Theatre in the Round
Theatre in the Round was a short-lived theater company which staged productions in the 2nd floor ballroom of the Redmont Hotel during the Spring of 1951. The producers were Peggy Lippe and Allen Draper. Peter Boyne directed the troupe, which performed in a central area, surrounded by the audience.
The company debuted on January 29 and featured visiting celebrities in starring roles, including Veronica Lake and Carl Betz, who starred in a production of "The Voice of the Turtle". Boyne observed that local audiences were tempted by the unconventional staging to try to interact with the players, such as by offering to light an actress' cigarette. The first week of March brought a production of Phillip Barry's "Holiday" with Marjorie Reynolds.
The expense of bringing in celebrity performers for such an intimate venue necessitated an unusually-high ticket price of $3.00, but did not attract large audiences. After losing $10,000 in nine weeks, the company folded, giving its final performance on April 2.
References
- Haarbauer, Donald Ward (1973) A critical history of the non-academic theatre in Birmingham, Alabama. PhD dissertation. University of Wisconsin.