Theatre, a timeless art, is struggling more than ever before with more and more people staying at home and watching TV instead of going to the theatre.

The magic of theatre doesn’t need to break the bank, nor should it require you to travel far, with professional options nearby in Shoreline, Edmonds, and North Seattle as well as downtown Seattle.

As the holiday season rapidly approaches, many theatres have holiday shows coming up.

Just a short drive away from Bothell is the Phoenix Theatre in Edmonds. Back by popular demand, “Twist of the Magi” by Debra Rich Gettleman is a comedic twist on O Henry’s classic Gift of the Magi set in a 1940’s radio station. Tickets are available directly through the theatre for $20, but a limited number of tickets are available for $12.50 via Goldstar.com.

A little farther away in Green Lake, Seattle Public Theatre’s “Christmastown” by Wayne Rawley is a classic mystery following Detective Nick Holiday’s search for the cause of gloom in Christmastown. Tickets are $17 for students.

If you are looking for a holiday classic, ACT theatre in Seattle has their annual production of “a Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. $5 tickets are available via TeenTix, which is an excellent organization through which any teen ages 13-19 can get a free pass and get $5 day-of tickets to arts events around the city as supplies last.

For those who need a less structured and more participatory experience, Unexpected Productions in Seattle has their annual Improvised Christmas Carol coming up with $12 student tickets.

If holiday shows aren’t your cup of tea, then Edmonds Driftwood’s production of “Peter and the Starcatcher” by Rick Elice tells the timeless tale of Peter Pan. Tickets are $25 for students, but $14 tickets are available at Goldstar.com.

In Seattle, $5 tickets are available via TeenTix for Lin Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights” at the Seattle Repertory Theatre which brings the hopes, stories, and pressures of New York’s Washington Heights Neighborhood to life on stage.

According to Elise Cogan (‘20), it is so important to support theatre because  “Theatre can be seen as a dying art with more competing forms of entertainment becoming more popular.”

We cannot let such a valuable art form die. Look at your options, pick a show, and help perpetuate the beauty and magic of live theatre while also supporting those who have devoted their lives to the performing arts.