One of the greatest things about living in downtown Phoenix is the vast array of theaters and theater companies nearby. Almost every weekend, a new play or dance show opens. With a vast variety — from family-friendly comedy to intense, serious thriller — there’s something for almost anyone.
But not just anyone has access to discount tickets from many of the venues downtown. Lots of companies and venues offer student tickets at cheaper prices to attract students to shows. What’s unfortunate is that many students aren’t aware that these kinds of discounts exist. Some who may know don’t want to take advantage of them.
In some cases, the lack of student turnout at theater events could be attributed to poor marketing on the parts of the companies. Their shows don’t turn up on fliers posted around the ASU Downtown campus. They don’t have a presence at events where companies can put up booths. And while groups of students have attended these shows organized by colleges at ASU, there’s not necessarily a strong, ongoing partnership between ASU and any of the theaters.
In other cases, students may not have the exposure to theater or the desire to go to theater events necessary. Art and culture events are important, but without a community that fosters and actively supports students attending shows that recognizes the value of coming together through theater, people won’t go. ASU is notorious for being a “party school” — as superficial and one-dimensional as that label can be — and the school’s tendency is to promote its own organizations and events.
I’ll admit that’s unsurprising, because the university’s job is to foster the best academic and social atmosphere it can for students within its borders. But I’d also argue that the best atmosphere possible also comes with developing connections between the university and the community it’s embedded in. While that’s true in any case, it’s especially true of a campus that’s already integrated into its community such as ASU Downtown.
Then, of course, students who simply have no interest in attending a theater performance do exist. To each their own, I guess.
What it comes down to is that there are student ticket options available but, because of lack of promotion, they’re not widely known. We should take greater advantage of the opportunities provided us as students — after all, by the time we graduate, we won’t get the chance.
A few venues that provide student tickets are The Torch Theatre near Central Avenue and Camelback Road and iTheatre Collaborative, a company that operates out of the Herberger Theater Center. Both the Arizona Opera Center, which holds performances at Symphony Hall on 75 N. Second St., and the Phoenix Theatre, at 100 E. McDowell Road, offer student rush discounts, where students can buy tickets right before the show starts for a discounted price.
These are only the places where I’ve encountered student tickets, so it’s by no means a comprehensive list. What it does give is good evidence for the presence of student ticket prices downtown — and the desire of theaters to bring their shows to students.
Contact the columnist at molly.bilker@asu.edu
