Theater art in the masses: what does society prefer?
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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Theatrical art is unprofitable and requires subsidies to keep afloat. But criticism of the theater is mainly not for this, but for the fact that it is supposedly intended exclusively for the economic elite of society.
However, Spanish researchers do not agree with this opinion. The results of the survey, published in the economic journal "Journal of Cultural Economics", confirm that not only representatives of the intelligentsia, but also the working class, go to the theater. However, the preferences for these two classes are different. If the intelligentsia chooses dramatic productions, then the people of the working professions are comedic.
Often the choice of wealthy people of a particular production is based on professional reviews of critics.
"The aim of the study was to identify and analyze the demand for theatrical art. Specialists relied on methods of microeconomic research. We conducted the survey in two of the largest theaters in Newcastle, "says the co-author of the survey.
Newcastle can be called the center of theatrical art. Here there are different categories of theaters - from the most modern (like, for example, the Northern Stage) to the classical ones.
The experts processed the questionnaires of 300 participants in the study.
Participants in the survey were presented with a choice of 10 hypothetical scenarios with five different scenarios, each classified as follows: ticket price (£ 7 to £ 35), category of theater, genre (comedy, drama or experimental production), repertoire , modern or modern productions, the author (known or novice), expert or amateur reviews (reviews on the forums or critics' evaluation of theatrical art).
To compile this questionnaire, experts combined various components of the scenarios and produced ten samples, with the help of which the theater lovers were divided into three so-called classes.
43.1% of the survey participants were in the "secured" category. They enjoy all kinds of theatrical art, but still prefer the classical productions. In addition, it turned out that people in this category are under the influence of feedback and are willing to pay a lot of money for a ticket if the reviews about the performance are positive.
The so-called "working class" includes younger "theatergoers" and has 25.4% of respondents. This category is satisfied with comedies and unprofessional reviews, respectively, their willingness to buy expensive tickets is less.
And, finally, the class of "intellectuals" or "cultural" - 31.5%. They readily attend theater performances, preferring drama. Their opinion about a particular play is often formed independently of amateur or professional reviews.
Researchers emphasize that the class of "intellectuals" does not depend on a person's social position.
Thus, the researchers identified three main categories of people who attend the theater. And although it is believed that theatrical pastime is the destiny of the elite, yet this kind of art is not alien to other layers of society.
According to experts, the results of this survey will be useful, first of all, for marketing companies and to establish an effective sales policy. In addition, it will help to understand what role the theater plays in our life.
Studies were conducted with the support of the Government of Great Britain and the Council for Research in the field of arts and humanities.