The problem as I see it is that theater is competing with Three Buck Beer Movies.
It really is a cost thing. Or if I want to see live people, there's plenty of stuff in the $10 range. But then... I'm not the demographic for Theatre; not enough explosions.

I'd agree with Graham. There's a real glut of small-time theater companies at the moment (that anyone whose anyone seems to be involved with).

So if I'm going to see something live, I'll probably just see one of those and maybe score some friend points in the process. Plus you're more likely to see the cast at the bar afterwards, which is a plus.

What're some of the smaller companies you're more likely to see? I definitely agree that there's worthwhile stuff happening on a small scale, but in terms of say, set design, or anything technical, really, you're probably not going to find anything better than what Portland Center Stage can afford to do. Ditto the performances, though I'd use Third Rail's company as an example in that case. There's something to be said for paying your actors and all that.

Yeah, I've seen some fantastic shows from Third Rail. With the the level of quality combined with the medium-ish size of the venue, I don't blame them for their ticket prices at all. At the same time, I only saw them in the first place because a friend who had a subscription was out of town and sent some tickets my way.

I've really liked stuff from (the?) Working Theater Collective, but mostly their experimental weekend only type things. Which is probably not helpful.

I've only seen one of their shows, and it sort of made me want to die, but I should give them another shot, now that they've been around a while. They're incredibly prolific and seem to have a ton of energy, which is great to see.

Here, win something:

http://www.pcs.org/guess-the-season-and-wi…

Student tickets (and under 30, I think) at PCS are $22. If you're under 18, they're only $17.