64 Brattle St. Cambridge; (617) 547-8300
With its Yale-Harvard pedigree and million-dollar-plus budget, the A.R.T. steals much of the theatrical thunder in town with its strong regular ensemble and lavish sets. Name players such as Christopher Lloyd and F. Murray Abraham occasionally strut and fret their hour upon this stage too, along with international directors and major contemporary playwrights. Ticket prices get steep, naturally, but here’s an open secret: The A.R.T.’s Pay What You Can program.
Each week, fifty tickets are set aside for the upcoming Saturday matinee. They go on sale Monday at 11 a m. until they are gone; you must buy them in person, two tickets to a customer. And yes, you may literally pay whatever you can afford.
A.R.T.’s season runs from November through July.