Get in for less
American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.)
Deals, times & rules →Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Deals, times & rules →The Marsh San Francisco
The Valencia Street storefront where solo shows are born — works-in-progress one month become acclaimed runs the next.
Deals, times & rules →The Marsh Berkeley
Deals, times & rules →The rooms worth knowing
Presidio Theatre Performing Arts
San Francisco · presidiotheatre.org
Magic Theatre
San Francisco · magictheatre.org
The Fort Mason company where Sam Shepard was playwright-in-residence — new American plays have premiered here for over 50 years.
The Shelton Theater
San Francisco · sheltontheater.org
A pocket-size theater in a downtown office building on Sutter — intimate plays a few feet from the actors.
Phoenix Theatre
San Francisco · phoenixtheatresf.org
Lucie Stern Theatre
Palo Alto · paplayers.org
Home of Palo Alto Players, the Peninsula's longest-running community theater company, in Palo Alto's Lucie Stern community center.
Alcazar Theatre
San Francisco · alcazarsf.com
A striking Islamic-revival building on Geary hosting plays, comedy, and touring productions steps from the Theater District.
NOH Space
San Francisco · theatreofyugen.org
Bindlestiff Studio
San Francisco · bindlestiffstudio.org
Marin Theatre Company
Mill Valley · marintheatre.org
Mill Valley's professional theater — new American plays and contemporary classics in a 231-seat mainstage.
Hillbarn Theatre
Foster City · hillbarntheatre.org
Foster City's community theater institution, staging musicals and plays since 1941.
Cubberley Theater
Palo Alto · paloalto.gov/Departments/Community-Services/Facility-Rentals/Cubberley-Theatre
Cinnabar Theater
Petaluma · cinnabartheater.org
Petaluma's opera-house-on-a-hill — intimate opera, musicals, and plays in a converted 1908 schoolhouse.
Shotgun Players
Berkeley · shotgunplayers.org
Berkeley's adventurous flagship on Ashby — every preview is pay-what-you-can, and 25-and-unders get $15 MAD tickets to any show.
Aurora Theatre Company
Berkeley · auroratheatre.org
Intimate, actor-forward theater steps from downtown Berkeley BART — under-35s pay half price, college students $15, and there's a $20 rush at the box office an hour before curtain.
Central Works
Berkeley · centralworks.org
The new-play theater inside the landmark Berkeley City Club — every Thursday and every preview is pay-what-you-can.
Berkeley Playhouse
Berkeley · berkeleyplayhouse.org
Family-friendly musicals in the historic Julia Morgan Theatre — $19 value seats on most performances, and under-30s always pay less.
New Conservatory Theatre Center
San Francisco · nctcsf.org
SF's LGBTQ+ theater anchor at 25 Van Ness — the first week of every production has pay-what-you-wish tickets.
Golden Thread Productions
San Francisco · goldenthread.org
Middle Eastern theater at Potrero Stage — pay-what-you-want previews, $30 under-30 tickets to every performance, and free community walk-in seats held at every show.
Crowded Fire Theater
San Francisco · crowdedfire.org
Bold new plays with a $25 community price on every mainstage show — and pay-what-you-can previews from a dollar.
San Francisco Mime Troupe
San Francisco · sfmt.org
The Tony-winning political musical-comedy troupe — free shows in San Francisco parks every summer since 1959.
Brava Theater Center
San Francisco · brava.org
The Mission's women-led theater landmark on 24th Street — sliding-scale pricing set show-by-show.
Frequently asked
What are the theater venues in San Francisco?
SF theater venues in this guide: Presidio Theatre Performing Arts, American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.), Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Magic Theatre, The Shelton Theater, The Marsh San Francisco, Phoenix Theatre, The Marsh Berkeley, Lucie Stern Theatre, Alcazar Theatre, NOH Space, Bindlestiff Studio, Marin Theatre Company, Hillbarn Theatre, Cubberley Theater, Cinnabar Theater, Shotgun Players, Aurora Theatre Company, Central Works, Berkeley Playhouse, New Conservatory Theatre Center, Golden Thread Productions, Crowded Fire Theater, San Francisco Mime Troupe, Brava Theater Center.
How do I get discount tickets to SF theater shows?
RushTix tracks the venues' own discount programs — rush tickets, standing room, lotteries, free series — and emails members the skinny. Sign up free at rushtix.com — pick SF Bay Area and you'll hear when there's a way in for less at theater shows.
Big theater nights. Tiny prices.
Free to join. Roscoe, your cultural concierge, emails you when there's a way in for less at the venues above.