ABSTRACT
This chapter demonstrates how quantitative methods can uniquely account for pre-show spectatorial dispositions such as theatre-going familiarity or aesthetic preferences that play a prominent role in such changes. It considers both within the context of the reception study “Recollection of an Audience”, specifically as they are interrogated through the project’s quantitative methodology and its discrete definitions of change, which focus on the divergence between the degree of change and the direction of change. Effective quantitative investigation when applied to the study of theatre-based change requires a clear definition of what it is attempting to measure and which tools are most sensitive to the task. Additionally, as many important findings were a consequence of enhanced inferential analysis and visualizations, change research should move well beyond descriptive reporting, which may necessitate partnering with quantitatively trained scholars who may work outside of theatre studies.
