theater-in-the-round
noun
the·ater-in-the-round
ˈthē-ə-tər-in-ṯẖə-ˈrau̇nd 
plural theaters-in-the-round
1
: a theater in which the stage is located in the center of the auditorium
called also arena theater
2
: the style or method of staging plays in a theater-in-the-round
Examples of theater-in-the-round in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The restaurant treats dining as theater—guests are seated theater-in-the-round style around the chefs, who work under overhead lighting that acts like a spotlight.
—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
30 Oct. 2025
Catch a theater-in-the-round performance or—for seats less exposed to the weather—try its companion venue, the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.
—
Anna Kim,
Robb Report,
6 Aug. 2024
The main theater, Princess Arena, is a new concept that’s adaptable to different stage styles including theater-in-the-round.
—
Fran Golden,
Travel + Leisure,
27 July 2024
Scutt has reimagined the 1,250-seat August Wilson Theatre as an intimate club—warrens of labyrinthine new corridors and passageways, three new bars, and an auditorium reinvented as a theater-in-the-round.
—
Adrienne Miller,
Vogue,
5 Mar. 2024
Steppenwolf was spending more than $54 million on its new theater-in-the-round, a 50,000-square-foot expansion including classroom and rehearsal spaces.
—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Aug. 2023
The Mcity test car carries lidar (a laser range finder) both for a theater-in-the-round view (provided by the rotating roof tower) and for a look-ahead focus.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
20 Nov. 2019
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Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
30 Oct. 2025
Catch a theater-in-the-round performance or—for seats less exposed to the weather—try its companion venue, the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.
—
Anna Kim,
Robb Report,
6 Aug. 2024
The main theater, Princess Arena, is a new concept that’s adaptable to different stage styles including theater-in-the-round.
—
Fran Golden,
Travel + Leisure,
27 July 2024
Scutt has reimagined the 1,250-seat August Wilson Theatre as an intimate club—warrens of labyrinthine new corridors and passageways, three new bars, and an auditorium reinvented as a theater-in-the-round.
—
Adrienne Miller,
Vogue,
5 Mar. 2024
Steppenwolf was spending more than $54 million on its new theater-in-the-round, a 50,000-square-foot expansion including classroom and rehearsal spaces.
—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Aug. 2023
The Mcity test car carries lidar (a laser range finder) both for a theater-in-the-round view (provided by the rotating roof tower) and for a look-ahead focus.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
20 Nov. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Theater-in-the-round.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theater-in-the-round. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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