SPOTLIGHT: Arts groups offer tickets to four shows for price of three

For performing arts fans, it may just be the best deal going. In an effort to boost interest and expand audiences for student productions, the leaders of several student theatre groups are offering a special subscription rate for four shows being produced this fall. Normally, tickets for student shows are five dollars. But the subscription package includes tickets for four shows for $15. Kent Davis, Penn Players chairperson, said this week that the idea for a subscription series was born at a series of informal meetings held last spring at which liaisons from the four groups discussed ways of diversifying the University's theatre audiences. Davis said that the purpose of the subscription was twofold. First, each of the groups felt that they could only attract a certain specific audience to their shows. "It seemed to us that each group had its own audience," Davis said. "But we wanted to broaden that audience so that people would go see several shows and not just the same group year after year." Davis also said that the subscriptions were geared to those who had never been to a student show before. "There are many students who, if they bought tickets to the shows, would have a great time," Davis said. "Our hope was to get these students to buy the subscriptions." Christopher Campbell, a College junior and Intuitons secretary, said that one of the biggest problems with student theatre over the years has been that only theater people go to the shows. Campbell explained that this problem has carried over to the subscription sales. "Theater people think it's a great idea," Campbell said. "But most of them are already in one or two shows and it isn't worth it for them to buy subscriptions." "We're really gearing this to people who have no interest in the theatre other than enjoying a few pleasant entertaining evenings," he added. Campbell said the subscriptions were first available at the Performing Arts table at Center for University of Pennsylvania Identification, but while many people came to the table and found out all about performing arts, few actually bought the subscriptions because students said the shows were too far off in the future. "We have to find people when they are ready to go see the shows and will spend money to do so," he said. Campbell said that he will contact Residential Advisors and Events Managers to see if they are interested in offering subscriptions to their residents. "It's a great way for a whole floor to go see a few shows together and save a good deal of money," Campbell said. Campbell added that as show openings draw nearer, subscriptions will be available on Locust Walk.

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