From spending my most recent summer in dark theaters and cozy coffee shops studying Shakespeare in London, I know that seeing live theater is an exhilarating cultural experience. But I also know that theater can be expensive, especially for students on a tight budget.
The Modern Theater of Spokane and Coeur d’Alene recognizes that the accessibility of theater is an important consideration, thus why it's implementing two new programs this season to increase the scope of their audience.
While the Modern's shows already attract a younger crowd, the local theater wanted to offer a less-expensive option while allowing student fans the chance to get a behind-the-scenes experience. Fueled by this desire, the Modern Theater is debuting its “College Night Preview,” which includes a ticket to the show, a slice of pizza, an after show sit-in on directors' final notes and a $2 beverage special — all for $12 and the flash of a shiny student ID, making the experience an ideal date night for the blossoming intellectual.
The first of these College Night Previews is set for Thursday, Nov. 5, for a pre-opening night showing of The Wild Party. The program is set to continue throughout the current season at the Modern's stages in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene, and will hopefully create an engaging theater experience that's fun and affordable for students.
As an opportunity to even further access to the Modern's stage, the theater has another new campaign called “Play it Forward.” This Kickstarter campaign's aim is to make theater accessible to members of the community who couldn’t otherwise afford to attend. Donations go toward a ticket bank offering admission to community members served by local groups such as Women's Hearth, Volunteers of America, The American Legion, Idaho Youth Ranch and a number of other community organizations. This initiative further propagates the mission of The Modern Theater to promote a love and appreciation of performing arts throughout the community.
