industry was still relatively obscure and was not covered by mainstream newspapers. Mann, Quintero, and all actors were paid a flat salary of $20 per week. The Circle became more popular after theatrical critic Brooks Atkinson praised the Circle's production of Williams's Summer and Smoke in 1952. Mann said Atkinson's review prompted guests to line up for tickets during July, at a time when theaters traditionally closed in the summer due to a lack of air conditioning. Quintero directed some of the theater's most popular early productions, including The Grass Harp, American Gothic, and O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh and Long Day's Journey into Night. Notwithstanding the success of Summer and Smoke, the theater lost money during its first several years. City officials closed the 5 Sheridan Square location in March 1954 because the venue did not comply with fire-safety regulations and because the space was only licensed as a cabaret. At the time, the Circle was described as one of the "most popular Off-Broadway theaters". During the 1954-1955 season, the Circle temporarily relocated to Broadway houses such as the 48th Street Theatre and the 46th Street Theatre. After Mann filed plans to renovate the theater in April 1955, city officials approved the theater's reopening. When the venue reopened on June 1, 1955, it was rebranded as the Circle in the Square Cabaret. It continued to host popular theatrical performances, such as Cradle Song, Children of Darkness, and Our Town. In July 1959, Mann, Quintero, and Leigh Connell announced that they had to relocate by that October because the building's owner was planning to redevelop the site. At the time of the announcement, the Circle had presented 18 shows, mostly revivals of plays, at 5 Sheridan Square. The old location remained open until January 8, 1960, and the inn was demolished the same year. 159 Bleecker Street At the end of August 1959, Mann, Quintero, and Connell leased space at 159 Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, which at the time was occupied by the Amato Opera Company. The structure had been constructed in 1917 and had been used for various purposes over the years, including a movie theater. Starting in October 1959, the group rebuilt the space as a circle-in-the-round theater, similar in arrangement to the original location. To comply with Off-Broadway regulations, the theater had 199 seats. Unlike the Sheridan Square location, the Bleecker Street theater had adequate space for