MANY THEATRES conduct surveys periodically
as a guide to determining a profile of
their core audience by offering their patrons
the opportunity to appraise their productions
and amenities. These surveys are used
generally to define an audience in a quantifiable
way. In addition to providing a demographic
profile, they help in predicting the
theatregoing behaviour of future audiences,
such as what genres of plays they would like
to see or what days of the week they prefer to
go to the theatre. Questions posed to survey
participants frequently assess the patron's
identity using specific categories such as
gender, age, and income. Other questions are
asked about the area where the patron lives,
the amount of times he/she attends the
theatre and his/her favourite production of
the season. Sometimes, the patron is also
asked to evaluate the theatre's facilities and
amenities.
However, surveys rarely include questions
that ask patrons to give responses to specific
performances by having them comment on
the content of a production. Even more rare
are surveys posing questions that investigate
what their patrons might find pleasurable or
objectionable, either on stage or as part of
their theatregoing experience. Many surveys
simply do not explore `how' patrons attend
the theatre ­ in other words, the semiotic
relationship between theatregoers and the
theatregoing experience.
One of the reasons for omitting this line of
enquiry is that it is often difficult to quantify.
The patrons' interaction with elements of the
theatregoing experience ­ such as relating to
the performers on stage, socializing with
other patrons, or adapting to a new configuration
of the performance space ­ may
be confusing. Patrons might find it uncomfortable
and even threatening to articulate
their theatregoing experience. Thus, theatres
choose to omit probing questions from their
surveys and as a result fail to gather important
information about their patrons.
Semiotics examines the relationship between
senders and receivers (i.e., performers
and audience) via messages and codes.
Originally a method of examining linguistic
261
Christopher Olsen
Theatre Audience Surveys:
towards a Semiotic Approach
Surveys are used to define an audience in a quantifiable way. Awareness of the typical
gender, age, and income of their patrons, along with their rating of a theatre's facilities,
help theatre producers to address an audience's needs. However, producers seldom
explore the audience response to a specific performance ­ something that is difficult to
quantify. Thus, the audience's interaction with the performance ­ whether with particular
actors, the space configuration, or with fellow spectators ­ is neglected in favour of such
demographics as age, income, and occupation. Christopher Olsen suggests that surveys
handed out to audience members might benefit from a more qualitative approach based
on semiotic analysis. He asked sixty professional theatres in the USA ­ ranging from major
repertory institutions to small theatres targeting specific audiences ­ to send examples
of recent audience surveys they have conducted. Using the surveys (of which the most
extensive is reproduced in full), as a guide, he tabulates the most common questions
asked, and offers examples of further survey questions guided by semiotic principles.
Chris Olsen is currently an adjunct professor at Montgomery College and Shenandoah
University in the Washington, DC, area. Having written his dissertation on the Arts Lab
phenomenon in Britain during the late 1960s and early 1970s, he is now working on a
book about the second wave of the Off-Off-Broadway movement in New York.
communication, semiotics is applied to text
and performance in many disciplines, including
theatre, to examine the ongoing encoding/
decoding process experienced by individuals
when confronted with a constant flow
of messages. In performance theory, semiotics
offers the possibility of measuring the
response of audiences to a performance event
using physical codes: for example, codes
generated by the performers on stage through
their actions or dress. Other codes might be
generated by how the configuration of the
performing space affects an audience's perception
of the event or how its members
interact with each other.
`Signifiers' produce signs through coded
messages that translate into the `signified',
(i.e., a bright, clingy, red dress worn by a
slim, attractive, blonde actress might signify
a sexually available character). Semiotics has
proved useful in many areas of theatre
studies, for example in examining cultural
signs and theatre conventions in different
societies. This paper sets out to define a more
qualitative approach to conducting theatre
surveys based on semiotic principles.
Background
Audiences have tended to judge a piece of
theatre based on prior expectations. Prepublicity,
location, knowledge of the text,
critical reviews, and word-of-mouth influence
the perspective of an individual.1
Susan
Bennett describes audiences as having `a
horizon of cultural and ideological expecta-
tions'.2
They often take pleasure in choosing
the play they want to attend and who they
want to attend it with. They want to be free
to choose elements in the production that
reinforce expectations, and when those
expectations are not met on stage ­ whether
because of the content of the play, its execution,
or the communicability of its message the
spectator is often left frustrated.
In 1976, Frank Coppieters conducted a
survey of audiences attending several productions
of The People Show, still one of the
most enduring fringe theatre groups from
Britain. Formed in 1965, this environmental
theatre group continues to subvert its audiences'
expectations by introducing unorthodox
staging elements ­ for example, often
using non-traditional theatre locations (such
as a bar, a natural setting outdoors, or a hall
designed for other purposes) and creating an
original use of the space. They explore new
entrance and exit possibilities, and often
directly include the audience in their productions.
Coppieters chose questions that
explored the audience's reaction to being
embarrassed, their recall of staged events
during the shows, and their degree of participation
in the production. The study
revealed that audiences reacted quite differently
to unorthodox productions than to
traditionally staged ones because their expectations
were subverted.3
Subversion of audiences' expectations can
contribute to creating a different semiotic
experience between spectators and performers.
Feminist theatres, for example, often
subvert traditional separation between audience
and performers by performing in
venues more conducive to audience inter-
action.4
Brechtian theatre draws attention to
the difference between the signifier and the
signified. If a performer changes from one
character to another in front of the audience
and explains to them the reason for the
change, the action `alienates' the audience
because they can no longer identify with the
original mimetic character. Sometimes, audiences
don't mind being alienated or confused
by action or characters on stage, for
example being intrigued by performers who
do not fall into their cultural experience in
part because they are challenged by their inability
to decipher meaning through the
usual channels of decoding.5
Traditional theatres, however, generally
reinforce their audiences' expectations and
attempt to homogenize the theatregoing
experience so that their patrons feel comfortable
as a group. In her study of opera,
Rosanne Martorella suggests that works produced
are generally contingent upon the
audiences' prior knowledge and reception of
these works. Audiences won't see an opera
unless they are familiar with it and have
accepted it as a part of the canon. They judge
a theatre by its choice of operas and its
262
ability to provide an acceptable cast and
staging. Traditional audiences generally have
more difficulty in accepting an unorthodox
staging concept of a beloved opera.6
Nevertheless, many theatres resist the formal
atmosphere of the pre-ordained response
of an audience accustomed to having their
expectations satisfied. Dario Fo often has a
drink with patrons in the foyer and helps
usher people to their seats prior to a show.
He has said that during his shows he tries to
create an atmosphere in which the audience
feels `as if they were guests in his home.'7
Still, Richard Schechner, writing about alternative
staging practices over thirty years ago,
concluded that theatre follows the path of
least resistance to its audience and even programmes
its campaign to reinforce old patterns
of theatre attendance.8
Some Orthodoxies of Surveys
Experts suggest certain strategies for conducting
effective theatre surveys. Surveys
should ask few questions so that the response
rate is higher. Questions should also
be as precise as possible to ensure as credible
information as possible from the participants.
Status and degree questions (often in
a scaled format) are often less reliable.9
In the past, managers of theatres conducted
surveys because they were often more concerned
with the demographics of their audience
than their aesthetic tastes. But in 1982
the Society of West End Theatres carried out
the first of several surveys of West End audiences
which were designed to address profile
and tastes of audiences.10
In addition to
demographic queries, their survey asked
patrons to state what genre of theatre they
preferred.11
It found, for example, that patrons
of Shakespearean plays tended to be regular
theatregoers.12
Closed-ended questions were
proven more effective, and audiences had
clearly defined genre preferences of plays. In
addition, the surveys were handed out in
person directly to the participants, which
gave them a sense that their comments
would be given personal attention.13
Another survey around the same time
focused also on theatregoers' tastes in plays.
The Off-Off Broadway Alliance's survey of
1981 contacted patrons as they attended a
production, and focused primarily on the
reasons patrons attended the theatre and
their tastes in plays. Thirty-seven per cent of
those surveyed attended Off-Off Broadway
because they enjoyed seeing unusual plays.
Other reasons included being attracted to
experimental work, being devoted to a particular
playwright, or being acquainted with
members of the cast. The typical audience
member was a college graduate living in
Manhattan and making under $40,000 a
year. This survey also concluded that Off-Off
Broadway theatres should aim to develop a
long-term audience mix rather than finding
an instant profile of a typical theatregoer.14
Broadway audiences have also been surveyed
as they attended productions. As
recently as 1997, the Theatre Development
Fund and the League of American Theatres
and Producers in New York handed out
10,000 questionnaires to Broadway theatre
patrons. In this case, the survey focused on
demographics and the results were fairly
predictable.15
Female attendees were more
likely to be positive about the productions
they saw, and Caucasian married couples constituted
the most common attendees. The
survey distinguished between musicals and
straight plays (three-quarters of the respondents
attended musicals, for example), and
revealed that the average age for patrons
attending musicals was 38, against 49 for
straight plays.16
Surveys continue to be used to gauge the
theatregoing behaviour of audiences, and
many have produced useful information. For
example, it is useful to know that straight
plays presented Off-Broadway will attract a
more highly educated audience than a Broadway
musical. Not unexpectedly, unknown or
unusually staged plays might be more easily
tried out Off-Broadway than on Broadway.
Modern, non-realistic plays might receive a
better reception if the audience were accustomed
to seeing plays that challenged them
in unorthodox ways. These audiences might
prefer to debate the ideas of the play and not
necessarily come to a mutually acceptable
consensus. However, even these surveys do
263
not always reveal consistent data about audiences'
preferences and behaviour patterns.
Surveying the Surveys
I first surveyed the surveys by asking some
60 professional theatres in the USA to send
me examples of recent surveys they had
conducted. The theatres ranged from major
repertory institutions to small theatres targeting
specific audiences. Then I compared
the survey questions and noted the most
common. (I reproduce the most comprehensive
survey that I received, from the Actors
Theatre of Louisville, as an appendix to this
article.) Finally, I offer an example of additional
survey questions guided by semiotic
principles.
My conclusions suggest that surveys asking
probing questions can become a useful
predictor of audience's theatregoing behaviour
patterns and the production genres
they prefer. Theatre producers do not necessarily
have to antagonize their patrons by
asking personal questions of their audience.
Frequently, people do not give opinions
because they fear their answers might be
considered embarrassing or unreasonable.
Instead, producers can frame the questions
so that audiences feel comfortable answering
a question truthfully or about not giving an
opinion. Theatres must continue to ensure
their economic survival by acknowledging
their audiences' preferences for plays and
theatregoing amenities; but they can also expand
their repertoire and take greater artistic
risks if appropriate questions are asked of
patrons as a means to better communication
between theatre staff and audience.
The surveys I received revealed that
theatres generally rely on the following categories
to gauge their audiences: identity,
reasons for attending, rating of the facilities,
and tastes in plays. Some surveys omitted
some of these areas and several included
additional information such as the patrons'
support of community events or their connection
to members of a cast. Some companies
identified themselves with specific
interest groups such as the hearing-impaired,
women's groups, or community activists.
Others simply sought general information
about their patrons and concentrated on
audience reactions to issues of accessibility,
convenience, and price. Few surveys asked
about the content of productions or the
experience of a patron as audience member.
Surveys asked questions about employment,
education, income, gender, and age.
Sometimes they asked for the zip code area,
or if the respondent had a disability. Such
categories of identification assist the theatres
in creating a demographic model for their
typical patrons ­ for example, a 47-year-old
female with a Master's degree working in
public relations, living ten miles away in
an upper middle-class suburb, might be a
typical patron of a repertory theatre. This
demographic compares favourably to a 1997
survey of Broadway and Off-Broadway
theatregoers, which involved 10,000 questionnaires:
here, married, white women with
Master's degrees represented nearly 45 per
cent of attendees at non-musical plays.17
I received 14 responses to the 60 requests
sent out, a proportion which can hardly
reflect all the survey policies of repertory
theatres in the country. However, the results
provide a glimpse into the survey practices
of theatres that vary in size and location,
artistic mission, and targeted audiences.
Tabulating the Results
I tabulated the results, organizing them on the
basis of the most frequently asked questions.
Some questions were worded slightly differently
and others were included as part of
a series of questions. Surveys also varied in
scope from the `sixty-second handout' to an
extensive questionnaire with over 40 questions.
Some surveys were handed out at a
particular production, while others were sent
to subscribers. Others focused on particular
groups, such as educators bringing teenagers
to a particular production. Still others
were conducted by telephone during or at
the end of the season. Virtually all responding
theatres were repertory groups of varying
size and scope. I have divided questions
into the two categories `Self-Disclosure' and
`Attitude' in the table opposite.
264
265
Self-Disclosure Questions No. Per cent
Gender 11 78
Age range 11 78
Household Income 11 78
Race/ethnicity 8 57
Education completed 7 50
Occupation 7 50
Factors that brought you here 7 50
Zip code of residence 6 42
How did you find out about today's production/productions
in general/media outlets, etc 6 42
What type of ticket did you use? 5 35
How many shows have you seen in the past? 4 28
Personal disability? 4 28
What other arts performances do you attend regularly? 4 28
Restaurants you dine out at before/after production 3 21
Have you purchased season tickets/single tickets for other theatres? 3 21
Place of employment 2 14
With whom are you attending? 2 14
Internet connected? 2 14
What productions have you seen in the past at the theatre? 2 14
Member of Frequent Flyer Program/Guest/Shoppers 1 7
Car you own: luxury/standard? 1 7
People who live in your household 1 7
Married/single/divorced 1 7
How did you make your reservation? 1 7
How far do you live in miles from the theatre? 1 7
How much did you spend on food, drinks after the performance? 1 7
Where did you go? 1 7
Where did you park? 1 7
When you attend the theatre, how many people are usually in the car? 1 7
Attitude Questions
General comments 12 85
Rating of theatre amenities, i.e., parking, service, prices,
convenience of location, etc 8 57
Choose from among several subscriber offerings 5 35
Why the respondent was not a subscriber 5 35
Rate the production/experience 4 28
What production did you attend today? 4 28
What is the ideal time for performances? 4 28
Rate the plays during the past season 3 21
Which play did you like best? 3 21
Which types of plays would you like to see produced? 3 21
What would you change about the season? 2 14
How do you rate special events?
(i.e., lecture series, talks with cast, readings, etc.) 2 14
How important are the following factors/and how satisfied are you with
your decision to attend? (Location, quality of show, parking, etc.) 2 14
What is the ideal number of plays per season? 2 14
Did your performance meet with your expectations? 1 7
Criticisms of the performance? Improvements? 1 7
What would you be doing if you weren't at this production? 1 7
What motivated you to first visit the theatre? 1 7
Three most important reasons for attending the theatre 1 7
Genres of plays you would like to see performed 1 7
Describe a production to a friend 1 7
How do you rate the sign-language facilities? 1 7
When deciding to attend the theatre, what factors most strongly
affect which show you choose? 1 7
The results suggest that most theatres are
evaluating their audiences based on their
demographics and are still marketing principally
to season subscribers. The concerns
revolve around their audiences' appraisal of
the amenities and proximity of the theatre.
There is some evidence that surveys are
examining the theatregoing behaviour of their
patrons (such as preference of performance
time, number of shows attended in a season)
but not to a very great extent. When questions
ask for patrons to explain their reactions
to a particular theatregoing experience,
these are stated in general terms (`rate the
production/experience'). Only rarely do the
surveys ask their audiences for a preference
in genres or the factors that motivate them to
attend a particular production.
Space is almost always given in the surveys
for individual comments, but often patrons
choose not to use this. The survey from
the Actors Theatre of Louisville was the only
one that directly asked for a patron's preference
of genres. These results suggest that
surveys continue to be concerned with the
demographics of their audience rather than
their aesthetic tastes. They continue to rely
on degree questions in a scaled format which
can often prove less than reliable.
I have chosen to reprint the survey from
the Actors Theatre of Louisville at the end of
this paper since it was by far the most
extensive I received, and most detailed with
regard to questions of self-disclosure and
attitude. The problem of administering such
a long survey is that many respondents
might find it too difficult to fill out. However,
the theatre assured me that the response
rate was high for this comprehensive
survey conducted almost three years ago.
This may be the sort of survey one conducts
only every few years or so.
Questions that challenge audiences to
articulate why they enjoy certain genres of
play or how they expect to behave and be
treated in a theatregoing experience seem to
be in short supply. Perhaps this is because
theatres feel they might offend their core
audiences and thus eventually lose them.
This belief is of genuine concern, although
most theatres take great pains to get to know
their audiences through promotional and
educational activities. Surely, the greater the
knowledge these theatres gather about their
audiences' tastes, the better they will be able
to articulate a clearly defined artistic mission.
Opposite, I suggest my own `twenty questions'
as possibilities for theatre surveys. I
have not arranged them in any order of
priority, nor do I suggest that these are the
most revealing about an audience. There are
many more questions that theatre surveys
have used effectively. It is not a matter of
right or wrong questions, but of which elicit
a more active response. Below each question
I have added (in italic) a note on its purpose.
Conclusion
In addressing the problem of administering
an effective theatre survey, it appears that
few surveys address audiences' responses to
the content of productions. They rarely ask
probing questions about audiences' behaviour
patterns or details about their theatregoing
experience. Questions such as, `Why
did you choose to attend a production?' or
`With whom did you attend the theatre?'
may sound intrusive, but they often produce
a more accurate profile of an audience member's
motivation for attending a particular
theatre. The OOBA survey revealed that most
audiences attending Off-Off Broadway are
interested in experimental work and often
attend shows because of acquaintances in a
cast. Similarly, effective repertory theatre
surveys can also gauge their audiences'
motivation for attending their theatre.
Demographic data can help theatres
target specific groups among their audiences
(for example by presenting children's plays),
but demographics do not necessarily predict
audience behaviour. An African-American or
a gay audience member may not necessarily
want to see African-American plays or plays
with gay themes. Musical tastes vary widely,
because often younger audience members
prefer rock musicals whereas older audiences
may prefer to see a more traditional
kind. What constitutes an `experimental'
production these days is not immediately
clear, and a theatre's knowledge of the age,
266
267
The Twenty Questions
1 How often do you go to the theatre in a year? What is your favourite day of the week to go?
Favourite time of performance?
To discover if there might be a regular pattern of attendance.
2 What is the principal reason for not attending our theatre on a regular basis?
Too costly Few plays of interest
Too difficult to get to Lack of recreational time
Not easily accessible for the physically disabled Other
To discover what the principal obstacles are to regular theatre attendance.
3 If possible, what amenities would you like to see our theatre create?
A café A bar/restaurant
A bookstore Half-price ticket programme
Reduced parking fees Day/evening care for children
More seating outside the theatre Lectures
More opportunities to meet the artists Other
To determine what audiences like to do other than attending a production during their
theatregoing experience.
4 What is your favourite type of play?
Traditional musical Rock musical Drama
Comedy Multi-media production Mystery
Musical revue Classical play No preference
To determine the genre/category of plays most desired by the audience.
5 If you were to forego going to the theatre to see another performing art, which of the
following would you be most likely to attend?
Rock concert Dance performance Opera
Circus Symphony orchestra Live comedy
Choir Folk festival Other
To determine a wider `arts profile' of audience members.
6 Do you usually attend a play at this theatre alone? With one other person? With a group?
Alone With one other With a group
Although most audience members come in small groups, larger groups might suggest that
word-of-mouth is spread at community functions.
7 Do you like to see familiar actors playing different roles at our theatre?
Yes No No opinion
To test the extent of the audience's desire to relate to familiar or celebrity performers directly
rather than through the characters they are playing.
8 Do you enjoy seeing well-known television and film actors play leading roles at our theatre?
Yes No No opinion
This is a `celebrity' question. Many theatres attract popular performers in other media to
increase the visibility of a play.
gender, and income of an audience member
may not predict whether they will be receptive
to an experimental production. A few
years ago, plays such as Angels in America or
How I Learned to Drive (with its incest theme)
would have been risky to include in many
repertory seasons. Nowadays, these plays are
performed regularly around the country.
Semiotics offers an alternative framework
for measuring an audience's response. Questions
about an audience's theatregoing experience
before and after the production can
help to determine the choices they will make
when considering attending a future production.
The time of the production, the theatre's
amenities, and contact with performers might
be major concerns to an audience. Questions
pertaining to the production itself might include
the seating arrangements of the audience,
the communicability of the performance
codes, and the message of the play. In either
case, a semiotic framework helps in determining
audience behaviour.
There is no such thing as a definitive survey
but a number of options remain unexplored.
Many theatres are with justification
concerned about their economic survival
and often cut financial corners by staging
small-cast plays, popular musicals, and safe
Shakespeare. However, they may be cutting
themselves off at the knees, because unusual
and experimental plays need not be so
268
9 Do you feel that our theatre produces enough plays that reflect our audiences' ethnic
diversity?
Yes No No opinion
If not, what ethnic groups appear under-represented?
This question might be useful in determining whether there is an untapped cultural group which
may have stayed away because of lack of representation on stage.
10 Do you think our theatre produces enough contemporary plays?
Yes No No opinion
To determine whether a majority of audience members prefer traditional plays (usually known
quantities) or new plays whose quality may be in question. This kind of question separates the
audience member who likes to judge for him/herself from the one who accepts the judgement of
others (e.g., `Ibsen is a great playwright so any of his plays must be worth seeing because of his
stature in world theatre').
11 Does it bother you when the seating arrangements are altered? For example, creating a
performance in the round or asking you to move from one area to another during the play?
Yes No No opinion
This question measures an audience's acceptance of alternative staging.
12 Does it bother you when, as an audience member, you are included in the performance by
having actors engage you directly?
Yes No No opinion
Reality TV ­ particularly talk shows ­ have increased the possibility of audience members being
willing to participate in a production.
13 If the production at our theatre was labelled `For Mature Audiences', what would you think the
play might contain that would appear to be unsuitable for children and young adults?
Reveals potential objections to certain subject matter and stage activities.
14 What would be the most likely reason for you to find a production offensive? (You may check
more than one)
Obscenities uttered by the performers/sexual activity on stage
Nudity
Degrading a religion
readily sidelined. Educating an audience is
one of the primary functions of a theatre and
an effective survey can help it communicate
more directly with its audiences.
Notes
1. Elaine Aston and George Savona, Theatre as Sign
System: a Semiotics of Text and Performance (London: Routledge,
1991), p. 120.
2. Susan Bennett, Theatre Audiences (London: Routledge,
1990), p. 198.
3. Frank Coppieters, `Performance and Perception',
Poetics Today, II, No. 3 (1981), p. 40.
4. Bennett, op. cit., p. 62.
5. Ibid., p. 103.
6. Rosanne Martorella, `The Relationship between
Box Office and Repertoire: a Case Study of Opera',
Sociological Quarterly, No. 18 (Summer 1977), p. 356.
7. Tom Behan, Dario Fo: Revolutionary Theatre (London:
Pluto Press, 2000), p. 106.
8. Richard Schechner, `Approaches', in Public Domain
(New York: Bobbs Merrill, 1969), p. 43­91.
9. William J. Baumol and William G. Bowen, Performing
Arts: the Economic Dilemma (New York: Twentieth
Century Fund, 1966), p. 442.
10. Caroline Gardiner, `From Bankside to the West
End: a Comparative View of London Audiences, New
Theatre Quarterly, No. 37 (Feb. 1994), p. 71.
11. Organized with the Department of Arts Policy
and Management at City University, the Society of West
End Theatres used the following categories: drama;
comedy; pop musicals; traditional musicals; revue; variety;
dance; opera; operetta; children's shows; pantomines;
thrillers; classical plays.
269
The play advocates an extreme political point of view
The play makes use of outdated racial stereotypes
The play demeans women and/or minorities to an excessive degree
Enactment of Torture
Other
To ask the audience to articulate its objections specifically.
15 Do you mind sitting through a play that lasts over two and a half hours?
Yes No No opinion
To test the temporal boundaries of audience attention.
16 Do you favour having a main stage season and a second stage for new and experimental work?
Would you consider subscribing to both seasons?
Yes No No opinion
To give an audience an opportunity to demonstrate their preferences on stage by separating the
genres.
17 Who is your favourite classical playwright? Modern playwright (American and/or foreign)?
Classical Modern
To test author visibility and audience loyalty.
18 Do you look forward to regular opportunities of meeting the director and actors? Would you
favour meeting the actors and director at regular reception nights?
Yes No No opinion
This is an often-used audience development ploy.
19 What productions during the last three years did you enjoy most at this theatre?
The individual answers may be unreliable but the entire survey will generally come up with the most
popular productions. This question also helps determine the genre of play most liked by an audience.
20 If you could choose a play/musical that you would like seen done at our theatre, what would it be?
This question continues to help the theatre determine the genre of play most liked by the audience.
Any further comments?
Always an opportunity to allow audiences to use their own words and express opinions in greater
detail. Unfortunately, the responses are not always reliable.
12. Gardiner, op. cit., p. 85.
13. Caroline Gardiner and Martin Collins, `A Practical
Guide to Better Audience Surveys', Journal of the
Market Research Society, XXXIV, No. 4 (Oct. 1992), p. 292.
14. The OOBA Survey (New York: Off-Off Broadway
Alliance, 1981), p. 47.
15. Marian S. Lefkin, The Audience for New York
Theatre: a Profile of the Broadway and Off-Broadway 1997
Theatre Season (New York: Theatre Development Fund
and the League of American Theatres and Producers,
1997), p. 26.
16. Lefkin, op. cit., p. 11.
17. Ibid., p. 12.
Works Cited
Actor's Theatre of Louisville Audience Survey (Louisville,
KY: Actor's Theatre of Louisville, 1998).
Arts Research Digest (Society of London Theatres) at
http://www.arts-research-digest. com/mkt.html.
Aston, Elaine, and Savona, George, Theatre as Sign System:
a Semiotics of Text and Performance (London: Routledge,
1991).
`Audiences for Live Theatre in Britain: the Present Situation
and Some Implications', Cultural Trends, No. 34
(1999), p. 1­30.
Baumol, William J., and Bowen, William G., Performing
Arts: the Economic Dilemma (New York: Twentieth
Century Fund, 1966).
Behan, Tom, Dario Fo: Revolutionary Theatre (London:
Pluto Press, 2000).
Bennett, Susan, Theatre Audiences: Theory of Production
and Reception (London: Routledge, 1997).
Celentano, Suzanne Carmack, Theatre Management and
Production in America (Player Press, 1998).
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in a Period of Cultural Expansion: the Social
Composition of Arts Audiences in the US', in Kamerman,
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Work (South Hadley, MA: Bergen and Garvey, 1983).
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Sage Publications, 1993).
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Comparative View of London Audiences', New
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Gardiner, Caroline, and Collins, Martin, `APractical Guide
to Better Audience Surveys', Journal of the Market
Research Society, XXXIV, No. 4 (Oct. 1992), p. 289­97.
Langley, Stephen, Theatre Management and Production
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Profile of the Broadway and Off-Broadway 1997 Theatre
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League of American Theatres and Producers, 1997).
The OOBA Survey (New York: Off-Off Broadway Alliance,
1981).
Pavis, Patrice, `Theatre Analysis: Some Questions and a
Questionnaire', New Theatre Quarterly, No. 2 (1985),
p. 208­12.
Phipps, Alison M., `Risking Everything: Political Theatre
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Acceptance for Radical Theatre in a Conservative
Community', New Theatre Quarterly, No. 58 (May
1999), p. 109­23.
Quinn, Michael L., `Celebrity and the Semiotics of
Acting', New Theatre Quarterly, No. 22 (May 1990),
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Estimating Public Participation in the Arts', Public
Opinion Quarterly, No. 53 (Fall 1989), p. 397­414.
Surveying Your Arts Audience (Washington, DC: National
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APPENDIX
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Subscriber Perception Study 1998
1 How many years have you lived in the Louisville metropolitan area? (Jefferson, Oldham, Bullitt, Clark,
or Floyd counties.)
Less than 5 years 25 to 34 years
5 to 14 years 35 years or more
15 to 24 years I live elsewhere (please specify state/county)
2 To which ATL series do you currently subscribe?
Both the Mainstage Series and Off-Broadway Series
Mainstage Series only
Off-Broadway Series only
3 How many total productions are in the ATL series to which you currently subscribe?
4 How many years have you subscribed to each type of ATL series? (Please answer for each series.)
Mainstage Series Off-Broadway Series
5 Please read the following statements and indicate which one describes you best.
I have subscribed to an ATL series . . .
Every year consecutively since my first subscription year.
Almost every year since my first subscription year.
Several years at a time, but there have been several years at a time where I have
not subscribed since my first subscription year.
None of these statements describes me at all.
6 With whom do you often attend ATL performances? (Check all that apply.)
Spouse/intimate partner Friend(s) who are neighbours
Children (under 18) Friend(s) who are not neighbours
Adult children Out-of-town guests
Other family members Co-workers/business associates
Attended alone Other (specify)
7 Overall, how personally satisfied have you been with your experiences at Actors Theatre of Louisville?
Extremely Very Somewhat Not too Not at all
8 How important was each of the following factors in your decision to subscribe to Actors Theatre of
Louisville this season?
Extremely Very Somewhat Not too Not at all
Convenience of ATL's location
Quality of the productions
Family/friends/associates who subscribe
Variety of productions in the subscription
Affordability of the subscription
Your personal interest in live theatre
Friendliness of ATL staff/management
Scheduled performance times of the productions
Convenience of available parking
Option to dine at The Restaurant at Actors Theatre
ATL's policy on exchanging tickets
9 Have you or anyone in your household purchased tickets for an ATL play not included in your
subscription packages during the past two years?
If yes, how many separate plays did you purchase tickets for during the past two years?
10 Have you exchanged tickets to any ATL performance during the past two years?
If yes, how many separate plays did you purchase tickets for during the past two years?
11 Please indicate your general impression of the current regular prices that ATL charges for a
subscription series and for single tickets? (Check only one for each.)
Subscriptions are very low low moderate high very high
Single Tickets are very low low moderate high very high
12 How likely would you be to subscribe to an ATL series for the 1999/2000 season?
Extremely Very Somewhat Not too Not at all
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13 If all subscription series prices were raised by 15 per cent (for instance, if a $100 subscription cost
$15 more), how likely would you be to subscribe to an ATL series for the 1999/2000 season?
Extremely Very Somewhat Not too Not at all
14 Have you visited The Restaurant at Actors Theatre during the past two years?
If yes, how satisfied were you with your most recent visit to the The Restaurant at Actors Theatre?
Extremely Very Somewhat Not too Not at all
15 Has your household made a financial donation to the Fund for the Arts during the past two years? (Do
not include tickets, subscriptions, or fees.)
16 Please indicate your relationship with each of the following performance arts groups during the past
two years? (Check all that apply.)
I have seen a performance of . . .
My household has subscribed to or been a member of . . .
My household has made a direct financial donation to . . .
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Louisville Orchestra
Louisville Ballet
Bingham Endowed (New Masters) Series
The Broadway Series
Kentucky Opera
New Directions in Dance Series
Lonesome Pine Series
Bunbury Theatre
Stage One Children's Theatre
Walden Theatre
Derby Dinner Playhouse
Music Theatre of Louisville (Iroquois Park)
Shakespeare at Central Park
Other (specify):
17 Where do you have Internet access (check all that apply)
I do not have access to the Internet
At home
At work
Did you know that ATL has a website on the Internet?
If yes, have you ever visited ATL's website?
18 Read the following statements regarding Actors Theatre of Louisville and insert the number that best
reflects your level of agreement with each.
Strongly agree 5 Agree 4 Somewhat agree 3 Disagree 2 Strongly disagree 1
The staff/management is always friendly
The box office is quick and efficient
The available parking is convenient
Scheduled performance times are convenient
ATL's location is convenient
My current ATL subscription is good value for money
ATL's theatres have comfortable seating
ATL keeps me well informed about plays and upcoming events
ATL's theatres have good acoustics and stage lighting
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The design of the stage sets and costumes is always good
The plays in my current ATL subscription are varied and different
ATL is located in a safe area
Being able to dine at The Restaurant at Actors Theatre when seeing performances is a
valuable option to me
The ATL ticket exchange policy is easy to use without a hassle
19 Read the following statements and insert the number that best reflects your agreement with each.
Strongly agree 5 Agree 4 Somewhat agree 3 Disagree 2 Strongly disagree 1
When asked, I am always willing to make a direct financial donation to ATL
I would like to select which plays are in my subscription series
I would like to select which I attend end at 10 p.m. or later on weeknights
I prefer plays which have many characters
I like to attend plays that address modern issues
20 Please indicate which ATL theatre that you like the most. (Check only one.)
The Pamela Brown Theatre I like both theatres equally
The Bingham Theatre I dislike both theatres equally
21 Please rank the following eight types of plays staged by ATL using the numbers from `1' to `8'
according to your preference for them. Write a `1' beside the type of play you like the most, a `2' by the
type of play you prefer second most, and so on. (Please be sure not to write the same number twice.)
Classics Modern/contemporary plays
Comedies Family plays
Dramas Mysteries
Musicals Shakespeare
22 What other types of plays or specific works would you like to see on stage at ATL?
23 Now think about the types of plays that ATL has tended to select for the packages that you have
subscribed to during your time as an ATL subscriber. Would you like ATL to select more, fewer, or the
same number of each of the following types of plays to be packaged among the current number of plays in
your subscriptions? (Please reply for each type of play.)
Classics Modern/contemporary plays
Comedies Family plays
Dramas Mysteries
Musicals Shakespeare
24 Please read the following statements and indicate which one you agree with most.
I would like to have more total plays in my ATL subscription series
I would like to have fewer total plays in my ATL subscription series
I like the total number of plays that are currently in my ATL subscription series
How many total plays would you like to attend during a typical ATL subscription series?
(A typical season is the nine-month period from September through May.)
25 Read each of the possible ATL subscription series packages below, then indicate which one is the
most appealing to you and which one is the least appealing to you.
Your subscription series would be mostly dramas with a few comedies, classics, musicals, and
other types of plays.
Your subscription series would be mostly comedies with a few classics, musicals, dramas, and
other types of plays.
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Your subscription series would be mostly classics with a few musicals, dramas, comedies, and
other types of plays.
Your subscription series would be mostly musicals with a few dramas, comedies, classics, and
other types of plays.
Your subscription series would have an equal number of dramas, comedies, classics, musicals,
and other types of plays.
Your subscription series would have an equal number of all types of plays with each play
emphasizing family fare suitable for all ages.
26 The statements on either side of this page have opposite meanings. Please insert a number on the
scale that is closest to your general impression. (For example a `10' means the statement on the left-side of
the scale is extremely close to your general impression. A `0' would mean the statement on the right-side of
the scale is extremely close to your general impression. Of course, you may use any number in between.)
Plays are more enjoyable Plays are more enjoyable
to me when I am very to me when I am not very
familiar with the play familiar with the play
ATL mostly focuses on ATL mostly focuses on
productions that have a productions that have a
wide, mass appeal specific appeal to few
ATL patrons are from a ATL patrons are from a
wide and diverse range of narrow and similar sociosocio-economic
backgrounds economic background
The types of plays in the The types of plays in the
Mainstage series and Mainstage series and
the types of plays in the the types of plays in the
Off-Broadway series are Off-Broadway series are
distinctly different not noticeably different
ATL is my first ATL is far from my
choice for live first choice for live
entertainment entertainment
27 A change to the start times of Saturday plays is being considered for next season. The 5:00 p.m. play
would be one-hour earlier at 4:00 p.m. and the 9:00 p.m. play would be at 8:00 p.m. Please indicate your
preference below. (Check only one.)
Prefer 5:00/9:00 Saturday times Prefer 4:00/8:00 Saturday times No preference
28 Overall, what do you like most about Actors Theatre of Louisville?
29 Overall, what do you like least about Actors Theatre of Louisville?
30 Has your houshold had season tickets to any UK/UL/IU athletic programs during the past two years?
No Yes Specify school and sport
31 Please indicate with the appropriate number how often you use each of the following sources to learn
about any live shows, music concerts, plays, and other live performances in Louisville.
I use this source all the time 5
I use this source frequently 4
I use this source sometimes 3
I use this source rarely 2
I never use this source 1
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Courier-Journal: Sunday arts/leisure section Courier-Journal: Saturday Scene
Courier-Journal: Friday weekend section Courier-Journal: Features section
The LEO The Voice-Tribune
The Louisville Defender Business First
Louisville Magazine Word-of-mouth: friends/neighbours
Word-of-mouth: family/spouse Word-of-mouth: co-workers/business contacts
Brochures/fliers/postcards in the mail Newsletters/bulletins in the mail
Outdoor posters/banners/billboards Direct telephone contact/telemarketers
The Internet Local radio
Local television
32 Which local radio station do you listen to most?
33 Which television station do you watch most for local evening news?
Your answers to the following demographic questions will remain strictly confidential.
34 What is your sex?
35 What is the zip code where you live?
36 What was your age on your last birthday?
37 What is the zip code where you work?
38 What is your marital status?
Married Divorced/separated Widowed
Single (never married) Living with intimate partner (never married)
39 How many people currently live in your household including yourself and any children/babies?
40 How many people currently live in your household including yourself are 17 years of age or younger?
41 Which of the following best describes the highest level of education that you have successfully
completed? (Check one.)
Some high school Junior college graduate (two-year school)
High school graduate/GED College graduate (four-year school)
Some college/technical school Attended graduate school
Completed graduate school
42 What was your total household income before taxes for the previous calendar year (Jan.­Dec. 1997)?
(Please include income from all sources. This includes, but is not limited to salaries, bonuses, dividends,
interest, capital gains, profits, pensions, etc.)
Less than $12,000 $50,000 to $59,999 $100,000 to $124,999
$12,000 to $19,999 $60,000 to $69,999 $125,000 to $149,999
$20,000 to $29,999 $70,000 to $79,999 $150,000 to $199,999
$30,000 to $39,999 $80,000 to $89,999 $200,000 or more
$40,000 to $49,999 $90,000 to $99,999
43 Please indicate the racial/ethnic group you are a member of:
African-American Caucasian Mixture of race
Asian Hispanic/Latino Another race
275