132
groupsales@shakespeare.org

Jeremy Goodwin
Publicity & Playbill Advertising Associate Director
(413) 637-1199 ext. 145
jgoodwin@shakespeare.org