Theatre-in-the-round is a way of staging a play where the audience sits all the way around the acting area, in a circle or a square, instead of all sitting on one side looking at a picture-frame stage. The actors are in the middle, with people on every side of them.

Theatre-in-the-round is Theatre-in-the-round 是 staging a play演一齣戲的 a way一種方式: the audience觀眾 around the acting area繞著表演區 all the way一整圈 sits坐下, in a circle or a square圍成圓形或方形, instead of而不是 all sitting on one side全部坐在同一邊, looking at a picture-frame stage看著一個鏡框式舞台。 The actors演員 are in the middle在正中間, with people on every side of them四面八方都是人。

This changes a lot for everyone. There is no big painted background, because a wall on one side would block half the audience, so the set is usually just furniture and props. The actors have to keep turning and moving so that no group of watchers stares at their back for too long. And the front row is very close, sometimes close enough to touch the actors, which makes the whole thing feel more intimate and a little more risky than a normal show.

This這一點 for everyone對每個人來說 changes a lot改變了很多事。 There is no沒有 big painted background大幅彩繪的背景, because因為 a wall on one side一面牆立在任何一邊 would block都會擋住 half the audience一半的觀眾, so所以 the set佈景 usually通常 is just furniture and props只有家具和道具。 The actors演員 have to keep turning and moving得不停轉身、移動, so that才不會 no group of watchers讓任何一區的觀眾 stares at their back盯著他們的背 for too long盯太久。 And而且 the front row第一排 is very close非常近, sometimes close enough有時近到 to touch the actors摸得到演員, which makes the whole thing feel這讓整場演出感覺起來 than a normal show比一般的演出 more intimate更親密, and a little more risky也更冒險一點。

The word is used both for the method and for the building: you can say a play was performed in the round, or that a city has a theatre-in-the-round. In fact the short phrase 'in the round' is what people say most often — 'they staged Hamlet in the round'.

The word這個詞 both for the method and for the building方法和建築物兩種都能指 is used用: you can say你可以說 a play一齣戲 was performed in the round是 in the round 演出的, or that a city has或說一座城市有 a theatre-in-the-round一座這樣的劇場。 In fact其實 the short phrase 'in the round' 短短的 'in the round', is what people say most often才是大家最常說的 — 'they staged Hamlet in the round' 他們把哈姆雷特搬上四面台演。

British English writes theatre; American English writes theater-in-the-round. Note the hyphens, which hold the whole phrase together as one noun.

British English英式英文 writes寫 theatre; American English美式英文 writes寫 theater-in-the-round。 Note注意 the hyphens那些連字號, which它們 the whole phrase把整個片語 as one noun當成一個名詞 hold together綁在一起。