The Circle in the Square Theatre company was founded in 1950 by Theodore Mann and Jose Quintero in a run-down Greenwich Village nightclub in New York City. Its distinctive name came from the fact that the building housing the organization was circular and located on 5 Sheridan Square. Mann remained the theatre’s artistic director until his retirement in 1996. During his tenure, Circle in the Square Theatre soared in popularity, presenting audiences with a vast number of unique and groundbreaking productions. We’ll delve deeper into its history and highlights on manhattan-trend.com.
The Early Years and Off-Broadway Movement
Mann and Quintero first met while touring with the Loft Players at the Maverick Theatre in Woodstock, New York. They decided to establish a year-round repertory company in the city, and their project ultimately became the epicentre of the national Off-Broadway theatre movement. By 1951, the founders were joined by Jason Wingreen, Eileen Kramer, Ed Mann, and Emily Stevens.
In 1972, Circle in the Square Theatre moved to its current home on 50th Street and Broadway, making it the first new Broadway theatre in 50 years. For a long time, the company offered America’s finest actors the chance to tackle challenging roles in an environment free from commercial pressures. Circle in the Square Theatre encouraged artists to make their own choices, meeting their desire to explore plays that went far beyond the popular repertoire. They committed to staging plays never before seen on Broadway, allowing the public to see complex material unavailable elsewhere.
After Circle in the Square Theatre ceased operations as a producing organization in 1998, it remained an integral part of Broadway, hosting productions that continued the tradition of excellence. In recent years, Circle in the Square Theatre has been home to the 2015 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, Fun Home, as well as Jez Butterworth’s The River starring Hugh Jackman, among others.
Breaking the Mold with Early Productions
The very first Circle in the Square Theatre production was the play Dark of the Moon by Howard Richardson and Richard Barnes in 1951. Tickets were sold for a mere $1.50 each. City authorities had zoned the Sheridan Square area for cabarets, so tables were placed around the stage and the audience was served punch and cookies to comply with cabaret laws. Other plays staged in that inaugural season included Jean Anouilh’s Antigone and Federico Lorca’s Yerma.
Unique and Groundbreaking Productions
In 1952, the theatre staged the long-neglected Tennessee Williams play Summer and Smoke, starring Geraldine Page, which had failed on Broadway a few years earlier. New York Times theatre critic Brooks Atkinson reviewed the premiere and wrote that audiences had not seen anything as fascinating as the new production at Circle in the Square Theatre in a long time. Significantly, Summer and Smoke became the theatre’s first hit, and the Off-Broadway movement took root.
Since the founding of Circle in the Square Theatre, Mann and Quintero had tirelessly lobbied Carlotta O’Neill for permission to produce one of her late husband’s plays. In 1956, their efforts paid off with a production of The Iceman Comet starring Jason Robards Jr. The growing reputation of Circle in the Square Theatre was cemented by this production, which had initially been unpopular on Broadway. This success earned the theatre numerous awards and restored Eugene O’Neill’s reputation as one of America’s greatest playwrights. Later that same year, the American premiere of Long Day’s Journey into Night, starring Fredric March, Florence Eldridge, and Jason Robards Jr., took place. The show won the Tony Award for Best Play. Over its lifetime, the Circle in the Square Theatre company staged almost all of Eugene O’Neill’s new works.
A New Phase of Development
In 1960, the company moved to a new venue at 159 Bleecker Street, which had previously housed the Amato Opera Company. The tricornered stage of the Bleecker Street Theatre allowed for comfortable seating, minimal scenery, and ensured the audience felt close to the action. This style, pioneered by Circle in the Square Theatre, later became standard in regional theatre. Around this time, Quintero left the company to pursue other projects. Mann remained the artistic director, a post he held until 1993. His collaboration with Paul Libin, a former director and producer at Circle, began in 1963 with the production of The Trojan Women.
Throughout the 1960s, Circle in the Square Theatre continued to flourish, reviving classic works like Othello and Iphigenia in Aulis. The company also introduced audiences to a range of experimental works, such as The Balcony and Brendan Behan’s The Hostage.
In the fall of 1972, Circle in the Square Theatre moved its base again, this time at the invitation of Mayor John Lindsay, to the 650-seat Joseph E. Levine Theatre, located on 50th Street and Broadway. The first production in the new venue was O’Neill’s play Mourning Becomes Electra.
Over its 70-year history, Circle in the Square Theatre has launched and revived the careers of countless playwrights, actors, and directors. Leading American actors have been given the opportunity to play challenging roles in a supportive atmosphere.
Launching the Theatre School
In 1961, Circle in the Square Theatre became home to the Circle in the Square Theatre School. It was founded with the goal of helping professional actors hone their craft. Artists who were actively performing on stage could enrol in six-week courses taught by producers and people associated with the theatre. The atmosphere was one where colleagues taught new colleagues.
In 1972, the Circle in the Square Theatre School moved uptown to its current location on 50th Street and changed its focus. Instead of offering short-term classes exclusively for professional actors, the school transitioned into a conservatory, now accepting aspiring actors who wished to learn the art of theatre. The Professional Theatre Workshop, a full-time training program, was initially developed to prepare groups of actors for Circle in the Square Theatre productions. This two-year workshop aimed to combine a university and eclectic style with a rigorous curriculum. Additionally, the school established summer workshops offering training similar to the full-time program but in a more condensed format, initially seven weeks.
In 1996, the school introduced a musical theatre program. The Professional Musical Theatre Workshop provided intensive acting training but added components specific to musical theatre performers. At the time of its founding, the Circle in the Square Theatre School had only 15 students. Today, the school welcomes around 150 students each year across various programs, all coming here to sharpen their skills and become great, successful actors.
