Understanding new audiences: an audience reception study of 'non-theatregoers' attending La Boite Theatre Company's 1998 season

Abstract

The primary aim of the project was to expose audience perceptions of La Boite Theatre's 1998 season; secondly, to test and to refine the methodology; thirdly, to discover the reasons why participants do not regularly attend theatre productions. La Boite Theatre is a professional company seen to be positioned between the larger State company and smaller professional and amateur companies in Brisbane. It is a theatre-in-the-round and so its spatial dynamics are conducive to audience participation and close involvement with the drama. In 1998 La Boite Theatre's season of plays was as follows: The John Wayne Principle, Emma Celebrazione!, The Conjurers, Speaking in Tongues, X-Stacy, and A Beautiful Life. The 1998 La Boite Theatre audience reception study contained three groups of twelve participants. All were non-regular theatregoers. In each group there were two of each gender in the 20s, 30-40s, and 50+ age groups earning a variety of incomes. An outline of this study, its success as an industry collaborative venture, and some results will be presented.