Have Theatre Tickets Become A Luxury Item?

There's no denying it - theatre tickets in America are expensive!  This, of course, is expected from Broadway shows, where the only goal is profit; however, this is becoming more and more true of regional theatre as well.

With rising costs of productions and little to no government funding, theatres look to box office sales for fuel to continue their productions.  While this is understandable, what results is theatre becoming more of a privilege for the wealthy than a cultural staple for all society.  A sad fact to be sure, considering how we champion theatre as a relevant and possibly life-changing organism that should be enjoyed by all, especially the average Joe who needs it most. 

The responsibility to change this sad fact relies on us theatre professionals, since we are the ones who ultimately control our budgets. We must find ways to lower our costs of productions and lobby our government for better funding.  Perhaps regional theatres can begin by ceasing their attempts to rival million dollar Broadway productions, or perhaps theatres could not attempting to make their "overall experience" so lavish with over-the-top and extraneous accommodations and houses. Maybe someday we can return theatre to its status as an engine of the people.

The overly lavish Los Angeles theatre.