Sue's News

Rushing the Box Office

April 20th, 2010

One of my best memories while studying abroad in London was how much live theatre I saw. I was in a class where we saw shows together usually once a week. On my own, while others were pissing their money away on pints, I bought tickets to more shows, usually seeing two or three shows a week. For somewhere around 10 quid (pounds), I could get a seat in one of the first two rows… sometimes even further back.

No matter how close I was to curtain, and there were a few times I cut it pretty close, I was never turned away from a show, never denied a seat, and never asked to pay any other price but the student price.

In England theatre is a part of the culture; the policies in place to make seats available for students on meager incomes was just another way of confirming that.

Theatre in the United States is seen more through the guise of entertainment, not an essential vehicle of expression. And unfortunately, the policies on capitol hill, and the monies secured for the arts confirm that.

Fortunately, many producers on Broadway are looking to give students and those on fixed incomes a chance to experience live theatre… and hopefully they will continue to do so in the future, offering programs even closer to those of their compatriots across the pond. Playbill featured an article detailing the policies for each show, which vary across the board. Click here for details… and make your way to the theatre!

–Sue

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