Theatre-in-the-round

Theatre-in-the-round, also known as arena theatre or central staging, is a theatrical stage configuration in which the audience surrounds the performance area on all sides.

Historically rooted in ancient Greece and Rome performance practices, the format was reintroduced and popularized in the mid-20th century through pioneering venues like the Glenn Hughes Penthouse Theatre in Seattle, Washington. It opened on May 19, 1940, with a production of Spring Dance, a comedy by playwright Philip Barry. The 160-seat theatre is located on the campus of the University of Washington and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1947, Margo Jones founded America's first professional theatre-in-the-round company wit the opening of Theater '47 in Dallas. Her stage design approach was later adopted by directors for productions such as Fun Home, the original stage production of Man of La Mancha, and all plays staged at the ANTA Washington Square Theatre (which was demolished in the 1960s), including Arthur Miller's autobiographical After the Fall. While similar theatres existed on college campuses, they had not been established in professional theatre settings before this.

Theatre-in-the-round is particularly well-suited for staging dramas that utilize Bertolt Brecht's alienation effect, which contrasts with the more traditional Stanislavski technique. This stage configuration allows parts of the audience to be lit, reinforcing the idea that they are part of a shared theatrical experience, which allows alienation methods like exposing lighting fixtures and other technical elements to be used in drama.

Beyond traditional theatre, theatre-in-the-round has been adapted in television (e.g., Cameo Theatre, Nixon's 'Man in the Arena' sessions), music concerts (such as the band Yes), and even campaign events, offering 360-degree visual access and fostering a communal experience. Critics and scholars have also drawn connections between this format and modern networked communication, emphasizing its democratic and decentralized structure.

Preservation of this legacy continues in archival institutions including George Mason University, the University of Bristol Theatre Collection, the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research, and ArenaPAL, which collectively house photographs, production notes, and oral histories documenting theatre-in-the-round’s global impact.