EUGENE–Getting a ticket to a University Theatre play is going to be easier this year. You can purchase theater tickets at the main University of Oregon Ticket Office for this first time this year and on performance days, you can still buy a ticket at the University Theatre ticket office.

Soon, you will be able to buy your tickets round the clock on the Internet.

University Theatre is changing its box office operations to help coordinate ticket-selling efforts and to streamline the process for both season ticket holders and individual event sales.

The UO Ticket Office, located on the main level of the Erb Memorial Union, 1222 E. 13th Ave, is assuming a new role as the primary University Theatre ticketing site. Box office hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and, starting Oct. 14, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

To purchase tickets by mail, send orders to the UO Ticket Office, P.O. Box 3600, Eugene, OR 97403, and to buy them by phone, call (541) 346-4363.

The biggest change, effective immediately, is that the University Theatre Box Office, located in the lobby of Robinson Theatre at Villard Hall on the University of Oregon campus, will be open only on days of performances. Hours will be noon to 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday through Friday performance days; 6 to 8:15 p.m. on Saturdays; and noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday matinee days.

After an initial period of adjustment for theater patrons, the new service will surpass what has been offered to date, says Joseph Gilg, University Theatre development director.

"We recognize that these changes might be difficult for some of our patrons to adjust to, particularly long-time season ticket subscribers," he says. "From a business standpoint, however, it makes good sense to go this route, and we feel that it will be good for our patrons as well."

Already this year, the UO Ticket Office has handled all of the mailing of season ticket renewals and is processing all the season ticket orders.

"This is something we were never able to do during the summer because University Theatre could not afford to keep on a summer staff to process that business," Gilg explains. "Our efforts now are focused on insuring that there is no loss of personal attention to our season subscribers."

Noting that University Theatre has always provided very close, hands-on attention to the needs of season subscribers, Gilg is sure that the UO Ticket Office will continue that policy.

"In fact, I think our season subscribers will get better service from this centralized ticketing service," he says.

Mary Barrios, UO Ticket Office manager, says her staff is really looking forward to this venture. Their goal is to provide patrons with one location where they can obtain tickets for all ticketed university events as well as for area and regional performances.

"We like the idea of being the University Theater ticket office instead of just an outlet that sells tickets for their shows," she says. "The ticket office staff will do its best to make the transition an easy one and will provide the same personal attention UT season subscribers have come to expect."

Currently, patrons have the ability to place orders in person or by phone or mail, Barrios says. Soon, they will be able to buy their tickets round the clock on the Internet.

"We hope that the combination of computerizing the ticketing operation and providing patrons more ticket buying opportunities with longer ticket office hours makes ticket buying more accessible for University Theater patrons," she adds.

For more information, browse <http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~theatre/> or call Gilg at the University Theatre Development Office, (541) 346-4190, or Barrios at the UO Ticket Office, 346-5398. A taped message about University Theatre productions and activities also is available 24 hours a day by calling GuardLine from a Touch-Tone phone at 485-2000, ext. 2287.

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