The FACTs:
Name:
Bethany Jorgensen
Occupation:
Chicago Actor / Publisher, FACT
Email:
bethanyj@freeandcheaptheatre.com
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While admidst a hectic acting career with the Imagination Theatre troupe, Bethany Jorgensen felt that local performers weren't able to socialize as a community. She also believed that struggling artists could benefit from stretching their entertainment dollars, so she launched www.freeandcheaptheatre.com.
Jorgensen's popular web site debuted in August (2001). Her weekly e-mail blasts provide immediate information about actor's nights at venues such as Famous Door Theatre.
"I noticed that there was no central place to get information about industry nights in Chicago. And often a theatre won't decide to offer industry tickets until a day or two before the designated performance when it's already too late to publicize the details through the usual channels," Jorgensen explains on her Web site.
Her site, in fact, has become the on-line resource of choice for performers looking for a fun time on their nights away from the city's stages.
Jorgensen has also started organizing parties where the members of virtual community can meet in person. "We're trying to steer away from just a dot-com presence and into a full community, with Monday night mixers that fit into the off-night schedules of even the biggest theaters," says Jorgensen.
The weekly e-mail is a way for industry people to get basic info on entertainment, but the get-togethers give a chance to make those connections real.
Held at Goodbar, the Monday night events also feature food and drink specials and raffles for theater tickets or services actors need. Larger-scale parties are hosted on a quarterly basis with perks like a raffle for free headshots.
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