Where to Find Discount Theater Tickets in Los Angeles

Seeing more theater is a laudable goal, but it's only possible if you can afford to do so. Before you pull the trigger on a full-priced theater ticket, search for the title of the show at each at the following websites. There's not need to pay full-price when you can pay half-price.

• Goldstar: They've got a broad selection of local events including a lot of the big touring productions and ongoing local favorites like movie tickets to the The Cinefamily.
• Plays411: Can't say I love the accessibility of their website's design, but a good selection of discount tickets for a bunch of the independent theaters.
• LA Stage Alliance Tix: A broad swath of the LA indie theater scene.
• Hot Tix for any of the Center Theater Group shows at the Ahmanson/MarkTaper/Geffen. Call three weeks or less before the show and get $20 tickets. Limited to two per household per call.

If you're trying to find a good show to see, you could do worse than Bitter Lemons which is sort of like a micro-scale rotten tomatoes for the LA theater scene. But as with most theater, even with good reviews you might do well to assume the worst so that you can celebrate those rare moments of transcendent beauty only found in live performance.