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OSF ticket prices continue to climb Tuesday Jan 31, 2017 at 5:17 PM Jan 31, 2017 at 6:35 PM Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune @VickieAldous Ticket prices at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival are rising again for 2017, with the Flex Pass bundle of five discounted tickets also increasing in price from $150 to $175 for the coming season. A+ Section seats were priced from $98-$123 last season and will rise to $100-$140 for the season that opens Feb. 24. Ticket prices rise to the higher end of the scale for in-demand performances, such as popular plays staged on summer weekends. A Section seats will go up from $80-$110 to $83-$130, while B Section seats will increase from $65-$90 to $67-$98. The ticket price for C seats in the cheapest sections of OSF's three theaters will remain flat at $30. With the Flex Pass bundle of five tickets going up in price from $150 to $175, the cost of each individual ticket will go up from $30 to $35. The Flex Pass is particularly popular with theater-loving locals. The Flex Pass is sold only in February and must be purchased through the Box Office by calling 1-800-219-8161. Online sales are not available for the Flex Pass. Flex Pass tickets can be used throughout the season, which runs through Oct. 29. Other tickets can be purchased by calling the Box Office or visiting www.osfashland.org. "Every year the cost of producing theater goes up a bit in terms of labor and materials," said OSF Associate Director of Communications Eddie Wallace. "We try not to pass on the cost increases to patrons, but we have to do certain increases here and there." He said OSF employees are also earning more. "We believe strongly in paying our company members a living wage and cost-of-living-adjustments. The largest part of our budget is payroll," Wallace said. "To keep our massively talented staff, we have paid them what they should be paid." OSF employs about 575 theater professionals, officials said. Wallace said OSF does not believe the price increases will hurt attendance. "We're confident we offer a range of prices across all levels. We encourage people to ask our box office staff to help them find something in their price range," he said. Attendance for 2015 was 390,387 and increased to 397,304 in 2016. Ticket revenue in 2015 was $21 million and went up to $22 million for 2016, according to OSF data. Wallace said OSF offers a variety of ways to save on ticket prices. "We are deeply committed to providing discounted ticket opportunities — for locals especially," he said. Buyers of the Flex Pass can use all five tickets for themselves, or take other people to the theater. Flex Pass tickets can be used for designated performances on a Flex Pass list. The Flex Pass covers all seating areas, including the A+ Section. Wallace said Flex Pass tickets are available for all 11 plays planned this season, although availability will become more limited as people buy up seats. He recommended Flex Pass users pick the performances they want to see early. The $30 C Section seats usually sell out, so buyers who want those seats should also buy early, Wallace said. The C Section seats are mostly located on the extreme sides or rear areas of the theaters. The 600-seat indoor Angus Bowmer Theatre has about 50 C Section seats, while the 1,200-seat outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre has about 110 of the less expensive seats. The intimate Thomas Theatre, which seats up to 368 people depending on the stage configuration, has 28 to 36 C Section seats, Wallace said. For theater fans hunting for deals, OSF updates its Weekly Web Specials page on Thursdays and also sends out emails to those who have subscribed to receive the alerts. To subscribe or see information on internet specials and other discounted tickets, see www.osfashland.org/ticketspecials. OSF sells tickets for $30 for special Family Day performances, which are preceded by informative prologues led by OSF's educational staff. For designated "Rush" shows, any remaining tickets are sold for $45 at the box office one hour before curtain time. Rush tickets for designated performances are $15 for college students showing valid student identification. By calling the box office, Oregon Trail Card holders can learn about a special program to see plays. OSF members save 25 percent on spring and fall performances. Active duty military and National Guard members, their immediate family members and recently returned veterans of the armed forces can receive a 20-percent discount on adult-priced tickets by calling or visiting the box office, 15 S. Pioneer St., and identifying themselves as a Blue Star Theatre participants. Tickets are 15 percent off for previews — the first few performances of each play. Wallace said OSF welcomes everyone for a season that promises a wide variety of plays. Deeply passionate William Shakespeare fans can see "Henry IV, Part One" and "Henry IV, Part Two" in the same season. Fans of Disney musicals can watch a stage version of "Beauty and the Beast." "Some people might be surprised we're doing a musical production like that, but it will be a uniquely OSF production," Wallace said. OSF is also producing a stage version of the hit movie "Shakespeare in Love." "Hannah and the Dread Gazebo" will have its world premiere as a full stage production. The play set in North and South Korea was read at the 2016 Ashland New Plays Festival Women's Invitational, which featured three selected plays. "Off the Rails" uses humor and music to illuminate the painful legacy of boarding schools for Native American children in the West, while "Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles" retells the ancient Greek tragedy through the eyes of Mexican immigrants. Other plays planned for the season are "Julius Caesar" and "The Merry Wives of Windsor" by Shakespeare, Homer's "The Odyssey" and "UniSon," a musical dramatization of August Wilson's poetry. "It's a really wide-ranging and dynamic season," Wallace said. "We hope everyone comes out and sees the plays." — Reach staff reporter Vickie Aldous at 541-776-4486 or [email protected]. Follow her at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous.