Get with the program

The dictionary tells us that a program is "a list of items, pieces, performers, etc., in a musical, theatrical, or other entertainment; playbill". That may purpose the theatre program seeks to fulfill but it doesn't even start to describe what the average program has become. They are quite simply pieces of publishing art - full colour, full gloss, often embossed beautiful things with a price tag to match. It's hard not to be drawn to them and to find yourself handing over the folding stuff to own one.
You take it home - and never look at it again.
What you actually need "is a list of items, pieces, performers, etc., in a musical, theatrical, or other entertainment; playbill". What you really need is a single photocopied sheet with the vital pieces of information about the production you are about to see.
Of course no-one is forcing you to buy the program. The problem is that the often prohibitive price of those gloss documents is another barrier to the average family being able to afford the live theatre experience. You fork out for the ticket and that's just the start of it. The parking, the program, the interval snacks and don't start me on merchandise.
When it comes to the program the solution is obvious - let's have a dual system. You can buy the gloss document if you want a souvenir but have a cheap alternative for those who just require the production details.