The Introduction outlines the geographical scope of Maurice E. Bandmann’s theatrical circuit and the theoretical and methodological approach of the book. The first section provides a detailed discussion of two approaches to network theory: historical network analysis and actor-network theory (ANT), which is associated with Bruno Latour. A second section discusses the term ‘first age of globalization’, meaning here the period of 1870 to 1914 and how it is relevant to theatre history, in particular the study of itinerant theatre.