Closing the Circle: The Audience Lab

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Who are we making theater for?
Who is actually sitting in the seats in our theaters?
Are they the people we want to be there?
If not, who do we want to be sitting there?
How do we get them there?
Whose responsibility is it to do this work?  Have you seen it done successfully?  How was it done?
What are the plays or theater pieces we should be directing to attract the audience we desire?   
Or (reversing this) what are the audiences that should be coming to the plays we are directing?
Is it good to make theater for a specific audience?  Does that limit a director or theater?
How broad should an audience be in terms of age, interests etc?
Can you think of an example where the stage and the audience were in perfect synchronicity?   
Today or any time in the historical past?  How and why did that happen?

Right now in your career, can you describe the ideal audience for the plays you direct?  In essence, this is a question about why you are making theater – who for and what plays (or other kinds of productions) are you working with.  How does the audience fit into the event you are in charge of?  Are you happy with the audiences who see you work?  Would you like to change their makeup? Do you see yourself working like you do at present  for your entire career or rather doing what you do  for the next few years on your way to something else?  Do you know what that something else is?

Do your friends who are not theater people go to the theater?  Are only your friends in the audience?  Does your aunt go?  Do you speak with people in your audiences?
Look around you when you go to the theater and take stock of who is watching.