Price and Value: Theater Ticket Pricing

Study topic is substantial in connection with the rapid increase of number of theater visitors and the super-inflationary growth of theater ticket prices in last decade. So, the main goal of research is: to reveal what the value of visiting a theater performance is for the audience and how it relates to ticket price. Data collecting will be realized through the in-depth interviews with 20 informants, which are the visitors of drama theaters in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Chosen respondent selection method is targeted sample of maximum variations, which allows to reveal various forms of studied phenomenon. Data analysis will be carried out by open coding the interviews with simplifying and categorizing of them. It is assumed that the work result be an identification of the following motives of visiting theatrical performances: to enjoy the performance, for being a member of a public event, to meet friends, for the self-presentation, for demonstrating a cultural level, to be aware of theatrical events, as part of a company. In addition, the expected results are the revealing a high level of cultural capital of drama theaters audience, as well as the fact that the qualitative characteristics of performance will be the main criterion of a ticket price legitimization for them. The first chapter of paper will present the theoretical framework and a level of topic elaboration in domestic and foreign research. The second chapter is for the methodological base of work, and the third one is for description the empirical part of study.