You won’t need a credit card to afford good seats at the Santa Fe Opera this summer. In fact, you’ll be able to see some performances by the internationally known company for free.

Prerecorded screenings of three productions being performed this season will be shown free of charge at Villa Linda Park near Santa Fe Place mall in early August, the opera and the city announced last week.

Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro launches the series Aug. 1 and is followed by Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin on Aug. 2. Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be screened Aug. 8, followed by a repeat of The Marriage of Figaro on Aug. 9.

“Our community has seen us through this difficult year and allowed us to return in full force,” opera General Director Robert Meya said. “The screenings are our small thank-you for their faith and support.”

The screenings are a joint project of the opera; the city, which is sponsoring the events; and the Santa Fe Kiwanis Club, which is hosting them. In the time-honored tradition of tailgating at the opera, event organizers are encouraging spectators to bring picnics and blankets, spread out on the grass and enjoy the performances.

These are the first free public broadcasts by the Santa Fe Opera since two simulcasts to Fort Marcy Park in the mid-2000s.