Theater for all at an affordable price

A night out to see live theater can be exhilarating and engaging in a way that even the most action-packed movie could never approach. But it is pricey enough to be out of reach for many in our community. That is changing, thanks to a bold move by the Guthrie Theater, which will cut prices for its ninth-floor theaters to $9, making them lower than the average ticket for a 3-D movie (plus you get that extra dimension).

New artistic director Joseph Haj has said that after going into the community he heard a need for contemporary works that could reach new, more diverse audiences and start powerful conversations. But he recognized that the price barrier was significant. A three-year grant from the Mellon Foundation will make it possible both to lower prices and to commission works that look at topics that will be distinctly different from mainstream, main-stage productions like "Harvey," the current offering on the Wurtele Thrust Stage, where tickets run up to $75 apiece.

"In today's world we face increasingly complex questions, yet we have fewer places where we can come together as a community to grapple with and address them," Haj said in a statement when the new pricing was announced. "With this funding, we are afforded the opportunity to be nimble and responsive to what's happening in the world around us." Haj plans to commission one major work each year for the next three years that will address social issues.

Minnesota is fortunate to have an arts community that works to keep art available to all. The Minneapolis Institute of Art, which now calls itself MIA, has priceless art from across the ages available for anyone who walks in. For its 2016-17 season, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra will make its performances free to children between 6 and 17 — a brilliant move to begin building appreciation of live classical music at a young age.