Detailed data on demand for French « theatrical institutions » in 1995 and 1996 reveal that price elasticity is low but has opposed sign from year to year while there are heavy habits of consumption and a risk aversion at the cost of certain contemporary authors. Dummy variables related to mediators' judgments allow to measure how they influence subjective perceptions of theatre visitors in their appraisal of production quality. Data support the hypothesis that mediarenown of drama critics and institutional assurance of theatre programmers have an opposed significant influence upon audience.