Mark Taper Forum, Circular theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, United States.
The Mark Taper Forum is a theatre building in downtown Los Angeles situated within a larger cultural complex. The stage sits in the center of the house surrounded by 739 seats arranged in concentric rows that wrap around it.
The venue opened in 1967 from designs by architect Welton Becket as part of a cultural complex and marked the beginning of modern theatre architecture in the city. Over the following decades it helped shape contemporary drama across the west coast.
The Taper's name honors real estate developer Mark Taper, and its auditorium was renamed the Amelia Taper Auditorium after a $2 million gift from the S. Mark Taper Foundation. The theater has earned 5 Tony Awards and hosted world premieres such as Zoot Suit (1978) and Angels in America (1992).
It is best to arrive early since the circular seating arrangement makes any movement during the show noticeable to others. The building is a short walk from a metro station which makes it accessible without a car.
The exterior is wrapped in a lacy precast relief by Jacques Overhoff, and the lobby holds a curving abalone wall by Tony Duquette. The building resembles the Carousel Theatre at Disneyland, also designed by Welton Becket and Associates in 1967.
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