The name for the Ring grew out of the company's first in-the-round performance, which placed the audience in a "ring" around the stage. The current building was designed by Robert M. Little and Marion M. Manley and constructed started in 1951 with completion in 1953."Ring Around the Stage." Popular Mechanics, December 1953, pp. 106-107. Its unusual circular design and first-of-its-kind, flexible seating arrangement drew national attention in the world of theater. The main building has a roof constructed of poured concrete that is held in place by a large 3 inch wide steel ban like the ban placed old wagon wheels in the 1800s and heated then shrunk. The Ring Theater was designed and built to withstand hurricanes with winds up to 250-mph.
