At ICHTHYS, we SURROUND you
Surround theatre is a style of dramatic presentation that seeks to maximize audience involvement
and interaction with the actors and the action. Entrances and exits are made from the rear,
sides and front of the auditorium, and much of the action takes place in the wide centre aisle.
Centre stage becomes an eight foot diameter circle in the middle of the audience. The “front row”
of the audience moves with the action. Actors can talk to and touch members of the audience and
vice versa. This is particularly exciting and involving for children. A thrust stage is also
used for when the action calls for a set location and a backdrop. The stage thrusts out into the
audience and has several height levels. There is no curtain to shut the audience out, and thus
there is a bare minimum of set pieces or furniture used; the focus is on the characters and their
words and actions. Taking a play out of the picture frame of a traditional stage and into the
audience, creates more excitement and satisfaction for both audience and actors.
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