FAQ

TICKETING

GETTING INVOLVED

VENUES, PARKING, & TRANSPORTATION

NEIGHBORHOOD DINING

TICKETS

How do I buy tickets?

We offer three options:

1. Online: For all tickets purchased online, the fee is $3 per ticket.

2. By phone: 415-282-3055. For all tickets purchased by phone, the fee is $3 per ticket.

3. In-person: You may purchase tickets at the door for the show you would like to see. However, as shows sell out, we cannot guarantee availability and recommend purchasing in advance. There will be a $3 service fee for debit/credit card purchases but no service fee for cash.

I just bought my tickets online, what happens now? Will they be mailed to me?

You will receive an email with a receipt and confirmation of your ticket purchase. This will let you know what show and date you have made a reservation for. Your actual tickets can be picked up at Will-Call 30 minutes prior to showtime. Just tell the box office your name and they will give you the tickets.

Is there a service charge?

Service charges vary depending on the method of ticket purchase and the show.

1. Online: For all tickets purchased online, the fee is $3 per ticket.
2. Phone: For all tickets purchased over the phone, the fee is $3 per ticket.
3. Walk-Up: For walk-up debit/credit card purchases, the fee is $3 per ticket. There is no service fee for walk-up cash purchases.

What in the world is “sliding scale”?

In order to keep ticket prices as affordable as possible, payment is on a sliding scale based on availability, your ability to pay and your willingness to support The Marsh. You do not get anything more for paying the highest price (or anything less for paying the lowest) on the sliding scale. We’ll never ask for ‘proof’ that you can only afford the lowest price. Unless you specifically purchase Reserved Seating tickets, the tickets are for General Admission and seating is run on a first-come, first-served basis.

What’s the difference between a $15 ticket and a $35 ticket for the same show?

Only the size of your donation to The Marsh. Our seats are general admission and all the tickets look the same, so any amount you pay above the lowest price just helps to support your local non-profit theater company.

Is there a special rate for students/seniors/military/etc.?

Special pricing varies from show to show. If there are special rates available for a particular show, they will be publicized on the show page…(but it never hurts to ask someone in the box office before you buy).

Do you offer group discounts?

It varies from show to show. The minimum number of people and price per ticket depends on the performer, or group sales may not be available at all. To inquire about a group sale, email boxoffice@themarsh.org with the name and date of the show you want to see and the number of people in your party.

Do you offer Annual Passes?

Yes, we do! Please see our Membership page for options.

The website says a show is sold out. Are there extra tickets available at the door on the day of the show?

Unfortunately, we don’t hold on to any extra tickets just for walkups. However, if someone who bought a ticket doesn’t show up, we will sell that seat to the first person waiting at the door. There is no waiting list, but if you arrive at the theater on the day of the show and tell the box office you’d like a ticket, they’ll inform you if any seats free up. However, please note that we cannot guarantee that anyone who waits will get a ticket.

Is seating General Admission or assigned?

Most seating is General Admission, but buying any Reserved ticket gets you a reserved seat in the best section of the house. Most seats are first-come, first-served, but a reserved seat allows you to arrive up to 5 minutes before showtime and still claim the seat reserved for you.

How Does Reserved Seating Work?

The Marsh offers a limited number of Reserved Seating tickets for performances. For the $50 tickets, $20 is a tax-deductible donation, for $100 tickets, $70 is a tax-deductible donation to The Marsh to the extent allowed by law.

How Do Monday Night Marsh and Class Performances work?

All Monday Night Marsh and Class Performances are $10/15.  All seating is General Admission, first-come, first-served. There is no Reserved Seating available for these performances. All performances typically begin at 7:00 pm unless otherwise noted on the calendar. For more information, please visit the MNM page or the Class performance page.

How many seats are in the theater?

The San Francisco Mainstage theater holds 105 and the San Francisco Upstairs Studio Theater holds 60-90. The Berkeley TheaterStage holds 75-116 and the Berkeley Cabaret holds 60-90. Seating arrangements may change for some performances.

When should I pick up my tickets?

We recommend picking up your ticket 30 minutes before the show.

How early should I arrive at the theater?

We recommend arriving 30 minutes before the show starts to pick up your ticket and stand in line for a good seat (if you don’t have a Reserved ticket). Unless you purchased a Reserved seat and already have your ticket in hand, 30 minutes is a good rule of thumb.

Can I get a refund or exchange?

Tickets are non-refundable after purchase. Any paid ticket can be exchanged for another ticket of equal value at any upcoming show prior to the performance time, subject to availability. To exchange your tickets, email the box office at boxoffice@themarsh.org, and we will reschedule your tickets. In your email, please include your name, order number, and two upcoming date options for your reschedule. We, of course, offer exchanges and refunds in cases such as canceled shows, misreported showtimes, etc.

I’m disabled and need special seating. What do I do?

Please note that you do not need to purchase a Reserved ticket unless you would like to. You can purchase a regular ticket online or over the phone, but we ask that you please email the box office (boxoffice@themarsh.org) to let us know what show and date you will be attending, and how many special seats you will need. We’ll take care of it from there. For more specific information, please visit our Accessibility page.

GETTING INVOLVED

How do I submit a play?

The Marsh is a small venue that generally features solo performances. We encourage everyone to come and share their story, whether you are a veteran performer or have never stood in front of an audience before. There are programs that fit every level of the creative process. Visit the following pages to see which program might best fit your needs. The program directors will help you from there.

Solo Performance Classes
Taught by some of the best solo performance directors in the country like David Ford and Charlie Varon

Monday Night Marsh
Program Director Alexa Almira – alexa@themarsh.org

Tell It On Tuesday
Program Directors Rebecca Fisher & Bridget Frederick – rebmfish@gmail.com

MarshRisings
Contact artisticdirector@themarsh.org

Do you have auditions?

No, The Marsh does not hold auditions. Because we feature solo performers, there are no casting calls. To get started on getting your own solo show at The Marsh, please contact any of our program directors (above) and they will be able to guide you through the exciting process.

What is Monday Night Marsh?

Monday Night Marsh (MNM) is our ongoing works-in-progress series featuring a variety of local emerging solo performers, musicians, playwrights, contortionists, and entertainers of all stripes. MNM offers four performers a night the opportunity to perform 15-20 minute excerpts of their piece in front of an audience, (an audience generated by the performers). Each performer gets two nights (with the same group) to perform their work. For more information on performance nights or the submission process, visit our MNM page, or contact Program Director, Alexa Almira, at alexa@themarsh.org

What is MarshRising?

One-Night-Only performances of rising talent at The Marsh San Francisco. Marsh Rising presents works in progress that may be ready for an extended run at The Marsh. For a list of current Risings, visit our Risings page. For information about putting on a Marsh Rising show, contact artisticdirector@themarsh.org.

Volunteer at The Marsh

We are happy to have volunteers come in to help us with office work in our administrative, finances, and marketing departments! We also love volunteers who want to help usher our shows. If you are interested, please email volunteer@themarsh.org or visit our Volunteer page.

Donations

The Marsh is a 501(c)3 non-profit. Donations of money or in kind are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. The Marsh’s tax ID (EIN) is 94-3142152

PARKING, TRANSPORTATION, & VENUES

Is there parking nearby?

In San Francisco:

A metered street parking is available out front, as well as a public parking garage on 21st between Bartlett and Valencia.

In Berkeley:

  • The Allston Way Garage
    2061 Allston Way between Milvia St. and Shattuck Ave.
    Pre-Purchase Spaces: Allston Way Garage has over 500 parking spaces available. They will allow you to pre-purchase 50 to 200 parking spaces. The number of spaces available may be limited based on the time of day and event date. Please contact them directly (510-981-9443) to make arrangements.
    Hours: The Allston Way Garage is open until midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 2:00am on Friday and Saturday.
  •  Oxford Garage
    Right next to The Marsh
    Entrance on Kittredge Street between Oxford Street & Shattuck
    Berkeley, CA 94704
    Reduced price parking available with entry after 5 pm.

There is also a parking garage up the block from us on the corner of Oxford and Allston, directly under the Brower Center.

What’s the nearest BART station?

In San Francisco, the nearest BART station is the 24th and Mission station, about three blocks away.

In Berkeley, the nearest BART station is Downtown Berkeley BART located about a block away.

Is there bike parking?

There are a few bike racks on the streets, as well as the usual lampposts and telephone poles.

Is the neighborhood safe?

Both the Mission District and Downtown Berkeley are an urban areas, so we do advise you to pay attention to your belongings and surroundings when traveling to and from The Marsh. With that having been said, we’ve never encountered any serious problems. Many of our audience members walk to The Marsh and feel perfectly safe doing so.

DINING

Is there food nearby?

Yes! Both Valencia Street and Downtown Berkeley offer diverse ranges of dining choices from many different price ranges to many different ethnic options. As they are both always growing and changing, we find it best to put the zip code into Yelp! to search for the newest and best restaurants! There are too many for us to even have favorites at this point!

For restaurants near The Marsh San Francisco 94110, click here.

For restaurants near The Marsh Berkeley 94704, click here.