Volkstheater (People's Theatre) of Worms  was designed by Otto March. Its origins go back to 1883 when, as part of the local Luther Festival, a play was performed in a large room, since there was no proper theatre available in the city. One of the managers was Friedrich Schoen, a friend of Wagner's, who at once saw the relevance of it, and suggested embodying the same principles in a permanent building. A People's Theatre it really was, since it was paid for by public subscription, and there was nothing quite like it in Europe. March made the main body, the auditorium, circular, following the model of circuses. In section it was like a centralized church, with low 'aisles' surrounding a high clerestoryed 'nave' crowned by a dome. The foyers were at one end, the stage accommodation at the other. The stage itself projected into the audience. Seating was arranged in a fan shape, as at Bayreuth. Boxes were practically dispensed with, and round the upper level ran a gallery, or promenade, opening on to the central space through wide arches—a feature characteristic of variety theatres. There was a large skylight in the dome, so that it could be used by day. Fire-conscious critics were pleased to note that 'in an experimental trial the auditorium was emptied of 1,400 children in forty seconds'. The facade was made Romanesque, presumably to harmonize with the cathedral nearby.

In: Tidworth, Simon : Theatres: An Illustrated History. London 1973 p. 176

Avtor: Simon Tidworth