Yes, the show always sells out. But we want to make sure you know how to get tickets! We know this page is long, but it really is worth reading it all so you know how things work.

The basics

• Tickets are $12 from Brown Paper Tickets
• Tickets usually go on sale at 8pm on the Sunday three weeks before the show.
• To ensure as many parties as possible can get seats, each buyer is limited to two tickets each.
• Confirmed readers get free admission for themselves and a guest.
• All shows are 21+, so buy tickets only for folks over 21 and be prepared to show ID at the door.

Frequently Asked Questions

First, we want to acknowledge something: because the Salon of Shame is such a chronically sold out show, we’ve had to become sort of hard-nosed about tickets. We know it can be frustrating to deal with all the rules, but the ultimate goal is that as many of you as possible are able to come to the show and that it’s an agony-free process. That said, let’s talk details!

Things to know before tickets go on sale

Will the show sell out?

Yes. With a couple exceptions, every Salon of Shame since 2005 has been sold out. All shows in recent years have sold out within minutes.

When exactly are tickets available?

Tickets usually go on sale at 8pm on the Sunday three weeks before the show. Check the upcoming events page for show dates.

Do you do assigned seating?

All seating is general admission, with one exception: we reserve a limited number of seats for our Deaf/Hard of Hearing audience members so they can be seated near our American Sign Language interpreters. More information on reserved Deaf/Hard of Hearing seating and ticketing can be found in our Deaf/Hard of Hearing audience info.

How can I get a reminder when tickets are available?

Join the Notification List of Shame.

Things to know about buying tickets

Where can I get tickets?

Tickets can be purchased from Brown Paper Tickets, either online or by phone at 1-800-838-3006.

How many tickets can I buy?

We love you all and we want you all to get tickets! So that as many different parties as possible can get seats, we limit each ticket buyer to two tickets.

What happens if I buy more than two tickets?

Yes, there are ways to get around Brown Paper Tickets’ two-ticket limit, but buyers who do not abide the limit will have their tickets in excess of two refunded to them.

When I go to Brown Paper Tickets’ website and click “begin order,” all it gives me is a box for a discount code. What’s going on?

Yeah, it’s a little confusing — that means all general admission tickets are sold out. The “discount code” tickets are Deaf/Hard of Hearing seats. They’re not actually discounted, but they do allow us to set aside a few password-protected tickets for Deaf/Hard of Hearing audiences so they can be seated near our American Sign Language interpreters.

I went to the Brown Paper Tickets website at exactly 8pm and it told me the show was already sold out! How’s that possible?

We asked our friends at Brown Paper Tickets to explain this one, and here’s what they said:

Before the tickets are available, there is no “begin order” button on the event page. This means that ticket buyers are refreshing the page over and over, waiting for that button to appear. If you think of time in milliseconds instead of seconds or minutes, it’s pretty easy to imagine that if you have hundreds of people refreshing their pages in order to click that button, once the clock strikes 8:00 the first 130 people with the fastest browser speed or the fastest index finger are going to be the ones who snag the tickets first. Once someone clicks the “begin order” button, their order is locked into the system for 10 minutes, whether or not they actually complete the order. So, even though the ticket buyers aren’t finished with their orders yet, the system lists the event as “sold out” at 8pm because their are currently 130 people who are in the process of placing their order.

What if my tickets haven’t arrived in the mail?

If you don’t receive your tickets at least one week before the show, contact Brown Paper Tickets ASAP so they can look into the problem. Brown Paper Tickets will notify us directly with any changes that affect your admission. If you show up at the door without paper tickets and we haven’t been notified by Brown Paper Tickets, you won’t get into the show.

Why don’t you just do will call?

This is a conscious decision on our part to keep things simple. Paper tickets mean we don’t have to fuss with names and identities (though we’ve had some fun conversations deconstructing these concepts), and you don’t have to notify us if you want to give your ticket to someone else. Ticket=admission. Easy.

I couldn’t get a ticket. What can I do?

Two things:

1. Make sure you’re on our Notification List of Shame. You’ll get a ticket sales reminder with a convenient link!
2. If you like to live dangerously, you can show up at the door early and put your name on our wait list. There are no guarantees this will get you in, of course, but there’s always a chance of unclaimed seats, and here’s a secret: so far we’ve ALWAYS found seats for wait-listers! In the event that we can get you in, admission is $12, cash only.

Things to know the night of the show

My plans have changed and I can’t make the show. Can you refund my ticket purchase?

No, but since Salon of Shame tickets are in high demand you can most likely give or sell them to a willing party. In addition to the usual venues (friends, Craigslist) there is a Salon of Shame Facebook page you can post to.

I bought a ticket for a friend. Can you make sure she gets it?

We have no will call or concierge services. If you have purchased a ticket for someone, you are responsible for getting the ticket to the person who will be using it.

Are there ins & outs?

No, not until intermission.

What if I have a ticket, but arrive late?

Unclaimed seats are released to the wait list at 7:55pm. If you purchased a ticket but you arrive after we’ve released seats and there are none left, you will be refunded for the face value of your ticket less Brown Paper Ticket fees. If you don’t make it to the show at all, your ticket will not be refunded. The moral of the story? DON’T BE LATE. There’s parking nearby, so no excuses.

What if I lose my ticket?

That would be a bummer. Like most shows, we can’t be responsible for lost or stolen tickets, so no ticket, no admittance, no refund. However, if you want to want to take a chance and you’re willing to pay admission again, you can come and see about getting on the waiting list (see “I couldn’t get a ticket. What can I do?”).

How can I get in without a ticket?

Well, of course readers get free admission for themselves and a guest. But for those of you who aren’t reading, you can show up at the door early and put your name on our wait list (see “I couldn’t get a ticket. What can I do?”).

Things to know about BEING FRUSTRATED

Are you REALLY sold out again?! Why can I never get a ticket?! Why don’t you do ticketing differently?! Why don’t you move to a bigger venue? Why don’t you increase ticket prices? Why don’t you increase the frequency of shows?

We know it can be frustrating that tickets sell out so quickly, and please know that we do our best to make sure our ticket process is fair and well-publicized via our website and Notification List. But ultimately, this is a popular show and we’re really genuinely sorry that you weren’t able to get tickets. Keep trying, because we’d love to see you!

The Salon of Shame was founded as a community event. We’re not a production company — just working folks with day jobs who do this for fun. We’re not looking to make the event elite by doubling the cost of tickets. We’ve tried the event in bigger venues and it doesn’t work. (Bigger spaces don’t have bars, and bigger spaces suck the magic right out of the show, and freak out our readers. It’s scary enough for readers to read their diaries in front of 150 people — can you imagine how terrifying it would be in front of 500?) This is an intimate show. We understand that it’s frustrating when you can’t get tickets, but we just don’t see the show expanding in size, increasing in frequency, or getting more expensive.

If you were unable to get tickets, we’d love to encourage you to host a Salon of Shame at your home with your friends. That’s how the Salon of Shame first began: 10 of us sitting in Ariel Meadow Stallings’ basement, reading our worst adolescent writing to each other between chugs of cheap wine and guffaws. Yes, we think the Salon of Shame at Theatre Off Jackson is awesome — but we promise you that hosting your own mini-Salon with your friends can be just as much fun — and seats are guaranteed.

Thanks to each and every one of you for all your support for our silly little show. We totally hear your frustration, and we hope you understand that we’re doing our best to keep the Salon of Shame awesome and accessible.