Cheap Ways to See Theater Productions: Local Shows, Subscriptions and More

How many of us actually think that we can afford to attend the theater? We may believe that attending plays is limited by our finances. This, however, is not true. Here are some suggestions for finding cheap and free theater:

Go Often - The easiest way to get a discount is to buy a season ticket subscription. The advantage is that you are guaranteed the night you want and the seat you want. Plus, subscribers are usually able to purchase extra tickets at a discount. If your schedule is not flexible, becoming a season ticket subscriber is your best bet.

Go Early - It is commonly known that matinees offer some of the cheapest seats. Have you ever heard of preview performances, though? These are the performances scheduled before the production is scheduled to officially open. Because tweaks are still being made to the plays, the price is a little less.

Go Local - Community theater is alive and well and cheap. Most community theater tickets can be purchased for under $20 and children's tickets are even cheaper. Another wonderful thing about community theaters is that there is usually free parking. Where I am from, that knocks $10 of your cost of going out.

While you are exploring the theaters in your town, remember to include churches. My church's dinner theater is so popular people camp out for tickets. At $15 for dinner and a show you can see why.

Area colleges and universities also offer cheap theater. You will want to get on the arts mailing list for your local schools. Performances by students are always dirt cheap, but professional.

Go Now - Check if your town has a half-priced ticket booth. There are a few down sides to using this service. The available tickets are limited. Your choice of seating is limited. You have to buy the ticket either the day of the performance or the day before. If you are game and you are flexible, though, you can get a great deal.

Go Help - Volunteering is an easy way to see a play for free. Ask about ushering at the local theater you have been eyeing. Do not worry about not knowing how to usher. If you can smile, you can be an usher. Plus, there are other perks to the job. Ushering is fun and you will meet great people who love the theater as much as you do.

Go Free - Have you ever heard of The Free Night of Theater? As the name implies, it is an annual night of free theater. Free! And you don't have to do anything. Go to their web site and find out if your local theaters are participating. Each city handles it differently, but in Atlanta you can sign up for tickets on line. I took advantage of this wonderful program last year. It was a good way of going to theater I had never tried before.

Try one of the suggestions listed above. You'll soon discover that as long as you remain flexible, you can see high quality theater for cheap or even free.