Outdoors at Stan Hywet:
WHAT IS THE PRICING FOR TICKETS?
Thursdays and Sundays: $30, $15 students
Fridays and Saturdays: $35, $15 students
Group rates available for groups of 15+. Please contact John Peters at johnpeters@ohioshakespeare.com or 330-5-SHAKES
Stan Hywet members may receive member discounts over the phone on single tickets (330-5-SHAKES) . Discounts do not apply to gift certificates or subscriptions.
What if it rains?
We perform rain or shine, so feel free to bring an umbrella or raincoat if you are worried. In the rare event of a total downpour, we will first postpone the show. If the weather clears quickly, we will continue the show from where we left off.
OSF will never cancel a show in advance due to weather.
If you are rained on—even if we do not cancel the show—you may call to reschedule your tickets for free for another performance. Rain reschedules must be done within 30 days of the rained-on performance, but can be scheduled for any show Ohio Shakes is producing within the same season. Reschedule rain out tickets by calling 330-5-SHAKES or emailing johnpeters@ohioshakespeare.com
We do not perform in dangerous weather.
Why are prices different on Friday & Saturday?
Inflation affects us all, we’re afraid. But instead of raising ticket prices across the board, we instead only raised ticket prices on Fridays and Saturdays. We hope keeping Thursdays and Sundays the same as last year might make it easier on some folks to continue attending. (Don’t forget about Preview Nights, Pay What You Will nights, and Free Students nights!)
What about Covid?
According to the CDC, outdoor venues are some of the safest places to be. Our company and employees are all entirely vaccinated. Social distancing between parties is available upon request by calling 330-5-SHAKES, but will not be automatically applied to all tickets. With the changing times, our policies may change.
WHAT IS THE “PAY WHAT YOU WILL” NIGHT / FREE STUDENT NIGHT?
OSF wants to make Shakespeare accessible and available to our entire community. In an effort to do this, we offer a donation based “Pay What you Will” evening on the first Sunday of all productions. Pay whatever you can for your ticket…it could be $5, it could be $100. The idea is to have people contribute what is comfortable for their budgets and to help us continue to provide more Shakespeare to our entire community. (Please note: to reserve tix in advance for these events, the minimum per ticket price is $5/ticket. If you’d like to pay less, you may do so at the door when the box office opens on the evening of the performance.)
Free Student Night is on the second Thursday of all shows. Just bring your student ID (or any other proof of student status) and it will grant you access to the festival. ID for college students is absolutely required, no exceptions. Under 18s do not need an ID. Free student tickets are only available at the door on the evening of the performance.
IMPORTANT: If parents are dropping their students off at the door, please know that the main gates of Stan Hywet close at 8:10 and parents will not be able to get into the parking lot to retrieve children at the end of the evening. Please consider a safe and appropriate plan for rendezvous, or reach out to our customer service manager at 330-5-SHAKES to set up an adult escort out of the grounds to the parents’/guardians’ car.
Do I need to bring my own chair/A blanket?
Nope!
May I bring my own chairs/blanket?
Sure! But you’ll need to set them up behind the OSF seating and be sure not to block the aisles. Our house manager can help you the night of the show if you have questions.
Am I allowed to bring food/wine?
You are more than welcome to bring a picnic dinner and any food or drink you’d like except alcohol. Stan Hywet’s liquor license prevents us from allowing patrons to bring in their own wine, etc. However, Stan Hywet does sell Barefoot wines and local beers at the concessions tent!
Is there food for purchase?
Patrons may purchase snack foods and beverage on site, if they prefer. The concessions tent has a variety of snack items for sale: cookies, chips, soft pretzels, sodas, coffee, wine, beer, and more. Items come from and maintained by the Stan Hywet Carriage House Cafe.
Stan Hywet no longer offers box lunches.
ARE THERE PICNIC TABLES?
There are a limited number of picnic tables on site at the lagoon and by the butterfly house. However, there are plenty of comfortable places to enjoy your picnic around Stan Hywet. You may bring a blanket and enjoy it on the lawn. You may eat in your seats in front of the stage. There are many benches and hide-a-way places perfect for picnicking scattered amongst the grounds of Stan Hywet.
is the show appropriate for youngsters?
Absolutely. Very young children have loved our past productions and return year after year. It is Shakespeare, so there are innuendos of a sexual nature and sometimes heavy content, but there is nothing gratuitous in our performances. We also highly recommend bringing young ones to our Greenshows at 7:30. The shows are geared to be accessible and exciting to all audiences, especially students.
How should I dress?
You will be walking across a grassy lawn, so consider that as you choose your footwear. There is no dress code, and people have been known to wear everything from casual picnic clothes to dressy, night-out-at-the-theatre attire. It does get cool after the sun sets, so please consider bringing a sweater or light coat.
What about the bugs? Are they terrible?
Truly, no. We also offer free “OFF” bug spray at the ticket and concession tents all night long.
Can I explore the grounds of Stan Hywet, too?
Yes! Your ticket grants you access to the gardens beginning at 6:00. The manor house and greenhouses are closed, but feel free to explore the expansive outdoor gardens before the show begins. But don’t miss the Greenshow at 7:30!
What’s a greenshow?
The Greenshow is our pre-show performance that begins at 7:30. Company members entertain you as you picnic with song, dance, parody, sword fighting, and general revelry. It has become an absolute fan favorite at OSF and is not to be missed.
Where do I get my tickets?
Your tickets should be emailed to you so that you may print at home or present on your phone. They come from our ticketing software “thundertix”. (Check your spam if you don’t see them!)
For those who choose Will Call, there is a white ticketing tent at the bottom of the main Stan Hywet parking lot. You can’t miss it--it blocks the entrance to the festival. If you printed at home, we will simply scan you in there. If you are picking up tickets at will call/purchasing at the door, you may do so there as well.
Can I purchase at the door?
Yes, but of course we cannot guarantee that tickets will be available for that evening. We encourage pre-purchasing if at all possible. We accept cash, check, and all major credit cards at the door.
Do you Accept my credit card?
We accept all major credit cards.
Can I understand your shows? I don’t see much Shakespeare.
Absolutely. Our shows are designed to be completely accessible. Time and again, people are surprised by their ability to understand and love our Shakespeare. We’ve had children as young as 5 and 6 laughing up a storm.
CAN I SWITCH MY TICKET TO ANOTHER NIGHT?
We can only switch tickets to another evening with more than 48 hours notice. All sales are final. OSF does not offer any refunds for live performances or subscription purchases unless the performance is cancelled in advance by Ohio Shakespeare Festival (e.g. COVID related or other emergency cancellations). Rained-on patrons will be offered a free reschedule for any other performance. You agree to these terms when purchasing tickets.
My Question isn't answered here.
If you have a question about a ticket you've already purchased or would like to exchange dates, change names on the order, etc., please call the ticketing office at 330-5-SHAKES.
If you have a question for our customer service manager regarding any and all things email johnpeters@ohioshakespeare.com
Indoors at Greystone Hall:
What is the pricing for tickets?
Preferred Seating: $35
Standard Seating: $30
*Gallery Seating: $20
Student prices reflect a $5 discount. $5 Student tickets available in the Gallery for every performance.
*Please note that there is no handicapped accessible seating in the Gallery section. If you need handicapped accessible seating at the Gallery price, please call us at 330-5-SHAKES.
Pay What you Will & Free student performances?
Pay What You Will performances do work a little differently indoors this year, but they are still available.
PWYW reservations are available in advance in the Gallery (2nd level) and side seating (left and right of stage). If you're hoping for the center section, that is full price in advance online, but the center section does become PWYW on the day of the event at the door, one hour before curtain.
We unfortunately had to make this change because we were seeing an unusually high number of folks reserve PWYW tickets in advance but not attend the show, leaving empty seats and a long waiting list of folks who couldn’t be served. We are trying to make it possible to serve more folks and get a fuller house while still offering the discounted price.
Another difference between online and at the door: online PWYW begins at $5/ticket. At the door can be as low as $1. Again, just an effort to make sure more folks get to attend.
Free Student Performance tickets are available only at the door or over the phone. Full price tickets available in advance as usual. Have adults purchasing in advance but want to be sure you still sit with your free student? Just give the box office a call at 330-5-SHAKES.
Where can i park?
Free parking can be found in the small connected Greystone lot or in the Mill Street Garage directly across the street, just a 30 second walk from Greystone.
Parking is always free on Friday evenings and weekends—Thursday parking in the garage is $2 if you leave the lot before 10pm (after 10pm, free).
Evening street parking is always free.
DO I NEED MY STUDENT ID IF I’M PURCHASING A STUDENT TICKET?
Yes, the box office will check it when you arrive unless you are under 18. Student pricing only applies to the student, not their guests; to put it another way--for every one student ticket sold, the box office will check for one student ID.
CAN I SWITCH MY TICKET TO ANOTHER NIGHT?
We are happy to switch tickets to another evening with more than 48 hours notice. If you are a season subscriber, you may switch tickets at anytime. OSF considers all sales final and cannot offer refunds for tickets or subscriptions unless for some reason the show does not go on.
Is the theatre handicapped accessible?
Yes! Both the Preferred and Standard seating sections are handicapped accessible. However, the Gallery section is not. Please indicate when purchasing your ticket if you will need assistance from the House Manager.
What are the 'duke's seats'?
In Renaissance playhouses, there was often a seat reserved for royalty that gave special patrons a perfect view of the stage. At Greystone, our two Duke's Seats are ideally placed, extra comfortable, and plain-old fancy. Purchase the (literal) best seats in the house--and $15 of each Duke's ticket is tax deductible!
Are there greenshows at Greystone?
We love the Greenshows just as much as you! But they are best saved for the greenery of our Stan Hywet Hall & Garden stage.
When does the lobby OPEN?
Our fully stocked bar area opens 1 hour before each performance. The theatre opens for seating 30 minutes before curtain.
Is the bar open?
Our beautiful bar will be open for every performance. Full bar service and light snacks.
CAN I PURCHASE AT THE DOOR?
Yes, but of course we cannot guarantee that tickets will be available for that evening's performance. We strongly encourage reserving tickets in advance. We accept cash, check, and credit card at the door.
DO YOU ACCEPT MY CREDIT CARD?
We accept all major credit cards. We also accept cash and checks at the door.