Circle X Theatre
An American not-for-profit ensemble theatre company based in Hollywood, California.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Circle X Theatre is a not-for-profit ensemble theatre company based in Hollywood, California. Founded in 1996 by seven artists, the organization developed within Los Angeles’s small-theatre ecosystem and built its identity around producing adventurous, contemporary, and classically informed work rather than operating as a commercial touring brand. It is organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and has relied substantially on volunteer participation. The company’s repertory has included new plays, adaptations, modern classics, Shakespeare, experimental theatre, and works by emerging or independent writers. Its documented productions include Jeff Goode’s The Eight, Anthony Clarvoe’s Show and Tell, Paul Mullin’s Louis Slotin Sonata, Bertolt Brecht’s Edward II, John Gardner’s Grendel in an adaptation by Paul Mullin, Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice, Will Eno’s The Flu Season, and Jim Leonard’s Battle Hymn. This range reflects a programming model that combines literary material with unconventional theatrical forms and locally developed performance work. Circle X has operated within the Los Angeles 99-Seat Equity Waiver theatre community. That network historically allowed participating theatres to engage Actors’ Equity Association members under special low-budget arrangements rather than standard union wage structures. Circle X has produced at Atwater Village Theatre, alongside organizations including Ensemble Studio Theatre-LA. Its work has been described by critics as original, imaginative, and consistently strong, indicating a reputation centered on artistic quality and ensemble-driven programming rather than scale or commercial reach. The company’s production record shows sustained activity from the mid-1990s through at least the 2008–2009 season, with multiple productions in many seasons. Its documented output includes both full-length plays and collective or site-specific projects, such as 365 Days/365 Plays: Week 19 and At Play in the Valley of the Shadow of Chet. The repertory also demonstrates an interest in theatrical reinterpretation, including adaptations of The Brothers Karamazov and Grendel, as well as productions of Shakespeare and Aphra Behn. Jen Kays is identified as Circle X’s current artistic director in the available reference material. The company’s public profile is primarily regional: it is a Los Angeles theatre institution rather than a nationally distributed entertainment business. No reliable information in the supplied sources establishes a current website, revenue figure, corporate parent, public listing, or broader international operation.
History
Circle X Theatre was established in 1996 by seven artists in Los Angeles. From its beginning, the company appears to have functioned as an ensemble-based nonprofit rather than as a conventional commercial producer. Its early repertory included Jeff Goode’s The Eight, presented in 1996 and again in 1997, and Scott Organ’s City*. These early productions established a pattern of combining new or less frequently produced work with distinctive directorial and ensemble approaches. During the late 1990s, Circle X expanded its programming across a mixture of contemporary drama, historical material, comedy, and classical adaptation. The 1998 season included Louis Broome’s Texarkana Waltz, Aphra Behn’s The Rover, and Glen Berger’s Great Men of Science Nos. 21 & 22. In 1999, the company presented Paul Mullin’s Louis Slotin Sonata, Suzanne Maynard’s Beatrice, Anthony Clarvoe’s Show and Tell, and Alexander Woo’s In the Sherman Family Wax Museum. These seasons indicate a sustained commitment to playwright-centered work and to material outside the standard commercial repertory. The company continued this approach in 2000 and 2001. Its productions included The Veil Plays by Karen Hartman, In Flagrante Gothicto, Fathers & Sons, Dan Dietz’s Dirigible, Grendel, Schadenfreude, and Edward II. The repertory moved between adaptations, new plays, historical subjects, and formally unusual projects. In 2002, Circle X presented Laura Comstock’s Bag-Punching Dog, An American Book of the Dead – The Game Show, and ElectroPuss. The 2003 production Marley’s Ghost and the varied 2004 program further illustrated the organization’s interest in hybrid, comic, experimental, and literary forms. The 2004 season included Shakespeare’s King Henry IV Part 1, produced in association with Shakespeare Festival Los Angeles, as well as Sperm, You Are Here, At Play in the Valley of the Shadow of Chet, and Married But Solo. In 2005–2006, the company produced The Brothers Karamazov in an adaptation by Anthony Clarvoe and The Bigger Man. The following season included Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice and a presentation connected with Suzan-Lori Parks’s 365 Days/365 Plays project. Circle X’s later documented seasons included Will Eno’s The Flu Season and Jeff Goode’s Love Loves a Pornographer in 2007–2008, followed by Jim Leonard’s Battle Hymn in 2008–2009. Across its documented history, the company produced at least 27 plays in the Los Angeles area. Its work has been favorably characterized by critics as original, imaginative, and consistently strong. Institutionally, Circle X is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit staffed by volunteers. It belongs to the Los Angeles 99-Seat Equity Waiver theatre community, a network of small theatres that can employ Actors’ Equity Association members under a special waiver framework rather than standard union wage arrangements. Circle X has produced at Atwater Village Theatre, sharing that venue environment with organizations such as Ensemble Studio Theatre-LA. Jen Kays is identified in the available reference material as the company’s artistic director. The supplied sources do not establish a later production chronology, current venue schedule, operating budget, or confirmed website.
- 2008
Battle Hymn
[1]Circle X produces Jim Leonard’s Battle Hymn during the 2008–2009 season.
- 2006
Eurydice and 365 Days/365 Plays
[1]The 2006–2007 programming includes Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice and Week 19 of Suzan-Lori Parks’s 365 Days/365 Plays.
- 2005
The Brothers Karamazov adaptation
[1]The company stages Anthony Clarvoe’s adaptation of The Brothers Karamazov.
- 2004
Shakespeare Festival Los Angeles association
[1]Circle X presents King Henry IV Part 1 in association with Shakespeare Festival Los Angeles.
- 2001
Broad experimental and classical program
[1]The documented 2001 season includes Dirigible, Grendel, Schadenfreude, and Edward II.
- 1999
Louis Slotin Sonata production
[1]Circle X produces Paul Mullin’s Louis Slotin Sonata, alongside Beatrice, Show and Tell, and In the Sherman Family Wax Museum.
- 1998
Expansion of repertory programming
[1]The company stages Texarkana Waltz, The Rover, and Great Men of Science Nos. 21 & 22.
- 1996
Circle X Theatre is founded
[1]Seven artists establish the nonprofit ensemble theatre company in Los Angeles.
- 1996
First documented production
[1]Circle X presents Jeff Goode’s The Eight, directed by John Lovick.
Products and positioning
A volunteer-supported Los Angeles ensemble theatre company positioned around imaginative, original, artist-led productions spanning new writing, adaptations, classical works, and experimental performance.
Stage production · 1996
The Eight
Jeff Goode’s The Eight was part of Circle X Theatre’s earliest documented repertory. The company presented it in 1996 under John Lovick and returned to the work in 1997 under Richard Augustine. Its repeated appearance suggests that the play was an important early vehicle for the ensemble and exemplifies Circle X’s interest in distinctive contemporary material.
New play · 1999
Louis Slotin Sonata
Written by Paul Mullin, Louis Slotin Sonata was produced by Circle X in 1999 and directed by Jim Anzide. It formed part of a late-1990s program that mixed contemporary American writing with adaptations and less conventional dramatic subjects.
Contemporary drama · 2006
Eurydice
Circle X presented Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice during the 2006–2007 season, directed by John Langs. The production represents the company’s engagement with contemporary playwrights and myth-based theatrical storytelling.
Contemporary drama · 2007
The Flu Season
Will Eno’s The Flu Season was included in Circle X’s 2007–2008 season and directed by Jonathan Westerberg. Its inclusion reflects the company’s continuing focus on contemporary, stylistically unconventional drama.
New play · 2008
Battle Hymn
Jim Leonard’s Battle Hymn was produced during Circle X’s 2008–2009 season under the direction of John Langs. It is the latest production listed in the supplied production history.
Sources1 sources
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