Certain animals, such as cats and sexually frustrated cardinals, have a difficult time making sense of their reflections. Good thing you’re human.
Humans love their reflections. They put mirrors everywhere. Some put this phenomenon down to vanity. Others would offer an existential argument – we desperately need reassurance of our humanity from every car window, tabletop and kitchen knife. And some go to the live theater, the artistic equivalent of a mirror.
For University students suffering from ever-greater financial constraints, the possibility of an evening of live theater is usually out of the question.
The Jungle Theater is here to help.
Students can now watch actors wax lyrical by buying their own Jungle Theater season tickets. That’s five plays (Thursday performances only) for $48. Per show that’s less than a pitcher of beer, a haircut or in some cases, library fines.
The five-play student package offer, which is currently running, ends on March 27 during the last showing of the Jungle Theater’s season opener, “The Drawer Boy.” After March 27, the Jungle will offer a four-play package for $39 through June 19.
Sonja Wahlberg, marketing director at the Jungle, stressed the importance of a student-supported audience.
“The plays that we do are interesting and edgy,” Wahlberg said. “These are the types of plays students will respond to. The idea is to get young students excited about theater. Get some young energy in here.”
And there’s no reason not to partake in their season. Included in the lineup are works from Dylan Thomas to Tony-award winning playwright Richard Greenberg.
The Jungle’s season opener, “Drawer Boy,” is a tale about the budding farm friendship between Miles, an actor, and the mentally ill Angus. At one point in the play, Angus goes to the theater and begins a period of remission. See what kind of power the theater has?
The student season package is only an extension of the Jungle’s commitment to education.
Dan Sullivan, a University journalism professor, holds his class “Capstone: Covering the Arts” at the theater. It is a class about arts criticism where students learn everything about theater, from lighting to set production aspects. Among other educational programs, the Jungle also co-sponsors a theatrical reading event for young children with Wild Rumpus Books for Young Readers.
The Jungle sells its season tickets by days of the week. Student season ticket packages are for any single Thursday of a performance run (Thursday ticket packages usually cost $96). If you’re the type of student that plans ahead, you can pick any Thursday show of a production and the Jungle will send tickets through the mail. And if you’re not a planner, the Jungle will set up the Thursdays for you. The dates are not set in stone, however, making it easy to change any conflicting dates. With a 24-hour notice, students can reschedule with no changing fees, except in the case of an upgrade to a non-Thursday show.
