Joan Marcus Ari Brand, center, in a scene from “My Name Is Asher Lev†at the Westside Theater.For its final three weeks of performances, the critically praised Off Broadway play “My Name Is Asher Lev†will be one of the cheapest tickets in town for patrons 30 and under. The producer Darren Bagert announced on Sunday that the production would sell $10 tickets to them two hours before performances. Most Off Broadway shows sell such discounted rush tickets in the $20 to $30 range to students; $10 tickets for a well-reviewed Off Broadway play are rare.
Mr. Bagert said the play, now running at the 299-seat Westside Theater, had an average of 60 to 90 empty seats at recent performances. “Asher Lev†cost $700,000 to mount and is close to turning a profit, Mr. Bagert said, but the discount was not designed to make money. Rather, he said, he wanted to provide “affordable theater†when Off Broadway tickets have a face value of $50 to $75 and Broadway productions cost twice that (before discounts).
“Asher Lev,†Aaron Posner’s adaptation of Chaim Potok’s novel, began performances in November and is scheduled to close on Sept. 1. The discount offer, which is subject to availability, will begin on Monday night.
