PAY-AS-YOU-ARE at CHUANG Stage

At CHUANG Stage, we believe theatre should never be a luxury reserved for a few. It should be a shared cultural space — one where immigrants, working-class communities, artists, elders, students, and first-time theatre-goers all feel welcomed, valued, and able to participate fully.

That’s why we practice Pay-As-You-Are — not as a discount model, but as an equity framework.

Pay-As-You-Are invites you to choose a ticket price that reflects your current financial reality, without judgment, proof, or explanation. Whether you’re supporting our work at a higher level or attending theatre for the first time at a lower price point, every seat is the same seat, and every audience member is equally valued.

In the 2024 - 25 season, our community paid an average “Pay-As-You-Are” ticket price of…

$27.4

On average, a ticket to theatrical events in Boston costs…

$120.43

All of our events, including our annual two-show season at the Boston Center for the Arts, feature a "Pay-As-You-Are with $0 Minimum" tiered pricing model. This model provides radical access to theatre for those who identify as working-class immigrants of Asian American descent, a population in Boston underrepresented in arts and culture patrons.

When you "Pay-As-You-Are," we empower you to select the ticket price that best reflects your socio-economic status and take action in community accountability to make arts accessible for all.

Why Pay-As-You-Are?

Boston’s theatre ecosystem — like many across the country — has historically excluded immigrant, low-income, and racially marginalized communities through cost, language, and cultural barriers. As an Asian American theatre company rooted in Chinatown and immigrant storytelling, we see access as inseparable from artistry.