Product Description

Susan Bennett's highly successful Theatre Audiences is a unique full-length study of the audience as cultural phenomenon, which looks at both theories of spectatorship and the practice of different theatres and their audiences. Susan Bennett advances a theory that brings spectators to the foreground, emphasizing their creative involvement and showing how they contribute to theatrical productions. Concentrating primarily on non-traditional drama and performance over the last 30 years Bennett examines specific theatres - including their advertising, architecture, staging - as well as the audiences they attract. Published here in an exciting up-to-date second edition, Theatre Audiences now includes a new preface by the author; a stunning extra chapter on intercultural theatre; and a revised up-to-date bibliography. Theatre Audiences is a classic volume, a must-buy for teachers and students interested in spectatorship and theatre audiences, and will be valuable reading for practitioners and others involved in the theatre.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #127521 in Books
• Published on: 1997-09-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 264 pages

Review
'Bennett's book is enormously useful and compelling' - Jill Dolan, Theatre Journal

From the Back Cover
Susan Bennett's highly successful Theatre Audiences is a unique full-length study of the audience as cultural phenomenon, which looks at both theories of spectatorship and the practice of different theatres and their audiences.
Susan Bennett advances a theory that brings spectators to the foreground, emphasizing their creative involvement and showing how they contribute to theatrical productions. Concentrating primarily on non-traditional drama and performance over the last 30 years Bennett examines specific theatres - including their advertising, architecture, staging - as well as the audiences they attract.
Published here in an exciting up-to-date second edition, Theatre Audiences now includes a new preface by the author; a stunning extra chapter on intercultural theatre; and a revised up-to-date bibliography.
Theatre Audiences is a classic volume, a must-buy for teachers and students interested in spectatorship and theatre audiences, and will be valuable reading for practitioners and others involved in the theatre.

About the Author
Susan Bennett is Professor of English at the University of Calgary. She is author of Performing Nostalgia (Routledge 1995).

Customer Reviews

In-depth insight into audience demographics
In order to provide a balanced report whilst writing a dissertation for a BA (Hons) Performance degree on the emergence of theatre beyond the confines of theatre walls, I sought information on audience members. What inspires audience members to walk into a theatre? How involved do they become? Would they be driven to stand outside in the pouring rain to watch a performance on a promenade stage?

This book contains the perfect balance and insight into audience members and what makes them tick and provides an in-depth look at theatre practitioners and the effect they had on theatre and the audience, such as Bertolt Brecht.

For 1st May 2009, this work will definitely be cited in the above dissertation as provided clear, well-written insights that were most helpful and informative.