The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: October fifteenth, buying last-minute theater tickets.

In over a dozen U.S. cities; Toronto and Vancouver in Canada; London, England; and Glasgow, Scotland, travelers can enjoy an evening of entertainment at about half the normal price. Here's how.

Many major cities have local arts organizations that obtain unsold tickets for music and theatrical performances. Tickets are usually sold on a same day basis for half their face value, plus a small service charge. Some organizations maintain Web sites and telephone hotlines listing available shows. Others simply have bulletin boards. So check with the local visitor bureau for details.

If your destination is New York City, you can line up for half price tickets at the booth on Times Square, but here's how you can get even cheaper seats to many plays both on Broadway and Off. For over 20 years, an organization called Audience Extras has provided its members with tickets to a wide range of theatrical productions. Participants are asked to be amateur critics, rating the shows they see on a simple A B C system. Audience Extras is supported by the theaters, as a way of building a show's reputation.

A one year membership costs $85. There's a special hotline number listing the available shows. Members can make reservations by phone and pick up the tickets at the box office an hour before the performance. The total cost: just $3.50 each for one or two tickets per performance, with no limit on the number of shows a year. You won't find seats to the very hottest shows, but there are always plenty of choices, and at those prices, anyone can afford to be a critic.

FMI Call Audience Extras at 212-663-9262 or www.audienceextras.com

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