For those looking to visit the theater this summer, a student budget shouldn’t get in the way. From free performances in the park to shows put on in well-furnished theaters, student discounts and affordable prices ensure that there are plenty of options available.
Stanford Summer Theater
This summer, Stanford Summer Theater is putting on classics – Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” and Samuel Beckett’s “Happy Days” – at Pigott Theater with a cast and crew composed of a mix of Stanford students and professionals. Tickets are $15 for students.
California Shakespeare Theater
The California Shakespeare Theater puts on four plays each summer in the beautiful outdoor Bruns Amphitheater. “Romeo and Juliet” is currently playing, and the company will perform Wilde’s “Lady Windermere’s Fan” and Shakespeare’s “A Winter’s Tale” later this summer.
On weeknights, all tickets are $40 for those under 30. If you’re over 30 years old but still a student, then half an hour before any performance during the week you will receive half off with your student ID card. CalShakes has also introduced a new “20 for 20” program this year, in which 20 reserved seats for each performance go on sale at noon on the day for only $20.
Although most easily reached by car, CalShakes is still transit accessible: take BART to Orinda and then take their free shuttle service to the amphitheater. Even though it’s quite a drive, the California Shakespeare Theater offers an experience uniquely inclusive across all ages.
San Francisco Shakespeare Festival
To satisfy your Shakespeare-in-the-park cravings, see San Francisco Shakes’ “Macbeth,” which is free and which will be traveling around the Bay Area this summer. The show will be in Cupertino until Aug. 4 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 7:30 p.m., in Redwood City from Aug. 10 to 25 on Saturdays at 7:30 and Sundays at 2 p.m. and in San Francisco from Aug. 31 to Sept. 15 on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Shakespeare Santa Cruz
If you’re planning a beach trip, you may also want to check out Shakespeare Santa Cruz. If you’re under 18, you can obtain tickets to any performance for $16. Otherwise, rush tickets are available right before any show for only $20. Tickets are $20 for all previews, or performances prior to the press opening. If you bring your Stanford student ID card, it’ll get you a $15 ticket to groundling seating — sit in the grass and watch, as Shakespeare’s audience used to. If you’re really strapped, arrive two hours before any show and sign up to volunteer during the performance – they need 20 volunteers for each show – and attend for free.