Theatre-in-the-round

Stage design and performance dynamics

In theatre-in-the-round, the stage is positioned at the center with the audience seated on all sides. It is most commonly shaped as a rectangle, circle, diamond, or triangle. Actors typically enter and exit through the audience from various directions or from beneath the stage. The stage is usually level with or slightly below the audience, creating a "pit" or "arena" arrangement.

This configuration is well-suited for high-energy productions and performances that involve audience participation. It is often favored by producers of classical theatre and remains a creative alternative to the more traditional proscenium stage format.

Theatre-in-the-round effectively eliminates the fourth wall, placing actors in the same shared space as the audience. This can be challenging for actors trained in proscenium or end-stage formats, where turning one's back to the audience is discouraged—something that is often unavoidable in this configuration. However, it also enables strong, direct engagement with the audience.

Theatre-in-the-round is also used in non-traditional performance spaces such as restaurants, public squares, or street theater. Set design is typically minimal to avoid obstructing the audience's view from any angle.

Historical development and global adoption

Theatre-in-the-round was common in ancient theatre, particularly in Greece and Rome, but it was not widely revisited until the latter half of the 20th century.

In her survey of theatre-in-the-round, Margo Jones identified two early examples of central staging in the United States: productions by Azubah Latham and Milton Smith at Columbia University in 1914, and productions by T. Earl Pardoe at Brigham Young University in 1922.

In 1924, Gilmor Brown established the Fair Oaks Playbox in Pasadena, California, which became an important early practitioner of central staging. The theatre also pioneered flexible staging by incorporating various stage configurations. As indicated by Jones, the centrally staged productions at the Fair Oaks Playbox were followed about eight years later by Glenn Hughes'ss work at the Penthouse Theatre in Seattle.

Stephen Joseph was the first to popularize theatre-in-the-round in the United Kingdom during the 1950s, drawing inspiration from its development in the United States. He established theatres-in-the-round in Newcastle-under-Lyme and the Studio Theatre in Scarborough. The current venue, which opened in 1996, is known as the Stephen Joseph Theatre. Joseph is known for having rhetorically asked, "Why must authorities stand with their backs to a wall?"—to which he replied, "So nobody can knife them from behind."

In the early 1970s, Sam Walters established an impromptu performance space above the Orange Tree pub in Richmond, London, which later evolved into the permanent Orange Tree Theatre across the street.

In 1972, R.G. Gregory founded the Word and Action theatre company in Dorset, England, intending to work exclusively in theatre-in-the-round. Gregory sought to develop a performance approach that would allow actors to fully utilize the format'ss potential for engaging with the audience both individually and collectively. All Word and Action productions were performed under normal lighting conditions and without the use of costumes or makeup.

Adaptations of theatre-in-the-round in television and live entertainment

The innovations of Margo Jones influenced Albert McCleery in the creation of his Cameo Theatre for television in 1950. Running until 1955, the series presented dramas against plain black backgrounds rather than traditional set walls. This approach allowed cameras, positioned in the surrounding darkness, to capture shots from any angle.

During the 1968 U.S. presidential campaign, Richard Nixon participated in nine live televised question-and-answer sessions that used a pioneering theatre-in-the-round format, adapted specifically for television audiences. This first use of the staging technique in political media was documented in The Selling of the President 1968 by Joe McGinniss. The sessions, titled "Man in the Arena" were produced by Roger Ailes, who later founded Fox News. Ailes'ss adaptation of the theatre-in-the-round format for political forums laid the groundwork for modern 'town hall' events and multi-candidate debates.

Elvis Presley's '68 Comeback Special television program featured a performance with the musicians seated on a raised stage using an in-the-round format. In the mid-1970s, tour manager Jim Halley introduced arena staging for the progressive rock band Yes, leading to a significant shift in the design of rock concerts and venue seating arrangements.

Power dynamics and audience engagement

The political implications of theatre-in-the-round were most deliberately explored by R.G. Gregory. He argued that the lit space of a proscenium arch resembled a seat of power, positioning the audience as passive observers. In contrast, traditional theatre design prioritizes sight lines to ensure that actors can engage all audience members simultaneously.

However, when actors are no longer framed by the proscenium arch, they are required to turn their backs to parts of the audience, losing exclusive control over the acting space. While every audience member can still see the actor, the actor can no longer maintain visual contact with the entire audience. As a result, for the performance to fully resonate, the audience must become active participants in shaping the meaning of the play.

Some, such as writer Mick Fealty, have drawn a strong analogy between Gregory's description of the fundamental dynamics of theatre-in-the-round and the network effect of Internet-based communication, contrasting it with traditional broadcast and marketing models.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

Theatre-in-the-round offers a heightened sense of intimacy and immersion, allowing audiences to feel closer to the action regardless of their seat location. This configuration encourages a shared experience between actors and viewers, breaking down the "fourth wall" and fostering direct engagement. Directors and designers often appreciate the format for its ability to eliminate barriers, enhance naturalism, and create dynamic blocking opportunities such as The Three Musketeers at the New Vic in Newcastle-under-Lyme illustrate how the format supports fast-paced storytelling with a panoramic sense of movement.

Disadvantages

Theatre-in-the-round also presents significant challenges. Scenic design must be minimal or carefully engineered to avoid obstructing sightlines, as audiences are seated on all sides. This restricts the use of traditional backdrops and large props, requiring innovative staging techniques. Actors must remain constantly aware of their positioning to avoid turning their backs to large segments of the audience, complicating both choreography and delivery. Additionally, lighting must be designed to avoid casting shadows or spotlighting only portions of the audience area, which can detract from visual consistency.

While the format is praised for musical performances and arena spectacles—such as Yes's Union tour, which leveraged 360-degree visibility—it can strain traditional dramatic storytelling or productions reliant on detailed scenic illusion. These complexities require directors and technical teams to adapt their methods, often resulting in longer rehearsal and planning periods.

Preserving the legacy

Theatre-in-the-round has significantly shaped modern performance practice. The following institutions, among others, actively preserve and provide access to archives that document the development, influence, and enduring legacy of this specific kind of theatre.

George Mason University – Arena Stage Archives

In Fairfax, Virginia, George Mason University houses the largest archive dedicated to Arena Stage, a pioneer in American theatre-in-the-round. This extensive collection spans over 50 years and includes photographs, production notebooks, scrapbooks, playbills, oral histories, and handwritten correspondence. Housed in the Fenwick Library, the archive occupies 260 cubic feet (7.4 m3) or 440 linear feet (130 m) of material, providing an invaluable resource for scholars and theatre practitioners.

University of Minnesota – Performing Arts Archives

Housed within the Elmer L. Andersen Library, the University of Minnesota'ss Performing Arts Archives offers a comprehensive record of the state's theatrical heritage. Established in 1971, the archive preserves materials from both professional and amateur organizations in theatre, music, and dance. Key collections include the Guthrie Theater, Children'ss Theatre Company, Theater Mu, and Theatre de la Jeune Lune. Of particular relevance to theatre-in-the-round are the 1,500 scenic backdrop renderings and design materials from Twin Cities Scenic Design Studios and the Holak Collection, which document staging formats and scenic experimentation.

Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research (WCFTR)

Located within the Wisconsin Historical Society in Madison, the WCFTR is one of the world'ss premier repositories for entertainment industry archives. It holds over 300 collections, including scripts, photographs, business records, and more than 20,000 film and television recordings. The archive emphasizes American film (1930–1960), popular theatre (1940s–1950s), and early television (1940s–1970s). While not exclusively focused on theatre-in-the-round, WCFTR'ss diverse holdings include materials relevant to arena staging and its influence on American performance traditions.

ArenaPAL Performing Arts Photo Library

Based in London and founded in 1997, ArenaPAL is a major digital archive for performing arts photography. The library holds over 10 million images, with 900,000 available online, and represents more than 350 collections from renowned photographers and institutions. Its holdings span theatre, opera, dance, and music, with significant visual documentation of theatre-in-the-round, arena staging, and central staging. ArenaPAL'ss broad visual coverage makes it an essential resource for researchers studying nontraditional stage configurations.

Notable examples

Australia

• La Boite Theatre Building, Brisbane (no longer used as a theatre)
• Roundhouse Theatre, Brisbane (replacing the La Boite Theatre Building)

Canada

• Globe Theatre, Regina, Saskatchewan
• Seton Auditorium, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia

France

• L'Européen, Paris
• Théâtre en Rond, Sassenage and Fresnes

Hong Kong

• Hong Kong Coliseum, Hung Hom Bay, Kowloon
• Theater in the Wild, Hong Kong Disneyland, Penny's Bay, Lantau Island

Japan

• The Enchanted Tiki Room: Stitch Presents Aloha e Komo Mai!, Tokyo Disney Resort, Urayasu, Chiba

Malta

• Saint James Cavalier Theatre, Valletta

Poland

• Theater Scena STU, Kraków

United Kingdom

Greater London

• @sohoplace, Soho
• The Playhouse Theatre, Westminster (after renovation to Kit Kat Club in 2021)
• Bridge Theatre, Southwark
• Cockpit Theatre, Marylebone
• Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond
• Pembroke Theatre, Croydon (closed 1962)

Greater Manchester

• Octagon Theatre, Bolton
• Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester

Elsewhere

• Crucible Theatre, Sheffield. Most famous for hosting the World Snooker Championships since 1977.
• Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham
• Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol
• The Castle Theatre, Wellingborough (can be in-the-round or normal theatre format)
• New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme
• The Round, Newcastle upon Tyne (closed 2008)
• Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
• The Dukes, Lancaster
• Everyman Theatre, Liverpool
• Pyramid Theatre, Leeds University Union, Leeds (formerly Raven Theatre)
• Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester

United States

Arizona

• NAU Theatre, Flagstaff, Arizona
• Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona
• Hale Centre Theatre, Gilbert, Arizona
• Theater Works, Peoria, Arizona http://theaterworks.org

California

• UC Davis Health Pavilion, Sacramento, California (Home of Broadway Sacramento's Broadway At Music Circus)
• The Rock Forum, Anaheim, California
• Glendale Centre Theatre, Glendale, California
• Marian Theatre, Santa Maria, California http://pcpa.org/
• Solvang Festival Theater, Solvang, California
• Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, California
  • Cassius Carter Centre Stage (demolished 2008)
  • Cheryl and Harvey White Theatre
• Circle Star Theater, San Carlos, California (torn down for office buildings)
• Riverside Community Players, Riverside, California (built in 1953)
• Valley Music Theater, Los Angeles, California (built 1963, demolished 2007)
• Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, Disneyland, Anaheim, California

Colorado

• The Space Theatre, Denver, Colorado

District of Columbia

• Arena Stage, Washington, D.C.

Florida

• Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room (previously Tropical Serenade), Adventureland, Magic Kingdom (Walt Disney World), Bay Lake, Florida
  • From 1998 to 2011, The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management) operated in this attraction's space.
• A Day in the Park with Barney (1995-2021), Woody Woodpecker's KidZone, Universal Studios Florida (Universal Orlando), Orlando, Florida
• Stitch's Great Escape!, Tomorrowland, Magic Kingdom (Walt Disney World), Bay Lake, Florida (operated from 2004 to 2018; space currently unused)
  • Preceding attractions include Flight to the Moon (1971–1975), Mission to Mars (1975–1993) and the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter (1994–2003).
• Festival of the Lion King, Disney's Animal Kingdom (Walt Disney World), Bay Lake, Florida

Illinois

• Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire, Illinois http://www.marriotttheatre.com/
• Mill Run Playhouse, Niles, Illinois (demolished 1984)
• Richmond Hill Theatre, Geneseo, Illinois http://www.rhplayers.com/
• Cornstock Theatre, Peoria, Illinois http://cornstocktheatre.com/

Indiana

• Wagon Wheel Theatre, Warsaw, Indiana

Iowa

• Flanagan Studio Theater, Grinnell, Iowa

Kansas

• Mark A. Chapman Theatre, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas

Maryland

• Toby'ss Dinner Theatre, Columbia, Maryland Colonial Players, Annapolis, Maryland
• Shady Grove Music Fair, Gaithersburg, Maryland (Demolished)
• Painters Mill Music Fair, Owings Mills, Maryland (Demolished 1991)

Massachusetts

• North Shore Music Theatre, Beverly, Massachusetts http://www.nsmt.org/
• Cape Cod Melody Tent, Hyannis, Massachusetts
• South Shore Music Circus, Cohasset, Massachusetts
• The Little Theatre, Newton
• Balch Arena Theater, Medford, Massachusetts

Minnesota

• Theatre in the Round Players, Minneapolis, Minnesota Theatre in the Round , Minneapolis, official web site
• Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Rarig Center Arena, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Arena Theater, Northfield, Minnesota (Built 1967, mothballed 2011)

Missouri

• Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Kansas City, Missouri

Nevada

• Le Rêve Theater inside Wynn Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada (opened 2005, closed 2020.)
• LOVE Theatre inside The Mirage, Las Vegas, Nevada

New Jersey

• Seton Hall Theatre in the Round, South Orange, New Jersey

New York

• August Wilson Theatre, New York City, New York (after renovation to Kit Kat Club in 2024)
• Circle Repertory Company, New York City, New York
• The Irish Classical Theatre in Buffalo, New York
• NYCB Theatre at Westbury, Westbury, New York
• Circle in the Square Theatre in New York City, New York (can also be configured as a thrust stage)
• Arena Theatre at University at Albany, SUNY in Albany, New York

North Carolina

• Paul Green Theatre, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Ohio

• The Front Row, Highland Heights, Ohio (Demolished 1994)
• Porthouse Theatre, Kent, Ohio

Oregon

• The Thomas Theater, Ashland, Oregon (one of the theaters used for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival)

Pennsylvania

• F. Otto Haas Stage, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Valley Forge Music Fair, Devon, Pennsylvania (demolished 1996)

South Carolina

• Longstreet Theatre, Columbia, South Carolina

Tennessee

• Ula Love Doughty Carousel Theatre, Knoxville, Tennessee

Texas

• Plaza Theatre Company, Cleburne, Texas
• Artisan Center Theater, Hurst
• Whisenhunt Stage, Austin, Texas
• Casa Mañana, Fort Worth, Texas (converted to thrust stage in 2003)
• Theatre '47, Dallas, Texas
• Mary Moody Northen Theatre, Austin, Texas
• Arena Theater, Houston, Texas

Utah

• Hale Centre Theatre, Sandy, Utah
• West Valley Performing Arts Center, West Valley City, Utah

Virginia

• The Barksdale Theater in Richmond, Virginia

Washington

• Glenn Hughes Penthouse Theatre, Seattle, Washington
• ACT Theatre, Seattle, Washington

Wisconsin

• Fireside Dinner Theater, Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin
• Melody Top Theatre, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1963–1986)

In popular culture

• In the novel The Prestige by Christopher Priest, the magician Rupert Angier courts controversy by writing that stage magic should be performed "in the round" rather than in theatres with a proscenium arch.
• The English progressive rock band Yes were the first rock-era group to perform in-the-round during their 1978–79 Tormato tour. The band also performed using a round, rotating stage during portions of their Drama and Union tours in 1980 and 1991, respectively.
• The second tour of the global country-pop superstar Shania Twain, the Up! Tour (2003/04), had a stage configuration in the style of in-the-round. The tour was one of the most successful tours of 2004, and served to promote the RIAA diamond certified album, Up! (2002).
• British rock band Def Leppard played in-the-round for several tours in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their 1989 live VHS release was entitled Live: In the Round, in Your Face. "In-the-round is an incredibly, insanely aerobic kind of thing..." remarked singer Joe Elliott, who gave up drinking on the Hysteria tour to cope with the physical demands. "You can't stand still; you've got to keep moving. The [other members of the band] had identical microphones on either side of the stage, so they could stand still for a little bit. I had to keep moving."
• To evoke a three-ring circus, American singer Britney Spears used an in-the-round setting for her 2009 The Circus Starring Britney Spears tour.
• Stand-up comedians have performed specials in-the-round, such as Dane Cook: Vicious Circle and Louis C.K.'s Oh My God.
• The Spice Girls used a circular, in-the-round stage for their Christmas in Spiceworld tour in 1999.
• U2's 360° Tour used a very large circular stage.
• The Dixie Chicks' Top of the World Tour used a circular stage, except in venues where it was an end stage.
• Metallica have used a rectangular, diamond or oval-shaped stage in the center of the arena, beginning with their 1991 Wherever We May Roam Tour. On different tours, they have included an area within the stage, called "the snake pit", where audience members can watch the show. Their 2012 European Black Album Tour used this format.
• In the musical The Producers Max Bialystock remarks that he invented "theater in the square".
• Roger Waters' 2022 This Is Not a Drill tour is performed in-the-round with a large cross-shaped stage. Hanging overhead is a cross-shaped video screen arrangement that matches the shape of the stage.
• For the 2024–2025 Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour by Billie Eilish, Eilish is performing on a large rectangular in-the-round stage.

References

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