Explore the unknown: Free theater tickets!

"Heart Beatings" Oct. 15 at CoHo/Mark Fearing

By Barry Johnson

Ticket prices for live theater can be a barrier, especially to exploring the unknown. And by "unknown" all I mean is a company that's new to us, a theater in which we've never found our seats and settled down for something unexpected, a community we haven't experienced before.

But what if the tickets were free? Would we leave our comfort zone then? The Portland Area Theatre Alliance and the Theatre Communications Group would like to think so, and they've put their free tickets where their mouth is. Starting today we can reserve free tickets to 15 different theater companies throughout October. Amazing.

I just went to the website in the link and things aren't quite up-to-date, but they will be soon. And theater companies will release new tickets into the program throughout the month, so don't be daunted by those SOLD OUT notices. Just keep checking the website.

Here are the participating PATA companies and the shows that are part of the program, but when you look at the list, you'll see some others, too. Where free is concerned, the more the merrier and the further out the better!



Artists Repertory Theatre
Ah, Wilderness!

The Hillsboro Story

Bag & Baggage
The Glass Menagerie

Beaverton Civic Theater
Dearly Departed
 

Clackamas Repertory Theatre

The Tempest

CoHo
Heart Beatings

Columbia Arts Stage Troupe 
Same Time Next Year

Curious Comedy

TBD

Lakewood Theatre Company
Sweet Charity
 

Northwest Children’s Theatre

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Nutz-n-Boltz Theater

The Bad Seed

Oregon Children's Theatre
Alice & Wonderland: A Rock Opera

Original Practice Shakespeare Festival

Much Adoe About Nothing

Portland Center Stage
Sunset Boulevard

An Iliad

Portland Playhouse
Telethon
 

Third Rail Repertory Theatre

Kiss Me Like You Mean It