Membership may make sense for theatergoers

Do you see four or more plays a year? If so you may want to check out OnTheHouseTickets.com. It costs $225 for a one year membership or $130 for a six-month membership. Mention the Bargain Hunter and get $10 off until October 1, 2008.

Members get free tickets to a dozen or more shows each week. The way it works is On The House receives free tickets from shows that need to spread the word or fill the house if a critic is coming, then passes the freebies onto members, who can attend more than one show each week.

Once you join the owner Tracy e-mails you when tickets become available. If you are interested in a particular show, call her Tuesday through Thursday between 1 and 5pm or on Friday between 1 and 4 pm at (310) 392-7588. She takes your reservation and makes sure your tickets are waiting at the box office.

You get a pair of tickets for each show. Tracy was tight lipped when it came to sharing some of the shows she gets tickets to because she doesn't want to hurt her relationship with the theaters (imagine if you paid $$$ for tickets and the dope next to you got in free). But prospective members can email her and ask her for examples of shows they would get tickets to if they joined.

If for some reason a show starts selling tickets like crazy and wants its freebies back, Tracy will call you and ask if you will release the tickets. But in the two years she has run the site that has only happened three times, she said. Occasionally, tickets cost $3 to $5.

Thanks, Bruce!