The National Theatre of Washington DC

FREQUENTLY ASKED QU ESTIONS ....

Click on your topic of interest:

ACTORS ~ DANCERS - MUSICIANS - AUDITIONS?
ARRIVAL TIME?
BACKSTAGE JOBS?
BOX SEATS?
BUYING TICKETS ~ BOX OFFICE, TELECHARGE INTERNET OR PHONE PURCHASES?
CANCELATION ~ INCLEMENT WEATHER?
CASTING?
CHILDREN ~ AGE POLICY? ~ APPROPRIATE CONTENT?
COMING ATTRACTIONS ~ SCHEDULE?
CONTRIBUTIONS? NATIONAL THEATRE CIRCLE?
CREDIT CARD ~ BUYING TICKETS?
CREDIT CARD ~ DELIVERY OF TICKETS?
CREDIT CARD ~ PICKING UP TICKETS?
DRESS CODE ~ PROPER ATTIRE?
ELEVATOR FOR DISABLED?
EMAIL ALERT LIST ADDRESS CHANGE?
FEES ~ FACILITIES FEE & HANDLING FEE?
FOOD - WHERE CAN WE EAT?
GIFT CERTIFICATES ~ PURCHASE?
GIFT CERTIFICATE REDEMPTION?
JOBS ~ INTERNSHIPS?
LOST & FOUND?
MILITARY DISCOUNT?
MONDAY NIGHT AT THE NATIONAL ~ SHOWCASE ~ FREE TICKETS?
NAVIGATION OF THIS WEBSITE?
NEW PLAYS TO OFFER US?
NO GOOD SEATS AVAILABLE?
ORDERING TICKETS BY INTERNET OR PHONE?
PARKING?
PHONE DIRECTLY TO THE BOX OFFICE?
PRESENT OUR SHOW ON THE MAINSTAGE?
REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES?
RESTAURANTS?
SAVING SEATS FOR SAT/MON/CINEMA OUTREACH SHOWS
SATURDAY MORNING AT THE NATIONAL ~ FAMILY SHOWS ~ FREE TICKETS?
SCRIPTS TO SEND US?
SEASON SUBSCRIPTION?
SEATING CHART?
SENIOR DISCOUNTS?
SIGNED PERFORMANCES?
SINGLE SHOW NOTIFICATION AS OPPOSED TO JOINING EMAIL LIST?
STAGEHAND JOBS?
STANDING ROOM ONLY TICKETS ~ SRO?
STUDENT HALF ~ PRICE TICKETS?
SUBSCRIBE TO THE EMAIL ALERT LIST?
SUMMER CINEMA ~ FAMILY SHOWS ~ FREE TICKETS?
TAXIS
TICKET AVAILABILITY?
TICKET DISTRIBUTION FOR FREE SHOWS?
TICKET PROBLEMS?
TOURS
UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THE EMAIL ALERT LIST?
USHERS?
WHEEL CHAIR LOCATIONS?

ACTORS ~ AUDITIONS ~ CASTING?
The National Theatre books class-A Legitimate (Broadway) touring shows, which come to us directed, produced, and cast with Equity actors, singers and dancers. On rare occasions, some long~running shows announce an audition for performers during their stay, but this is the very unusual exception rather than the rule. Our musicians come to us both with the shows and also through the local musicians' union. Bottom line: We hire no performers except indirectly for our free outreach programs, and these are shows which come to us already cast, rehearsed, and ready to perform.

We do hire local performers who have ready-to-go plays or shows for a one-night stand in our free Monday Night at the National programs.

Our current Monday series can be seen here:
http://www.nationaltheatre.org/monday/monday.htm
And our performer contract for the series is here:
http://www.nationaltheatre.org/monday/contract.htm

We highly recommend THE ACTORS’ CENTER as a networking gateway to performance opportunities in the Greater Washington Area, where we now have more than 50 professional theatres. Should you want to contact the CENTER, or to investigate the situation at other local theatres, you may find this Internet listing useful in making contacts: http://www.nowstar.net/netsearch/wash.htm You can also subscribe to ActorNEWS Online, a free service which provides audition and other theatre news information to the Greater Washington/Baltimore Area by applying at: http://www.actornews.com We hope you will find this information to be helpful.

ARRIVAL TIME?
We recommend that you be in the theatre lobby not later than 7:30 if you are picking up tickets, and not later than 7:45 if you have tickets already in hand. Once inside the theatre, you will have time to read a little about the show in your program. If you arrive "too" early, you can have a drink in the theatre lobby, or at the JW Marriott Hotel next door. Of course, plan for traffic and parking. To avoid delay due to downtown street festivals, races, marches, parades, protests, etc., you can check the “Street Closings” information links on the show “Prices, Show Times and Performance Information” page. You may decide to have a meal at one of the restaurants near the theatre to better control your time. Click here for restaurant information on our Restaurants/Food page.

BOX SEATS?
The boxes at the National, while somewhat prestigious, are at the far sides, offering only an angular and somewhat restricted view of the show. Some action far to the side upstage may not be visible at all. Traveling shows install speaker towers and lighting towers which are placed at the sides of the proscenium, further obstructing the view to a greater or lesser degree, depending on the production. Some shows install loudspeakers, extra lighting stands or follow-spots which take some of the boxes completely off sale. This may not be known at the time tickets first go on sale. The show may be making different installations at various theatres, depending on the unique sight lines and architecture of each venue, and may not yet have assessed the particulars of their upcoming installation at the National.

Since some patrons might object to the angular view, the boxes are programmed in the computer to be offered for sale only after all orchestra seats are sold, and the box seats are normally sold only at the box office, where the viewing situation can be addressed in person with the purchaser prior to the sale.

Mezzanine Boxes are priced the same as Orchestra and Front Mezzanine seats, and the upper boxes are priced the same as the front balcony seats. Of course, angular view not withstanding, there is a special fun and prestige to sitting in a box seat looking down on the audience (which invariably gazes up at those seated in the boxes), and from the front~most boxes, looking into the orchestra pit, and sometimes into the offstage wings of the setting.Some of the box seats are reserved by the theatre for VIP guests, visiting dignitaries, major contributors, etc.

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BUYING TICKETS - BOX OFFICE, Telecharge INTERNET OR PHONE PURCHASES?
You can access tickets either in person at our box office, or through Telechargee.com phone sales or Telechargee.com Internet sales. Check the page on this site with the show's title and from there click on "Times, Dates and Prices" so that you are familiar with the cost of tickets in various seat locations and for various performance dates and times. You can then decide in advance where you would like to sit and when. Always have a calendar handy, or a list of dates and times suitable to you. All channels access the same database of tickets which is, of course, changing constantly as people make purchases.

Telecharge.com handles a number of shows simultaneously, but has scores of operators to help you. If you go through the Internet, you will be shown the best tickets available at that moment for your chosen date and price range. If you go to our box office in person, you will be able to look at a seating plan and discuss alternatives. Please check Box Office Hours before coming to the box office. Bring I.D. for credit card purchases.

For TELEPHONE orders, please call Telecharge at 800-447-7400
For ONLINE ordering please go to: http://www.Telecharge.com/
In the gold panel at the top of the page, Choose Search by City
Select Washington, DC
Choose "Show Title"
Click on ORDER TICKETS and then follow the prompts.
If you have difficulty, call or email us.

CANCELATION - INCLEMENT WEATHER?
The Show Must go On! We virtually never cancel a performance for any cause and have not cancelled due to inclement weather in the past 20 years. If in doubt, call the theatre at 202-628-6161. Actors and other theatre staff know that they must be on duty regardless of weather conditions. We recommend that you make very careful plans which get you to the theatre on time for your performance. You might find your way to METRO early, shop and dine downtown before the show, or even plan to stay overnight in town for a special mini-vacation treat. In any event, head into the city in plenty of time to make the curtain. Refunds are not made on the basis of the patron’s inability to get to the theatre. In the almost unheard of event that the show is not performed (due to some major truly catastrophic event such as a power black-out in the downtown area), patrons would, of course, be given tickets to another performance.

CHILDREN ~ AGE POLICY? APPROPRIATENESS OF SHOW CONTENT?
Children under four years of age are not permitted in the theatre for any performance. We can appreciate the disappointment you might feel over not being able to share a performance with your exceptionally well-behaved, but under four-years old child, who could sit through a performance without annoying others. Your child may well be exceptional in this regard for his or her age. We have a responsibility, however, to our adult patrons as well as to children.

The decision as to whether a ticket will be sold to a child must be made in advance, and without any way of our making an objective evaluation of the child's behavioral and maturity level. Certainly our box office sales people cannot make this decision arbitrarily with each ticket purchase involving children, and parents may not be totally objective with regard to their children. Therefore, the four-year-old rule has been adopted by many theatres as a reasonable cut-off point, and we adhere to it.

Legally, we must then treat all children of the same age alike, regardless of individual variations in behavioral maturity. The same is true with drinking laws, drivers' licenses, and other age determined regulations: some subjects will have been ready to handle the responsibility sooner, and some may not be mature at the legal age, but some reasonable selection point must be set if we are not to have children drinking, driving, and disturbing others in the theatre who have paid as much as $80 for an evening of concentrated entertainment. In any event, the years will go by all too fast as your child matures.

As to show content, there is no general theatre rating system comparable to that for films. One reason may be that a film remains always the same, while various productions and performances of a play contribute to the individuality of a theatre experience. No two performances, whether on Broadway or during the tour of a show, are ever exactly identical. In any event, it is difficult for anyone other than parents, who know their own children, to hazard more than a very general opinion as to the appropriateness of a specific stage show for a specific child. Age does not coordinate directly with maturity or personality, so that what might be frightening, disturbing, or sexually inappropriate for one child might have no effect on another. Producers of some presentations do rate their shows for suitability to particular age ranges as guidance to parents, but is not an independent judgment. When uncertain, parents need to read reviews (usually available on the Internet) and/or talk with others who have seen the show.

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COMING ATTRACTIONS ~ SCHEDULE?
We schedule show by show, not on a season basis. We do not have a “season schedule” to give you. ALL ATTRACTIONS which are CONFIRMED for appearance are shown on the front page of this site. If you find only one attraction on the page, then we have no other attractions currently confirmed for appearance.

CONTRIBUTIONS?
The National Theatre, established in 1835, is Washington's oldest cultural institution. Originally a commercial company formed by public-spirited citizens to give the national capital a playhouse for drama and music, the
theatre became a non-profit in 1974. The National Theatre Corporation, which now operates the National Theatre, is a 501.c.3 not-for-profit cultural and educational organization, so gifts are deductible to the full extent of the law. Our mainstage attractions pretty much pay for themselves over time, so contributions are used to support our free outreach programs, our archive, and to fund an endowment for maintenance of the theatre building, and as a guaranty for the theatre's future. Contributors of $1,500 per year comprise the National Theatre Circle, and are eligible for certain premiums. Click here for information on the Circle. The National Theatre receives no Federal or State grants. We would, of course, be happy to discuss contributions of any amount further with you. Please feel free email any questions you may have.

CREDIT CARD ~ BUYING TICKETS?
Credit card companies and our box office are understandably very strict with regard to how tickets are purchased and to whom they are delivered. Giving out a pair of tickets to the wrong person can be tantamount to giving away $160. Therefore, the box office will not sell tickets to any person presenting a credit card without an accompanying photo I.D. Therefore, It is not possible for another person to buy tickets with your credit card, even with an authorization note from you. A credit card and photo I.D. MUST be presented at the box office when tickets are purchased. The box office cannot validate, and therefore will not accept, the authenticity of any authorization note brought to the box office window.

CREDIT CARD ~ DELIVERY OF TICKETS?
Your tickets will be mailed to you at least two weeks prior to the performance, with a credit card receipt, and the transaction should appear on your next bill. Since some people order tickets months ahead, this delivery schedule has proven helpful in preventing lost tickets.

CREDIT CARD ~ PICKING UP TICKETS?
Credit card companies and our box office are understandably very strict with regard to how tickets are purchased and who picks them up. Giving out a pair of tickets to the wrong person can be tantamount to giving away $160. Therefore, the credit card used to purchase tickets via Telechargee.com (phone or Internet sales) with the name of the purchaser (regardless of whether other people have cards with the same ID number) MUST be presented at the box office when the tickets are picked up.

The box office cannot validate, and therefore will not accept, the authenticity of any note brought to the box office window, asking for a variance of this procedure. The one alternate option is for the purchaser to inform Telecharge in advance of the name of the person who will pick up the tickets, if the name is different from that of the purchaser. Clarify whether the pick-up person will need to have your credit card in hand. Contact information for Telecharge.com is at: http://www.nationaltheatre.org/tickets/phones.htm

DRESS CODE ~ PROPER ATTIRE?
The day when every person dressed formally to go to the theatre has (alas?) passed, and a variety of attire is now seen and accepted. Some people still like to make a "night on the town" celebration of theatre-going, in dashing dress, perhaps with dinner downtown prior to the show – in plenty of time not to be late for the curtain. They appear in business suits, ties, fancy cocktail dresses, or even tuxes, diamonds, long gowns, special hair~dos and perfume. They do not feel out of place. Others dress down, coming less formally in sports coats, pants suits, sweaters, open shirts, skirts and blouses, nylon wind~breakers, or even jeans and leather jackets. They feel fine, too.

To arrive at the theatre fresh, relaxed and unrushed, to feel well-groomed, comfortable and good about yourself for a special outing – that is really the guiding rule. Then you and your party will not only enjoy the occasion fully yourselves, but will add to the zesty festive pleasure of your fellow theatre-goers. Since coat-check facilities are available in winter but limited, the less bulky your outerwear, the better.

ELEVATOR FOR DISABLED?
Just after your tickets are taken, you will find the general manager, theatre manager or head usher to your right in the inner lobby. They will escort you to the elevator. Get off at the third floor to access the mezzanine seating, or on the fourth floor for balcony seating.

EMAIL ALERT LIST ADDRESS CHANGE?
To change your address in our Courtesy Email Alert List, you must first UNSUBSCRIBE your old address at:
http://www.nationaltheatre.org/listmail/unsubscribe.htm
Then SUBSCRIBE your new address at:
http://www.nationaltheatre.org/listmail/subscribe.htm
You will then receive an email at your new email address, confirming that you are re-subscribed.

FEES - FACILITIES FEE & HANDLING FEE?
Facilities Fee
A $1.25 facilities fee is INCLUDED in the ticket price for all seats. This charge is not - as a couple of matinee ladies conjectured - "for the use of the bathrooms." Rather, it is money passed directly to the theatre itself for maintenance, as opposed to being shared with the touring attraction. It became evident several years ago that some added income stream was essential if the building itself, equipment, seats, etc., were to be kept in good repair. We recently spent more than $1 million for new seats, carpets, paint, etc.
Telechargee.com Service Charge & Fee
There is a $6.00 per ticket service charge for Telecharge.com orders, and a $2.50 service fee per order (no matter how many tickets are in the order). These Telecharge.com charges do not apply to tickets purchased in person at the box office.

GIFT CERTIFICATES ~ PURCHASE?
Click here - http://www.nationaltheatre.org/tickets/giftcertificates.htm

GIFT CERTIFICATES ~ REDEMPTION?
Gift certificates do not expire. They are redeemed directly by the box office. You can come in person to the box office, or send your certificate to the box office – preferably by messenger or certified or insured mail since the document has a cash value and can be redeemed by anyone presenting the certificate. With your certificate, send a written request with several possible performance dates and times you prefer, and the general location for which you are seeking tickets. You will receive the best tickets available at the time your order is filled. Your tickets will be mailed to you. While certificates can be redeemed by Telecharge.com, the certificate must mailed to New York for processing and it can take several weeks to receive your tickets. Regrettably, we cannot "hold" tickets in the system prior to receipt of your certificate.

JOBS ~ INTERNSHIPS?

The National Theatre is a touring house, so many of the people who work directly on our presentations live elsewhere and are hired by the producers of our shows in New York. The actors are all members of Actors' Equity and travel with the touring companies. Some stage technicians travel with the shows as well, and others who live in this area, are contracted for the run of a show here through the local theatrical unions. All technicians are members or apprentices of I.A.T.S.E., the stage hands union, Local #22: http://www.iatselocal22.com / You might check that site with reference to a job or an apprenticeship. We hire no performers except for our Saturday Morning and Monday Night outreach programs. You can find descriptions of those programs elsewhere on this site. Our box office is unionized. We have only a very minimal in-house administrative staff, and we have no openings for new hires at present. Our small staff is not able to supervise interns or apprentices. As you may know, however, the Greater Washington Area has more than 50 professional theatres. Should you want to investigate the situation at other local theatres, you may find this Internet listing useful in making contacts: http://www.nowstar.net/netsearch/wash.htm Good luck with your search!

LOST & FOUND?
Please call 202~628~6161 for Lost and Found Information, so that you can describe your lost item in detail.

MILITARY DISCOUNT?
http://www.nationaltheatre.org/tickets/halfprice.htm

NAVIGATION OF THIS WEBSITE?
The website may seem complicated because we have tried to anticipate every question and provide the fullest information possible. The site consists of 150 separate pages, and 1,700 links among the pages. We are averaging more than 1,000 visitors each day, with very, very few complaints. If you hold your cursor momentarily over one of the five key words at the top of this or any page, and then move down into the drop-down menus below the key words, you should find whatever it is you want. You can click on the eagle at the top of any page ~ or HOME at the bottom of any page ~ to return to the Home/Front page. EVERY SHOW currently booked is always represented by LARGE LOGOS on the front page at: www.nationaltheatre.org If you click one of these logos you will come a show page. On that page you can click on PRICES, TIMES & PERFORMANCE INFORMATION for the times of performances, group discounts, etc. If on the show page you click on HOW TO BUY TICKETS you will find information about the box office, Telecharge.com phone numbers, how to buy tickets on the Internet, etc. If there is some question left unanswered, kindly email and we will certainly try to help you out.

NEW SCRIPTS TO OFFER US?
The National Theatre hosts Broadway touring shows and we do not produce any shows in house, therefore, we do not accept or read scripts. However, we do present original fully-staged plays short plays (maximum 55 minutes) in our Monday Night at the National free showcase series, held in the Helen Hayes Gallery of the theatre which seats about 100 people. Information on this program can be found at:
http://www.nationaltheatre.org/Monday/monday.htm
and
http://www.nationaltheatre.org/Monday/contract.htm
You will find a list of local theatre sites which may prove helpful at:
http://www.nowstar.net/netsearch/wash.htm
Original plays and musicals are on occasion produced by: MetroStage, Roundhouse, Signature Theatre, Studio Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, and many of the others. A perusal of their web sites may give you some ideas. Good luck with your venture!

NO GOOD SEATS AVAILABLE?
All available tickets are in the same computer, accessed simultaneously at the box office, through the Internet, and by the phone operators. Therefore, the seats that you are offered either at the box office or through Telecharge are the very best seats available in your price range at the time you make your purchase, and on the dates you want to attend the performance.

ORDERING TICKETS BY INTERNET OR PHONE?
INTERNET ~ Click on our HOME PAGE, which is always available by clicking the eagle at the top of any of our pages.
On the Home page, click on your preferred SHOW LOGO.
On the Show Page, click on BUY TICKETS.
On the Buy Tickets page, check out desired locations, prices, times, etc. Click on Telecharge.com.
On the Telecharge.com Page, click upper left on ACROSS THE USA.
In the Location Box, click on WASHINGTON, D.C.
Click on the SHOW NAME.
Peruse the information.
To check ticket availability, click in the gray area to the left on ORDER
TICKETS.
Enter your preferred number of tickets, date, etc., and follow further prompts.
PHONE
If you prefer to order tickets by phone, please phone Telecharge.com toll-free. Have your credit card ready.
Telecharge: VOICE: (800)722-4990, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Customer Service: VOICE for special situations: (888)268-2020 - Monday - Saturday 9AM - 9PM, Sunday 9AM - 6PM (EST).

PARKING?
For Parking information please click here - http://www.nationaltheatre.org/location/parking.htm We attempted at one time to list open hours and prices at the various garages near the theatre but it was simply impossible to maintain reliable up-to-date information. The charges vary widely, since they range from day to night, and from park-it-yourself lots to valet parking at nearby hotels. Some garages offer only self-park service in the evening. If in doubt, about prices, disability access, or hours of operation, call ahead. Don't make the mistake of going out for dinner after the show and coming back to find your car in a closed garage!

PHONE DIRECTLY TO THE BOX OFFICE?
Most general information questions, queries about ticket availability, performance times, etc. can be answered at 202-628-6161. Lines may be busy as the receptionists field a very large number of calls at peak times - on weekends, midday, and just prior to performances. There is no outside phone line to our box office, where all ticket sellers are stationed at the sales windows to serve customers in our lobby. Most detailed ticketing questions can be answered by Telecharge.com For phone numbers, click here - http://www.nationaltheatre.org/tickets/buytickets.htm

PRESENT OUR SHOW ON THE MAINSTAGE?
The 1700-seat National Theatre is booked under a management agreement by the Shubert Organization. It generally takes a Broadway musical or play which has been successfully branded as a hit show in New York to support the put-in, take-out, publicity and weekly running costs of presentations here. These costs accrue to the show producers or presenters. The National has no permanent sound, lighting or hanging stage draperies. Touring shows for theatres of our size generally want an "unfurnished stage" space, and unencumbered lighting positions and sound-console space, so that nothing impedes the put-in of the scenery, light and sound equipment and controls which have been specifically designed for their particular production needs. Thank you, however, for your interest.

REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES?
Regrettably, once you have purchased theatre tickets for a specific date, they cannot be exchanged and are not refundable. We contract with each touring show to sell its tickets. Once a seat is recorded as sold, the attraction expects to receive an unalterable accounting, transaction record, and payment for that ticket. If you find that you cannot attend the performance for which you have committed, your best options are either to find a purchaser for your seats, or to enhance a close friendship by giving the tickets away. Rarely, people stand in front of the theatre with tickets to sell, but in Washington few passersby will decide on the spur of the moment to attend a performance.

RESTAURANTS
Our Restaurant Listings are at http://www.nationaltheatre.org/location/restaurants.htm

SEASON SUBSCRIPTION?
We announce a subscription only If we are able to book a combination of attractions which would make up a very appealing "package" for patrons. We would normally include only shows which have not played in any
Washington theatres previously.

SEATING CHART?
Our Seating Chart is available at:
http://www.nationaltheatre.org/tickets/seatingchart.htm

SENIOR DISCOUNTS?
Senior citizens - 65 years of age and older - are eligible for half-price Special Patron Tickets but must purchase them in person at the box office, presenting at the time of purchase a driver's license, Medicare card, voter registration or some other official document certifying age.

Each senior must be present with her/his own ID to purchase a half-price ticket for his/her own personal use. One person may not use another person’s ID to purchase a ticket for a person not present at the box office. A senior may not transfer a ticket bought with his/her ID to any other person.

These tickets are available only for performances on Tuesday or Wednesday Evening or Sunday matinee. A restricted number of SPT tickets are offered for each production and are shared by several categories of patrons (including students, etc.), until the allotment is sold out. No general unlimited senior ticket discount is available at all times.

Admission at the time of performance can, of course, be refused if the tickets are presented to the ticket-taker by a person unable to present age verification if asked. Partial refunds are not available by presenting a Senior ID subsequent to the purchase of a full-price ticket.

The purpose of these requirements is to ensure, insofar as possible, a fair distribution of the limited number of discounted tickets which we can afford to sell in this program. Once the allotment is exhausted, no more "senior" discounted tickets are available. Other details of the Special Patron Ticket Program can be found at:
http://www.nationaltheatre.org/tickets/halfprice.htm

SIGNED PERFORMANCES?
One or more performances of each mainstage attraction are signed for the hearing impaired . Please go to the show information page and click on Times, Ticket Prices and Other Information. The date of the signed performance will be listed.

SINGLE SHOW NOTIFICATION AS OPPOSED TO JOINING EMAIL LIST?
As much as we might like to set up and offer separate alert lists with different sets of names for each coming attraction, creating a new list for each show is simply beyond what we can realistically afford to do. Please sign up for our Email Alert List.

STAGEHAND JOBS BACKSTAGE?
All backstage technical jobs at the theatre are union positions, either stage hands or wardrobe. Information can be sought from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Local 22.

STANDING ROOM ONLY TICKETS ~ SRO?
Standing Room tickets are only occasionally available, and there is no guarantee except on short notice that they will be sold for any particular show or performance. Standing room is not available unless a show is selling out.

When these tickets are sold, it is at the sole discretion of the producers of the particular touring show, and at the price which the producer sets for the particular performance.

Standing Room normally goes on sale at 10 AM or at noon on the day of the show. It is advisable to call 202-628-6161 to check in advance.

We have no waiting lists and tickets cannot be returned, so there are generally no cancellation tickets available for sale.

The decision to sell standing room is normally made by a company only when all tickets for a particular performance have been sold, or all tickets except for single seats, and pairs of seats in an area which provides only a partial view of the stage. Some pairs of "obstructed view" tickets may remain available when standing room goes on sale. These are sold only at the box-office, because the ticket seller must describe to you what the obstruction is, and you have to agree that the location is satisfactory before you make your purchase.

STUDENT HALF~PRICE TICKETS?
Details of our half~price ticket SPT ~ Special Patron Ticket program are spelled out at
http://www.nationaltheatre.org/tickets/halfprice.htm. These tickets can be purchased only at the box office. Each student - from elementary school to graduate school - must be physically present at the box office with his/her own school ID, grade card, registration letter, sticker or other identification at the time of purchase.

The purpose of these requirements is to ensure, insofar as possible, that students are acquiring tickets for their own use in a face-to-face transaction, and that, insofar as possible, we are making a fair distribution of the limited number of discounted tickets which we can afford to sell in this program. Once the allotment is exhausted, no more "student" discounted tickets are available, except in the case of special show promotions which could be made by the touring attraction.

Our half-price program is negotiated with the producers of each show, and only a limited number of seats can be made available, and only for certain performances. Strict procedures are established to ensure that they go, insofar as possible, only to qualified purchasers. It is advisable to call the theatre at 202-628-6161 to determine generally whether SPT tickets are available.

We cannot guarantee that half~price tickets will be available for the show you want, at the time you want. Since the availability of tickets can change by the minute, we are unable even to assure you that any tickets will be available when you arrive at the box office. This is simply a gift offer, which may or may not be available at the time you are able to buy tickets and take advantage of it.

This system has proven to be the most practical and equitable way for us to manage this program and distribute the tickets fairly among the many persons who would like to take advantage of these reduced~rate tickets.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE EMAIL ALERT LIST?
Click on one of the Email List buttons on the National Theatre website: www.nationaltheatre.org
The sign-up is automated. Unsubscribe by clicking the link in an Alert List message.

TAXIS
Our recommendation is that you walk over to the west end of the block to the14th Street entrance to the JW Marriott Hotel, where there is a large lighted portico and continuous taxi service, or bell-hops to call you a cab. You can even step from under the National Theatre marquee, go a very short distance and enter the hotel directly from Pennsylvania Avenue and then cross over inside to the 14th Street side.

TICKET AVAILABILITY?
Our phone operators, at 202-628-6161 can tell you what particular performances are sold out and give you a general idea as to ticket availability at the time of your call. Of course, ticket availability changes from moment to moment daily as tickets are sold at the box office, and 24 hours a day as tickets are sold by phone and via the Internet through Telecharge.com. Therefore, you must contact one of the regular sales channels to check ticket availability at a particular moment for specific seats at the performance(s) of your preferred time, and then make your purchase at that time if you find a suitable location and want to be assured of acquiring seats then available.

http://www.nationaltheatre.org/tickets/buytickets.htm

At the box office you can discuss in person the most exact detailed information as to seat locations and options. However, you can access the same seating though Telecharge.com, phone or Internet. Of course at any purchase time, you will always be able to get better tickets on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, than on the weekend, when there is very much greater demand for seats.

TICKET DISTRIBUTION FOR FREE SHOWS: Saturday Morning at the National, Monday Night at the National and Summer Cinema?
Our free outreach performances, Saturday Morning at the National, Monday Night at the National and Summer Cinema, are presented in the Helen Hayes Gallery on the second level of the National Theatre. This space seats just about 100 guests depending on the configuration of the seating for the particular show, somewhat more on Saturday Morning when children are seated on the carpet. Fire and safety regulations restrict the number of guests we can safely accommodate.

Tickets are distributed to those in line ~ about one half-hour prior to show time or closer to show time if the crowd is small. Tickets are given only to those actually standing in the line: one person get one ticket. One must be in the line to receive a ticket, and stay in line to be admitted. Almost always, everyone gets in! We generally suggest that you be in line 30 minutes before the show. However, since we cannot predict the popularity of a particular attraction at a specific time, we can never absolutely guarantee entrance to everyone who shows up, no matter how early you might arrive.

Our shows attract crowds of various sizes, and factors like weather can affect turn-out. We have no certain way of knowing in advance what the demand will be.

If you are concerned about not getting in, our best advice would be: plan to arrive in line at least 30 to 45 minutes early for the first show. Should you be too late to get a ticket for that performance, you could shop or walk around a bit, but be sure to return in time to be first in line when the tickets are distributed for the second show. Since we have only one showing for Summer Cinema, if you arrive too late there is no further option.

These performances are supported by our contributors and advertised as free to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis. Therefore, we do not allow individuals or groups to "reserve ahead" or to "save seats" or to save places in line for latecomers, car-parkers, etc., or to take tickets for people who are not yet actually in the line. Giving such special treatment to certain guests invalidates our policy of equitable access for all.

We understand that guests often make a considerable effort to attend our shows (long METRO rides, drives from the suburbs, searches for parking, etc.) and we appreciate that. We make every effort to be fair to everyone. These rules have been refined from 1980 (when the shows began) to the present, and we think they are the most equitable and gracious way of distributing free admissions. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding!

TICKET PROBLEMS
Once purchased, tickets cannot be exchanged for alternate performance dates or times
nor returned for refund. For questions related to delivery or other ticket problems:
Call 800-447-7400 - toll free, 24/7 for tickets purchased via phone or Internet from Telecharge.
Call 202-628-6161 - 10 am - 6 pm except Mon for tickets purchased at the National Theatre box office
Call 202-628-6166 - 10 am - 6 pm except Mon for group sales purchases.

Tickets are always mailed in plenty of time for you to see the show. Our experience has been that if tickets are mailed weeks in advance of the performance, patrons may inadvertently misplace them. So, not to worry, you will received your ticket in time, but not so early as to risk them going astray.

Should your tickets not arrive in a timely manner –~ say a week before the performance date and you presume them lost in the mails or otherwise missing ~~ call Telecharge.com Customer Service at 888~268-2020 and inform them of the situation. A “pass” will be authorized in the ticket computer system, but held at the box office until you arrive at the theatre. To prevent a second loss and to guard against any possibility of fraud, passes cannot be picked up in advance of the performance, nor picked up by anyone other than the person who ordered the tickets. Photo identification will, of course, be required at the time of pick~up.

UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THE EMAIL ALERT LIST?
Our Email Alert list is automated. You can unsubscribe at:
http://www.nationaltheatre.org/listmail/unsubscribe.htm

USHERS?
Ushers at the National have always been paid, and in fact, they set up a picket line in the 1960's when management attempted to introduce a volunteer system! Ushers work several performances each week, and many of them have been with us for a number of years. We have no openings for volunteer ushers. Should you wish to apply for a paid ushering job working multiple nights a week when we have a show in the house, please drop a note with your contact and availability information to: The National Theatre, Attn: USHER APPLICATION, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 2004, OR send an email with USHER APPLICATION in the subject line, and your contact information in the body of the message, OR call 202-628-6161for further information.

WHEELCHAIR LOCATIONS?
The theatre has seat locations where an aisle chair can be removed to make space for a wheel chair. An adjacent seat is reserved for sale to a companion. Ticket availability changes from moment to moment as tickets are sold by phone, at the box office, and 24 hours a day, every day, on the Internet. Please use one of the regular sales channels to check availability of a wheelchair location and adjacent or nearby seating for the performance of your choice, and, and then make your purchase at that time if you find a suitable location and want to be assured of acquiring it. See BUYING TICKETS above. If you are able to go to the box office to purchase your seats, you will be able to check the exact seat location available in the theatre. Seats are available in all price ranges. We can also provide seats for companions next to the wheelchair locations, subject to previous sale.