D.C. bursts with exciting theater beyond the comedy and tragedy staged on Capitol Hill. Plays as diverse as the Shakespearean classics and modern, boundary-pushing plays unfold on local stages. Unfortunately, the intimidating price tag that often comes with live theater makes it seem inaccessible to students.
Recognizing the importance of diverse audiences, many District theaters have introduced programs aimed at pulling more young people into the theater by making it more affordable. Even if you're living off ramen noodles and your unpaid internship, you can experience live theater for as much as going to a movie. All it takes is a little bit of planning, knowing your options and signing up for a few key e-mail lists. Let the show begin!
Generational programs
Many local theaters offer steep ticket discounts for young people because they are trying to make theater a habit for our generation.
At Woolly Mammoth Theater, which stages edgier plays in downtown Penn Quarter, patrons under 25 can buy tickets for $15 for any performance of all productions. The discounted seats aren't nosebleeds either: They are in the rear orchestra and the beginning of the balcony. Regular ticket prices range from $23 to $53.
"It is a big part of our mission to make shows accessible," said Barry Halvorson, director of marketing at Woolly Mammoth. "We want a vital audience and a diverse audience."
In Dupont Circle, the Studio Theatre offers a permanent $5 discount on all shows to students with a valid ID. However, the "Student Rush" has even better deals. A half hour before the start of the show, full-time students with an ID can purchase available seats for half-price. The last-minute discounts are not offered Saturday night.
Similarly, Arena Stage in Crystal City's numerous programs offer steep discounts for students. For patrons 30 and under, $10 tickets go on sale every Monday for that week's performances and sell until they are gone. Additionally, full-time students with IDs can get a 35 percent discount on all shows when buying them by phone or in person. Arena Stage is currently showing "Ella" and will stage "Death of a Salesman" in March.
The Shakespeare Theatre Company also created discount programs specifically for young people, with an educational twist to garner interest. The "20/10" program there releases 20 pairs of $10 tickets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. for productions taking place through the following Sunday. These steeply reduced tickets are only available to theatergoers 35 and under.
Similarly, the "Generation O" initiative through the Washington National Opera provides exclusive performance discounts for students and young professionals between 18 and 35. Educational e-mails also give background information about the operas so as to make the experience less intimidating for new patrons. You need to register for the program on the Web site for WNO, at www.dc-opera.org/experience/generationo/.
Pay-as-you-can nights
Often, theaters host "pay-as-you-can" nights for the first few showings of their productions so a wider range of people can see their plays. It pays to become familiar with a theater's schedule of performances so that you know when these first affordable showings will take place.
The Woolly Mammoth Theatre, one of the first theaters in the country to have pay-as-you-can performances, hosts this type of showing for the first two productions of every performance. Tickets go on sale 90 minutes before show time at the box office, and a line often stretches around the block, Halvorson said. Students, retirees and people experiencing theater for the first time flock to these performances. If the crowds are large enough, the theater often makes another showing available at a steep discount.
"We want to be accessible to everyone in the community," he said.
Because of their increased accessibility, these performances often have a diverse and energetic audience, adding to the quality of the theater experience.
"It's a great mix of people," Halvorson said. "The audience brings as much to the show as the production itself."
After a short intermission, check back next Monday for more ways to see local theater on the cheap. The next installment will explore the variety of steep discounts that last-minute ticket sales can offer the spontaneous theatergoer, as well as ushering opportunities, free performance programs and, of course, student theater. You'll want to make sure and return to your seats when the lights start flickering.
