In the early 1950s, audiences in the Twin Cities could attend touring shows, academic theaters, and shows by four theatre companies: the Old Log Theatre in Excelsior; the Edyth Bush Little Theatre and the Group Theatre in St. Paul; and the Circle Theatre, which performed in the Calhoun Beach Hotel in Minneapolis.

When the Circle Theatre closed for financial reasons, seven of its members set out toward a new goal — a theatre supported by its members. They persuaded 50 of their friends to pay $10 each for memberships that included a season ticket to three performances. They incorporated in October, 1952 and engaged artistic director Frederick Hilgendorf for the new community theatre.

On January 15, 1953, Theatre in the Round Players made its debut with “Life with Father”, performing at the YWCA at 12th and Nicollet in downtown Minneapolis. The theatre’s second “home” was a brief foray into an old loft building on lower Hennepin Avenue in 1961. The theatre became established, seasons grew, and the company’s skills were honed.