Before The Show
Visit our shows to buy tickets online or call the box office at 650-329-0891 during weekday box office hours. Come to the ticket window starting one hour before the show to make an in-person purchase (subject to availability). For sold out shows come to the box office window to add your name to the wait list–we’ll do our best to get you in!
No child under age 3 will be admitted to the theater. Please check age recommendations show-by show; not all productions are appropriate for kids. Every child must be ticketed and sit in their own seat.
call the box office at 650-329-0891 during weekday box office hours.
Visit your personal account to view or download your tickets, and review your subscriptions and credit balance. Use the email used to buy your tickets, and the password you’ve already set to log in, or create a new password by clicking Reset here at “Forgot your password”. Check out the Account Guide for more help.
We do not offer refunds and all sales are final. Please refer to our policies. However, (subject to availability) we’d be happy to make an exchange into best available seats at an upcoming performance of the same show; exchanges are $6 per ticket for single ticket buyers. You must have a credit card on file, and provide the full name and email of the person who bought the tickets.
Exchanges are only available by calling or emailing during weekday box office hours. For Thursday and Friday performances, your original show must be a minimum of 4 hours in the future when you contact us. When your performance is on a Saturday or Sunday, you must contact us before 4 PM on the Friday before your original performance. Exchange requests made at or during in-person box office window hours cannot be accommodated.
Our productions start ON TIME! Arrive 30 minutes early and allow additional time to find parking*, walk through the Community Center grounds, locate and scan your tickets, and pre-order concessions (snack and drinks). Latecomers must wait in the lobby and will be seated by Palo Alto Players staff at an appropriate musical or scene break.
Every person must have a show ticket; no children under age 3 are admitted.
No we don’t. You may bring a low-profile booster or cushion that fits across a theater seat and does not result in an obstructed view for other audience members. You must be able to quickly move it to allow other patrons seating access and egress. Boosters cannot obstruct aisles or walkways.
Attire ranges from casual to formal – wear whatever enhances your experience. For example, patrons might come to the theater directly from school and work in jeans and sneakers; others might be here for a special occasion in suits and gowns. We do suggest you dress in layers in case the auditorium is not heated or cooled to your personal comfort level. The Lucie Stern Theater’s air handling systems are old and have trouble keeping up with changes in outdoor temperatures.
Shows are typically 1.5 to 3 hours long. Some, but not all, include a 10-20 minute intermission about halfway through. Run times are listed at each show page.
Look for black and red Palo Alto Players nametags on our House Managers, ushers, staff, and board members; they’ll be very happy to help you.
In the event of a cancellation that we are unable to substitute an alternative production, you will be offered a credit to your ticketing account, the opportunity to donate your ticket price back to Palo Alto Players, or a ticket refund. If the performance is rescheduled, we will automatically exchange your ticket to the new date.
Theatre is live storytelling on a stage. When the storytelling includes singing & dancing, the show is generally called a musical; otherwise, it’s a play. You may see the alternate spelling “theater” used to refer to the actual building where the show takes place.
The City of Palo Alto upgraded the Lucie Stern Theater air filtration system with Merv-13 filters in 2022.
Arriving At The Show
Get driving directions. From the central courtyard, you’ll see the entrance to our lobby. From the parking lot, go around or through the Community Center wing. There is a pedestrian walkway to the courtyard from the corner of Hopkins and Harriet Streets. If you are experiencing mobility challenges, we encourage you to use the courtyard driveway as a drop off to the theatre entrance.
If you chose will-call, your tickets will be available at the ticket window starting one hour before the show begins. If you chose e-tickets, search for the subject line “Your Palo Alto Players tickets are ready” from [email protected] or download them from your ticket account. Print the tickets or display them on your phone, for scanned entry to the show.
Check out the Account Guide for more help finding e-tickets.
Still can’t locate your tickets? Box office staff can quickly reprint them at the ticket window starting one hour before the show begins.
Lobby doors open 30 minutes before show time. With your tickets in hand, our volunteer ushers (dressed in black) will welcome you into the lobby. They’ll scan your ticket, provide you with a show program (free of charge at Palo Alto Players), and direct you to your seats in the theater.
Concessions are available 30 minutes before the show and during intermission. We appreciate cash and accept credit cards and contactless forms of payment.
Sales of snacks and beverages are a service to our patrons to enhance the theatre experience. We do not profit from these sales; all proceeds go to support the cast and crews of our shows.
Restrooms are available inside the theater building and may also be available in the Community Center wing.
The printed booklet given out by the ushers as you enter the theater contains valuable information about the show you’re about to see, including its estimated duration; whether there’s an intermission; its list of scenes and/or songs; its creators, cast, crew, and production team members; and the donors who support Palo Alto Players to make theatre available to broad audiences. A digital version of the program is also available at the theater via QR code.
During The Show
The actors and your fellow audience members thank you for not disturbing others during the show. Cell phones can disrupt microphone frequencies – please put them on airplane mode during the performance. Keep your young children from making a disturbance; if an usher asks that you take the child outside please respectfully and quietly follow their instructions.
Video and photography of any kind are strictly prohibited and are a violation of licensing rights. Though it will disrupt those around you, ushers will require that you delete the file from your device during the performance. Respectfully and quietly follow their instructions.
Enjoy concessions before the show and during intermission in the lobby or courtyard. Absolutely no food is permitted inside the auditorium. Beverages must be consumed before re-entering the auditorium, with the exception of approved drinks contained in a lidded Palo Alto Players theater cup.
Actors often wear “body mics,” or portable microphone packs that are concealed within their costumes. If you look very closely, you might see the flexible tip of the mic taped near the actors’ foreheads or jawlines.
For shows that have an orchestra, if the musicians are not seen onstage, they’re actually under the stage, in an area called the orchestra pit. While you may not see the music director, actors often have a live video feed at the back of the theater, where they can see the music director’s cues to synchronize them with the orchestra.
Stretch your legs, use the restroom, visit the lobby, purchase concessions, or simply stay in your seat to wait for the second act. A chime sound will let you know when the intermission is coming to an end.
Depending on where the musicians and/or production team are located, the actors are pointing out the orchestra pit (under the stage), the sound booth (at the back of the theater), and/or the light booth (high up at the back of the theater) to acknowledge the other key contributors to the show you’ve just seen.
The standing ovation is an extra gesture of appreciation for the artistry of the show. It’s not required, but if you were touched by the story you just saw onstage, feel free to jump to your feet too!
After The Show
Called a “step and repeat,” we invite everyone to use this backdrop as a photo op–a wonderful memory of your experience at the theatre!
Please share your theatre experience with friends; make a donation to keep theatre broadly accessible; audition for an upcoming show; or volunteer with us. We hope to see you again soon!
