When Provost Peter Lange decided to address the issue of paltry student attendance at Duke’s abundance of high-quality arts performances, his office came up with an obvious solution to the problem: cheaper tickets.
“We wanted students to be able to say, ‘I’ve got $5, I can go to the ballet, even if I can’t manage to make it a movie night,’” said Richard Riddell, theater studies professor and Lange’s then-special assistant, who helped formulate the plan. “This is the first time we really looked at the entire student body and how we could enhance the experience for everyone.”
In past years subsidized tickets were offered almost exclusively to students attending events for classes. But since August the provost’s ticket initiative has allowed students to attend performances attracted to campus by Duke Performances, the Department of Theater Studies and the Duke University Union for just $5—discounted from regular prices as high as $45.
Lange implemented the program last year through his “discretionary budget,” following the model of a similar program at Dartmouth College. “I felt that there were a lot of cultural events on campus that students were missing out on,” Lange said. “I think this is a major component to the cultural element on campus.”
In response, students have flocked to performances this academic year in record numbers, grabbing seats at events ranging from last month’s nicholasleichterdance performances to the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra’s sell-out show in January. Duke’s undergraduate and graduate students have purchased more than 4,800 tickets so far, compared to 1,700 last year—an increase of more than 300 percent—said Kathy Silbiger, adjunct associate professor of arts management and program director of the Institute of the Arts.
Employees of Duke Performances—the group that sponsors the majority of events offering the subsidized tickets—said the number of students attending major arts and theater events has grown substantially, with graduate students accounting for the majority of student ticket sales.
“In general there’s been more of a buzz across campus, more of an emphasis on people trying to help out with the arts,” Silbiger said.
Both Lange and Silbiger attributed lower undergraduate attendance to graduate students’ tendency to plan ahead and manage tighter budgets. Big-name performances like Thursday’s concert by 10-time Grammy winner Bobby McFerrin often sell out weeks in advance, Silbiger said.
“I’m hoping for a higher visibility of the arts performances on campus next year [to accompany] the addition of the [Nasher] Museum and with improved advertising,” said Silbiger, adding that she also hopes to promote student-artist interaction next year. “More support will hopefully translate into more dollars to bring things to campus.”
Director of Theater Zannie Voss, whose Department of Theater Studies has seen “substantial increases in students’ participation in the theater experience,” said the provost’s initiative is a move in the right direction but that Duke students in general could take a more active role in supporting the arts.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and chances are that if you haven’t attended the theater when you leave here, you never will,” Voss said. “Many students at Duke will end up moving to large metropolitan areas, where they’ll be the ones sitting on boards for the arts.”
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