Question about The Circle In The Square Theatre configuration
Question about The Circle In The Square Theatre configuration
winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#1Question about The Circle In The Square Theatre configuration
Posted: 1/19/10 at 4:40pm
I was just wondering something about the stage/seating setup for The Circle In The Square.
The first show I saw there was Spelling Bee, and the stage was setup as a thrust. I then saw The Norman Conquest's Table Manners there and of course, as we all know, that was set up in the round.
Now, I had just gotten done watching the video interviews of the first rehearsal for The Miracle Worker and in that video they show a drawing of the set up of the stage. It is an oval shaped stage, with the audience area also in that same shape.
Now, I was wondering, is it common for a Broadway theatre to change its stage this much? I feel like it is the theatrical version of Madison Square Garden, changing the floor for whatever show is playing there.
#2Question about The Circle In The Square Theatre configuration
Posted: 1/19/10 at 4:42pmNo, it's not that common.
Yankeefan007
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/20/04
#2Question about The Circle In The Square Theatre configuration
Posted: 1/19/10 at 4:44pmThat's the beauty of a space that's in the round.
Scott Briefer
Broadway Star Joined: 5/3/04
#3Question about The Circle In The Square Theatre configuration
Posted: 1/19/10 at 5:07pm
Most Broadway theaters are proscenium and by the nature of the architecture not very flexible. In the past, there have been a few amazing exceptions including the critically acclaimed, Candide (Broadway theater) and cult disaster, Dude (also Broadway theater). In both cases the theater was gutted and renovated to accommodate the directors and designers unique visions for staging. There are some less dramatic examples where Broadway theater added seating on the stage in essence making the stage configurations "in the round".
Circle in the Square is a unique theater situation as it was designed to be more flexible. Most of the shows staged there conform to their basic tongue thrust configuration, but they have often added seats "on stage" making for an in the round configuration. Spelling Bee required such a small playing area that they were able to use most of the thrust for seating creating yet another configuration.
Unfortunately, the large theaters clustered around Broadway are mostly fixed prosceniums, and so it's hard for producers to truly consider alternate theater configurations, but it does happen.
Videos