Theatre in the round

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Theatre "In The Round" or arena theatre is any theatre space in which the audience is seated on all sides of the stage. In an arena theatre, there is an audience on every side of the performers; in effect there are four fourth walls. The stage itself in this arrangement is typically round, square, or triangular, with actors entering and exiting through the audience from different directions or from below the stage. Such a space is usually configured with the stage on an even level with or lowered below the audience in a "pit" or "arena" formation. This configuration lends itself to high-energy productions, and is especially favored by producers of classical theatre. Theatre in the round was common in ancient theatre, particularly that of Greece and Rome, but was not widely explored again until the latter half of the 20th century; it has continued as a creative alternative to the more common Proscenium format.

Theatre in the round presents problems since actors at all times have their back facing some members of the audience. However, it also allows for interesting and realistic staging. The configuration is also commonly employed when theatrical performances are presented in non-traditional spaces such as restaurants, public areas such as fairs or festivals, or street theatre. Special consideration needs to be taken in regard to the set design, so as not to obscure any audience member's view of the performance.

There are only three theatre buildings in the United States that were built as "in the round" houses. The first is the Penthouse Theatre, located at the University of Washington in Seattle which opened in 1940. The second is the Ula Love Doughty Carousel Theatre, located at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. The third is the Westbury Music Fair now called the North Fork Theater at Westbury, New York which opened in a tent in 1956 and than nearly ten years later was replaced with a year round fully enclosed theater. This 3000 seat venue has a revolving stage as to not obscure any audience members view and any spectators in the last row are only 60 feet away from the stage. Many studio theatres, which often have easily-modifiable seating areas, are configurable into an in-the-round format.

see also: thrust stage, arena