"Free Night of Theatre 2008" is a national program that invites people to become theatergoers. In Utah, NowPlayingUtah.com, in partnership with the Utah Arts Council, has designated Oct. 16 as Utah's free night, the first statewide program of ticket giveaways. Cedar City's Utah Shakespearean Festival held its own free theater program last year.

In Utah, free tickets to six shows became available Oct. 2 at 9 a.m. By 9:15 a.m. five of the six shows had sold out.

"We are really excited about that because it goes to show how much interest there is in theater," said Heidi Falk, program director with NowPlayingUtah.com. "It gives us a great opportunity to introduce the theater experience to hundreds of Utahns for the first time totally free of charge."

Once the first set of tickets were gone, more tickets were added. A few tickets are still available; interested theatergoers should visit the NowPlayingUtah Web site and look for a banner link to the national ticket site. Each person is eligible for up to two tickets, if any local seats are available.

The program offers patrons the chance to experience live performances without a risk, said Margaret Hunt, director of the Utah Division of Arts and Museums. "I am very happy to see that these six theaters have joined in the fun," she said.

The Theatre Communications Group, the national trade organization for not-for-profit American professional theaters, launched the program in 1995 to attract new audiences to live theater.

The six Utah theater companies donating tickets as part of the national program Free Night of Theatre 2008 are:

» Egyptian Theatre Company's "Pageant," 328 Main St., Park City

» Grand Theatre's "The Ark," 1575 S. State St., Salt Lake City

» Plan-B Theatre Company's "Radio Hour Frankenstein," 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City

» Pygmalion Theatre Company's, "Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter," 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City

» Salt Lake Acting Company's "A Slight Discomfort," 168 W. 500 North, Salt Lake City

» Utah Shakespearean Festival's "Moonlight and Magnolias," 351 W. Center St., Cedar City