University Theatre tickets will be free for students next year, thanks in large part to a $50,000 subsidy coming from the ASUO Senate’s Over-realized Fund.
The Department of Theatre Arts made the funding proposal on Feb. 24 to the Senate’s internal committee charged with advising funding decisions, along with a proposal to renovate the Villard Hall basement where University Theatre works on stage productions. The presenters wanted the committee to choose one of the two proposals to fund entirely rather than split up the allocation, and the committee settled on the ticket subsidy.
In the past, including this year, University students have had to pay $7 for tickets to University Theatre plays, while non-students have been asked to pay up to $14.
Sen. Evan Thomas, chair of the committee that afforded the money, said the $50,000 routed to the department went only to pay for free student tickets, and that non-students will still be charged full prices. The theater department told the committee that it hopes to promote student attendance at plays, making students a majority of attendees. Currently, the department estimates that plays are frequented by 50 percent community members and 50 percent students, and hopes that with the subsidy it could fill 75 percent of audience seats with students.
University senior Jenni Balestracci, a theater department member, said she has acted in plays and has seen a recent drop in student attendance.
“There are just not as many students seeing shows anymore,” Balestracci said.
Balestracci said she has heard suggestions that free theater tickets will directly encourage higher student attendance.
“People complained that $7 is too much,” Balestracci said. “Having free things on campus is going to bring a lot more students in to see shows.”
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