Theatre Audience Preferences: Why Do You Go to the Theater?

Vintage theater seats, well-worn but now unused. From Columbia Theater Cultural Resources Center Columbia (Tyrrell County, N.C.)

According The Stage, a survey conducted in late August by Situation UK, in partnership with Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre on theater audience preferences found that people go to the theater for “entertaining, light-hearted fun.” Other motivations for attending theater include connecting with community - friends and family, “beloved stories” and good word-of-mouth about the play and/or the production.

This is not surprising.

While the survey was conducted in the UK, I would imagine people in the United States who attend theater would cite similar motivations. Throughout the country, theaters thrive on comedies without controversy and, of course, Shakespeare.

Putting the Bard aside for a moment, I’ve always felt a tension when writing plays between art and entertainment. People told me that my work fell on the art side of things, and was certainly not “entertaining, light-hearted fun.” Which made me sad because I always wanted people to not look at me as if I had three heads. As it turns out, if you write something that gives people a round-trip ticket out of their comfort zone, they may not like you. They might even get a bit angry.

As I write this, the United States is going through a few things. People are already uncomfortable. Everywhere you turn, you crash into politics. There’s no respite, no time-out. Algorithms feed me spicy posts to flare up a reaction, people speak out because they need to prove they’re “good people” and my exhaustion is deep. There’s no running away. For years now, I’ve periodically asked my husband, “Do you think it’s like this everywhere?” That’s how all-consuming it is.

I understand politics is vital, especially when people’s survival is at stake. Many years ago, politics meant providing solutions to problems. Now, politics are the problem itself. There are no solutions, just crack people over the head, which obviously and let me state this clearly - is no solution.

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When I shifted from city to town, my thoughts about theater changed as well. Rather than being in-tune with what gatekeepers wanted, I was surrounded by theater’s potential audience. It was a rough transition for many reasons. I would be forced to choose between declaring myself a professional theater playwright or a community theater playwright. It was a choice I was unwilling to make.

Fitting in as a playwright in the professional theater arena was extremely difficult. Not being in a theater hub, I had trouble finding resources. There was also an inclination, based on my zip code, not to take me seriously. If I were truly a playwright,

in a far-flung place?

So I tried to fit into a community theater scene, one in which light-hearted plays were more marketable. I wrote several plays that could fit that description. People told me, and I just heard this a few days ago again, that there’s a disturbing undercurrent to my work. I agree. I wish I could pull off a breezy, entertaining story. It’s just not going to happen. Not my voice and even when I try to disguise it, you can still tell it’s me. I’m not fooling anyone.

Disturbing plays can be entertaining, but the UK survey specifically says “light-hearted plays.” I’m guessing that’s a play that’s not in my vocal range as a writer.

All of this is a curiosity. I’ve wondered why musical theater tends to be more popular than plays. I always figured that if people wanted entertainment, there were easier ways to get it. Theater requires effort. You actually have to leave your house. You have to sit with strangers. The seats are not comfortable. You can’t put your feet up. There could be an intermission and long line at the restroom. That’s not even counting Covid concerns, whether the theater can accommodate mobility issues, and of course, ticket prices. It’s a lot.

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The survey names two elements: fun and community. When these two elements are together, theater attracts an audience.

People don’t want theater to be a church. Church provides a community, but without the light-hearted fun. You may say that your church is lighthearted fun, and if you are saying that right now, then congratulations. For many people, church deals with serious matters of eternity, crucifixions and struggle. Oh yeah, and temptation, evil, you get the idea.

I suspect this means that people also don’t want to be preached at. They don’t want the fire and brimstone equivalent, to be called terrible people. After all, people can get enough of that on the Internet. They want hope, not shame.

Can call-to-action plays attract an audience looking for fun and community? Absolutely. It’s not that certain kinds of plays, it may just require a shift in tone. Instead of lecturing an audience on what to think, consider inspiring them to think.

The other aspect is community. Is the theater welcoming? Each one is different, of course. There must be some people out there who enjoy the formal lobby, with its darkened lighting scheme, pictures of past performances and staff speaking very quietly. Is it demonstrating that people are welcome or announcing it’s own importance? Is the theater a communal event or a social event focused on the status and expectations of participants?

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One of the things that has always disappointed me about theaters in the US is that leadership doesn’t often look at themselves. Back in the theater blogging days, there were many good suggestions or proposals that would’ve improved theater and the experience of attending shows. Honestly, I’ve never understood the rigidity of leadership in theater. Why wouldn’t they listen? Why were they always so defensive and careful with their words? They always seemed fearful: afraid of artists, afraid of change, afraid of taking a stand, afraid of including people. I can’t imagine this is going to get any better. In order to continue in business, you’re going to have to widen your audience. You are going to have to change.

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I have a confession to make. I haven’t been to see a play in a number of years. There are two reasons: Covid and security. Both of these have weighed heavily on my mind. I only had Covid once, and once was enough. I have health issues and getting Covid was a horrible experience. My security concerns, on the other hand, aren’t just related to theater. There have been so many mass shootings in the US that one can’t help but be concerned. For some people, it’s a fact of life. I just never accepted that it had to be exactly that.

I yearn for theater. I hunger for it, and I don’t say that lightly. When I lived in that far-flung place, I used to drive hours to take theater classes, to see plays or just be around fellow artists. It was important to me then and I look for a way back now.

To live in the US means to adapt, but there are limits. I have limits to what I will tolerate. I want theater to be a fun place to experience community and given the state of our country, I’m just not sure I will experience it.