Round House Theatre

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Round House Theatre in Bethesda, Maryland is one of the region’s leading regional theatres producing six shows a season including ambitious original work, modern classics and musicals.

Originally named “Street ‘70’”, the company was established as a performance-based educational outreach program for the Montgomery County Department of Recreation. In 1993, the institution was incorporated as a non-profit and renamed Round House Theatre after their circular premises. Now, the company has a new space to accommodate their ambitious outreach program that is bigger than ever.

A round seating around circling a white stage with wavelike installation. — © Anice Hoachlander / Hoachlander Davis Photography

Charcoalblue led the design of the theatre to help the company make their space work harder for them and better reflect their creative ambitions and sensibilities. This included making the space more intimate by removing excess volume and bringing the audience closer to the stage. We have brought the average seat 5 to 6 feet closer to the stage and reduced the distance from the stage to the furthest seat by an incredible 8 feet, creating a much more intimate performance space.

Charcoalblue provided a comprehensive lead service that allowed our Theatre Consultancy team full control of the performance brief. Our integrated acoustics team developed a scheme to improve the natural acoustic quality – a driving force behind the space’s overall form. Further alterations included a flexible trapped seating system and renovations to the back of house support spaces, lobby spaces, and a new Event Room which will allow more flexibility in Event and Gala programming.

The theatre renovation was delivered in just 9 months on site, minimizing downtime in the performance calendar and ensuring the theatre can deliver quickly the important artistic programming to the local community it serves.