Inside the Circle: How Just In Time Transforms Broadway Seating Into a Front-Row Experience

The Bobby Darin biomusical Just In Time has been electrifying Broadway audiences, in large part due to its immersive staging, which includes cabaret-style seating for select audience members and a theater-in-the-round configuration. The Broadway Show correspondent Perry Sook spoke to the Circle in the Square Theatre's General Manager Cheryl Dennis and Associate House Manager Gracie Wilkins about working in one of Broadway's most unique theatrical spaces. 

Dennis first began working at the Circle in the Square in 2000, during which a revival of Sam Shepard's True West was being staged. “That was the first time I saw a play inform the theater around it,” she says. "That's what I love so much about this space. No two shows are the same, no two seating configurations are the same, and each show interacts with the audience a little bit differently.”

The nature of working in the space, particularly with the proximity between audience and performer that Just In Time offers, can prove tricky. “I feel like a flight attendant sometimes, just making sure that everyone stays safe and their arms and legs are there," says Wilkins.

Those who are seated near the performers have a specific set of rules to abide by to make sure things go smoothly. “When they buy the ticket, they’re emailed a list of rules, the parameters. This is what you can do, this is what you’re going to be asked to do, this is the checklist," explains Dennis. “Once they’re seated, either a manager or the usher will seat them and do a full reminder of the rules."

It may be one of the more intensive set-up processes for a Broadway production team, but Wilkins says it's worth it when she sees how audiences respond to the material. “I love the flip of the switch; it boosts people’s mood and brings them into a better light.”

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