fbpx Audience Engagement | HowlRound Theatre Commons

Audience Engagement

Content in this section centers one crucial aspect of theatremaking: the audience. How do theatremakers identify and attract the right audience for a particular work? What are the different levels of engagement, from simple spectatorship to participation? Amrita Ramanan’s 2013 series gathers thoughts from leaders in the field and is a great place to start, as are videos from Theatre Communications Group’s 2015 Audience (R)Evolution Convening.

The Latest

The Virtuosity of Black Storytelling with Tarell Alvin McCraney
Podcast
The Virtuosity of Black Storytelling with Tarell Alvin McCraney
by Jordan Ealey, Leticia Ridley, Tarell Alvin McCraney
6 March 2024
Towards a Sustainable Theatre Model
Essay
Towards a Sustainable Theatre Model
by Scott Walters, Munroe Shearer
27 February 2024
Can’t Do Theatre by Yourself
Essay
Can’t Do Theatre by Yourself
by Christin Eve Cato, Jorge Piña
23 January 2024
The Dramaturgy of Audience
Essay

The Dramaturgy of Audience

Jayne Benjulian goes to the Theater as a Civilian

10 July 2013
Photo from War Horse.
War Horse in the UK and US
Essay

War Horse in the UK and US

The Challenges of the Replica

3 July 2013

The tour of UK’s War Horse in the United States shows us that, even a ingenious play, assumed historical knowledge can make or break an audience’s experience.

Poster for the play Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind.
A Big Eyed Fish
Essay

A Big Eyed Fish

The Neo-Futurists & Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind

22 June 2013

Rachel Grossman interviews the Neo-Futurists to explore the dynamic between art, artist, and audience.

Logo for Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812.
"Vulgarians," "Vigilantes," and the Great Cell Phone Smashing of 2013
Essay

"Vulgarians," "Vigilantes," and the Great Cell Phone Smashing of 2013

12 June 2013

After an upset theatregoer throws another audience members phone across the theatre, questions were raised about what behaviors are considered respectable in the theatre

Logo for Cornerstone Theater Company.
A Big Eyed Fish Post 2.6
Essay

A Big Eyed Fish Post 2.6

Cornerstone Theater Company

8 May 2013

In this essay, Rachel Grossman explores the junctions of ensemble theatre and audience.

Logo for HitRecord.
Participation
Essay

Participation

Why Play Along?

1 May 2013
Still from a production of Love's Labour's Lost.
The Play's a Thing
Essay

The Play's a Thing

28 April 2013

Alex Ates writes of a production of Love's Labour's Lost during the Boston Marathon Bombing, and the healing and cathartic qualities of community theater.

Teaser poster for Watch Me Work, which features Suzan-Lori Parks leaning an arm against a bench.
Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work from The Public Theater
Video

Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work from The Public Theater

A playwriting masterclass

Thursday 25 April 2013
New York, NY, United States

Suzan-Lori Parks livestreamed Watch Me Work from The Public Theater in New York City on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 25 April 2013 at 2 p.m. PST (Vancouver, UTC -8) / 4 p.m. CST (Austin, UTC -6) / 5 p.m. EST (Montréal, UTC -5) / 10 p.m. GMT (London, UTC +0) / 23:00 CET (Berlin, UTC +1)

The company of Rude Mechs.
Making Friends to Make Shows With to Show Friends
Essay

Making Friends to Make Shows With to Show Friends

16 April 2013

The Rude Mechs explain how their method of including their audiences – inviting them to join in on the creative process – helps to better engage their patrons... and their artists.

A statue and the Capitol building in Austin, Texas.
Hacking Theater In A Networked World
Essay

Hacking Theater In A Networked World

15 April 2013

Robert Matney writes about the various ways in which theater companies are adapting and thriving by incorporating technology into their practice.

Teaser poster for Watch Me Work, which features Suzan-Lori Parks leaning an arm against a bench.
Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work and Lecture at Emerson College
Video

Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work and Lecture at Emerson College

Wednesday 3 April 2013
Boston, MA, United States

Emerson College in Boston presented two events involving Suzan-Lori Parks livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 3 April 2013.

A graph depicting several foods on a long table.
A Big Eyed Fish Post 2.5
Essay

A Big Eyed Fish Post 2.5

Perceptions of Theater's Value

26 March 2013

The latest infographic from ABEF explores the value of theatre through food

A graph depicting audiences' relationships to theatre.
A Big Eyed Fish Post 2.4
Essay

A Big Eyed Fish Post 2.4

Who determines what work we produce and how do we measure its success?

25 March 2013

Today's infographic from ABEF highlights who should determine the productions a company produces and how you can measure those production's success

A still from the play Wild Bride.
Joining the Band
Essay

Joining the Band

25 March 2013

Brooke Christensen reflects on her encounters with Emma Rice and Kneehigh's work, and the power of belonging in the audience – whether for 90 minutes and an intermission, or for the rest of one's life.

A graph depicting several animals and climates.
A Big Eyed Fish Post 2.3
Essay

A Big Eyed Fish Post 2.3

Perception of Ensemble Theaters & the Role of Audience

23 March 2013

In a continuation of A Big Eyed Fish, Rachel Grossman writes about ensemble theater and audience and what influences our perceptions of this relationship.

Several graphs defining the relationships between those who participate in theatre.
A Big Eyed Fish Post 2.2
Essay

A Big Eyed Fish Post 2.2

Defining Key Terms

21 March 2013

An infographic exploring how different people define "theatre" "ensemble" "audience" and "engagement"

A graph breaking down how one might define oneself.
A Big Eyed Fish Post 2.1
Essay

A Big Eyed Fish Post 2.1

Ensemble Theaters & Audience Definitions Poll Participants

18 March 2013

The first in a series of infographics highlighting the diversity in people, practices, and perceptions on Ensemble Theatre

Two performers embrace each other with their foreheads touching.
Towards a Performance Ethics of Cohabitation?
Essay

Towards a Performance Ethics of Cohabitation?

18 February 2013

Brandon Woolf reflects on the cultural clashes and queer-antagonistic responses to the public performance of UtopiaTM by the ensemble of Shakespeare im Park Berlin in Görlitzer Park.

Logo for Audience Revolution.
The Firewall
Essay

The Firewall

7 February 2013

Miriam Weisfeld discusses theatre attendance, and advocates for deeper engagement across artistic and marketing departments, and between theatre companies.

A cartoon depicting someone on a phone with various apps surrounding her.
The Galaxy's Guide to Digital Media
Essay

The Galaxy's Guide to Digital Media

The Dying Dinosaur—E-Blasts

6 February 2013

Though marketing through e-mail still lives, it is key to keep up with the current social media trends as it will keep you relevant after the final demise of e-mail.

A person sends a text on an iPhone.
CUI BONO? A Critique of the Conscripted Audience and, Perforce, a Manifesto
Essay

CUI BONO? A Critique of the Conscripted Audience and, Perforce, a Manifesto

4 February 2013

In this essay, Craig Fleming sheds light on the necessity and importance of theatres making it a goal of attracting younger audiences.

Logo for Dog & Pony DC.
Introducing A Big Eyed Fish
Essay

Introducing A Big Eyed Fish

Ensemble Theatre & Audience Integration

1 February 2013

Artist and engagement strategist Rachel Grossman writes about her work as co-founder and Ensemble Director of dog & pony dc and the evolution of their goals.

Three actors onstage.
Building Audience Into the Process
Essay

Building Audience Into the Process

17 December 2012

Lana Lesley shares insight on how Rude Mechs has creatively promoted audience engagement in their past productions.

Set of How To Build A Forest.
The Psychology of the Audience
Essay

The Psychology of the Audience

The Rules of Engagement

14 December 2012

Seeking insight into what makes immersive theatre work for an audience, Jeffrey Mosser observes three productions: PearlDamour’s How to Build a Forest, Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More, and Mikhael Tara Garver’s Fornicated From the Beatles.

The set of How To Build A Forest.
The Psychology of the Audience
Essay

The Psychology of the Audience

Inviting the Audience to Play

7 December 2012

Jeffrey Mosser continues his series on immersive theatre. This week, an examination of the patron at Fornicated from the Beatles and How to Build a Forest.