Effective immediately, TheatreSquared, Northwest Arkansas’s year-round professional theater company, will offer three avenues for low-income families and individuals to attend performances for free or at a reduced cost. 

The program, Lights Up! For Access, is underwritten by a $68,500 grant from the Walmart Foundation. TheaterSquared emphasizes that the program’s tickets are limited only by availability; that is, the tickets distributed through the program are not restricted to particular dates, plays, or seating sections.

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Lights Up! For Access tickets can be obtained one of three ways. First, school-age children or young adults may take advantage of an existing program called “30 under 30,” which provides $10 tickets to individuals under the age of 30 who may not have a steady stream of income.

Second, families or individuals who qualify for federal SNAP benefits will be able to show their EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) debit card at the Walton Arts Center box office for access to $5 tickets all season long. (TheatreSquared states that the debit card need only be shown once, and thereafter gives the audience member access to tickets at that price whether they purchase their ticket in person, on the phone, or online.)

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Finally, non-profits in Northwest Arkansas serving low-income communities will be given an allotment of tickets to distribute. Current non-profits partnering with TheatreSquared for distribution of free tickets include the 7Hills Homeless Shelter, Ozark Literacy Council, LifeStyles, Inc., NWA Children’s Shelter and the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter.

Solomon Burchfield, Director of Operations at the 7Hills Homeless Center in South Fayetteville spoke about the program.

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7hills is excited to see TheatreSquared’s ‘Light’s Up!’ program enrich the lives of people who have experienced homelessness in Northwest Arkansas. Often people struggling with the demands of everyday life have a hard time affording and accessing the cultural experiences our community has to offer. We are grateful that this opportunity helps brings our whole community together to be educated, entertained, and inspired. Great art should be a part of every person’s life.

TheatreSquared’s current season includes productions of “All the Way,” “I and You,” “Great Expectations,” “Detroit,” “Intimate Apparel,” “The Ding-Dong,” as well as a series of new plays showcased in the 2017 Arkansas New Play Festival. 

For tickets, or for information about how to obtain a TheatreSquared ticket through Lights Up! For Access, call 479-443-5600, or contact TheatreSquared here. 

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