To Subsidize or Not to Subsidize…

Hello all.  First a brief introduction: my name is Jacob Stoebel and I am the Resident Education Fellow here at the Long Wharf.  I am a director, teacher, educator, and mime (no joke on the last one, ask me more about it).  This is now my second year here at the theatre, last year I served in the position of Education Resident.  People who come to the Long Wharf might also see me behind the bar in the lobby, working my second job as part of the front of house staff.One of the things we spend a lot of time thinking about in the education department is funding.  A significant portion of our funding comes from very generous grants from philanthropic organizations, who support, among other things subsidy for students to come see our plays for a reduced rate, or if circumstances permit, for free.

I’m very passionate about subsidy for the arts, particularly ticket subsidy (simply put, the cheaper the ticket for audiences the better).  I could spend hours talking about the subject with you all, which I hope to do sometime.  But for now I have some questions for all of you:

To what extent should ticket subsidy be available for theatre going audiences in America?  W/hat is an acceptable price for a theatre ticket?  Should all theatre be free?

Secondly, does ticket subsidy cause complacency in audiences?  That is to say, if audiences can see a play for free or very little money, would they value the play less?  What do you all think?

Jacob Stoebel