Boston's Hub Theatre offers audiences a chance to 'pay what you can'
BOSTON - How would you like to see live, professional theater without having to break the bank?
The nonprofit Hub Theatre Company of Boston has all tickets priced as "pay what you can."
The theater, which hosts performances inside Club Café in the Back Bay, has a mission to make performances accessible to everyone.
Paula Plum, the director of the latest production, "Love, Loss and What I Wore," said the pricing model brings a wide range of people to the theater and that only adds to the experience.
"The diversity of the audience is greater, both in terms of what neighborhoods they come from in Boston and also age range," she said.
Producing Artistic Director Lauren Elias got the idea for the Hub 10 years ago.
As an actor, she understood theater-goers risk their money anytime they see a production by an unknown writer with an unknown cast. She took a risk herself, hoping to create something that removed all financial barriers.
"We're very fortunate that we've got a couple of donors who are very devoted to our mission to pay what you can," Elias told WBZ-TV.
The Hub also sponsors charity drives during their shows, and for this summer's play, which is all about clothing and memory, they're hosting a clothes drive.
"Bringing a piece of clothing is a way to show up and give something in exchange for, you know, whatever you feel you're getting here, which is, I hope, a really fun night of entertainment," Plum said.
All of the donated clothes will go to Rosie's Place, Dress for Success and Belle of the Ball.
You can see "Love, Loss and What I Wore" at Club Café through August 5.