Abstract

The audience is an obviously essential element of theater, but is often considered with skepticism or disdain by theater theorists and practitioners. This article is a call for theater professionals--dramaturgs and literary managers in particular--to consider and respect the tastes, desires and interests of their particular audiences carefully, so that they remain an active part of the theater experience. This does not mean that box office concerns should drive theater programming, but it does mean that programming decisions can and should be made considering that the primary mission of a theater is to serve its community-the people who will occupy the seats. With this in mind, artistic and institutional goals of theaters need not be forever at odds, but can sychronistically support the goal of creating compelling theater that people in the community will want to see.

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