The Kimmel Center’s STIX program, among others, makes theater more accessibile for students.
Although some would say the best perk Temple offers is the surrounding cultural epicenter of Philadelphia, the paradox remains that college students often cannot afford to experience the theatrical performances along the Avenue of the Arts.
Located on 260 S. Broad St., the Kimmel Center is fixing that dilemma by offering a new discount program catered to high school, college and graduate students ages 17-30 through its STIX program.
The STIX program requires an online registration on kimmelcenter.org where members receive email notifications about $10 ticket offers for upcoming shows.
Public Relations for Office Development Spokesperson Morgan James hopes that this initiative will entice the community to develop a passion for theater.
“With the Kimmel Center being in close proximity to University City, we wanted to take advantage of Philadelphia’s big college town atmosphere,” James said.
“The STIX program is our marketing tool for attracting college students to attend our performances,” James added. “Nothing beats the visuals and sounds of live theater. Since tickets only cost $10, our shows are cheaper than a 3D movie.”
Since the program’s institution in September for the Kimmel Center’s 10th anniversary season, more than 1,000 registrations have been tallied, Marketing and Communications Specialist Amanda Inderbitzen said.
“The response has been fabulous,” Inderbitzen said. “Our attendance rate has increased and we have decided to run the program through the entire season.”
Despite the success of the STIX program, most other theaters along the Avenue of the Arts or surrounding Philadelphia area do not provide an online discount program.
Don’t feel slighted though, some theaters understand the financial plight of college students and are willing to compensate for their lack of online convenience. The Wilma Theater, located on 265 S. Broad St., offers attendees with a valid student ID 50 percent off of full-priced tickets except for Sunday evening performances, which cost only $10 a ticket.
These deals do not apply to opening nights, so settle for handkerchief dabbed sloppy seconds.
The Philadelphia Theatre Company, at 480 S. Broad St., offers $10 student tickets for any performance with unsold seats, except for Saturday night performances.
Following the theaters’ leads, restaurant websites offering deals for cheap meals throughout Philadelphia have sprouted in recent years.
By signing up with restaurant.com, students receive emails offering gift certificates at reduced prices.
For example, members can pay $10 for a $25 gift certificate to enjoy some Mexican cuisine at Mission Grill Philadelphia on 1835 Arch St.
By signing up with LivingSocial.com, students can receive a daily email that offers a discount to local restaurants, bars or theaters.
If one chooses to purchase the deal, they can share the discount link with three people and persuade them to also buy the deal so their deal becomes free.
Although grubwithus.com is gaining popularity as the premier meal deal website, its services are constricted to seven cities and Philadelphia isn’t one of them.
By signing up to their website, you can help launch Philadelphia as part of the program.
Grubwithus.com allows people to browse through local restaurants with seats available, choose a three course meal from the limited yet appetizing menu and reserve a seat for a discounted dinner.
Even if one isn’t interested in politics, this is one election where they should rock the vote.
John Corrigan can be reached at john.corrigan@temple.edu.
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