The Playhouse Theatre

Duane's take

Now, I'm tellin' this one straight from the official marker — here's what it says about The Playhouse Theatre. Picture Houston, 1950. A stage manager named Joanna Albus and an attorney by the name of William Rozan put their heads together and dreamed up something this country had barely seen before.

They built a theatre at 4816 Main Street — not just any theatre, but one specifically constructed for what they called theatre in the round. The idea being that the audience doesn't sit in rows staring at a flat stage far away. No.

They surround the players. The actors are right there in the middle, and the crowd wraps around them on all sides. That's the whole concept, and it was radical enough in 1950 that this place was one of the first in the entire country built expressly for it.

Architect Benjamin Greenwood drew up something genuinely singular — a circular space, three hundred seats arranged around a twenty-two foot circular stage, and that stage had a revolving mechanism built right into it. Think about that for a moment. The stage itself could turn.

Albus and Rozan weren't just the dreamers here, either. They were producers, managing directors, and they led the investment group that made it all possible. Their plan was ambitious: operate year-round, let the run of each show stretch or shrink according to how the public responded.

Six evening performances a week, matinees on Saturday and Sunday, and on free evenings — lectures, musicals, dance events. They meant to keep those doors swinging. The Playhouse opened on February 21, 1951, with a performance of the comedy Candlelight.

And for the next three years, the company turned out what folks recognized as high-quality productions. In 1953, distinguished American playwright and director Tennessee Williams himself came through — and directed Donald Windham's The Starless Air right there on that revolving stage. The reviews were good.

But good reviews, as any producer will tell you, don't pay the overhead. High overhead began eating into the profits, and by 1954, Albus and Rozan had no choice but to close the theatre. The story didn't end there, though.

Several later owners kept the place alive — sometimes as a live performance venue, sometimes as a movie house — all the way until 2004, when the National African American Museum was opened inside that same space. And the ripple from what Albus and Rozan built at 4816 Main Street? It earned international recognition and sparked an evolution of arena-type venues and other theatres across Houston, some of which still exist today.

One building, one circular stage with a mechanism that could turn — and it set something in motion that hasn't stopped yet.

What the marker says

The Playhouse Theatre, built in 1950 at 4816 Main Street, was the brainchild of stage manager Joanna Albus and attorney William Rozan. It was one of the first theatres in the country specifically constructed for “theatre in the round,” a concept that enables the audience to surround the players, who perform on a central stage. Architect Benjamin Greenwood’s unique design featured a circular space with 300 seats situated around a twenty-two foot circular stage with a revolving mechanism. Albus and Rozan were producers and managing directors, and also headed the investment group. The duo planned to operate the theatre year-round with performance runs tailored to public response. Performances included six weekly evening shows and matinees on Saturday and Sunday. Other uses included lectures, musicals and dance events on free evenings. The playhouse opened on February 21, 1951 with a performance of the comedy Candlelight. For the next three years, the company continued to turn out high quality productions. Distinguished American playwright and director Tennessee Williams directed Donald Windham’s The Starless Air in 1953. Despite good reviews, high overhead began to eat into profits, forcing Albus and Rozan to close the theatre in 1954. Several later owners kept it open as either a live performance venue or a movie house until 2004, when the National African American Museum was opened inside the space. The playhouse earned international recognition and sparked an evolution of arena-type venues and other theatres in Houston, some of which still exist today.