One common element of a temple and a theatre are people, called the faithful and the audience, respectively. However, the purpose and circumstances that attract them to these buildings differ. They are undoubtedly public buildings that used to be termed monumental architecture. The space used for such gatherings also has common features, of which visi-bility and audibility are fundamental, but are implemented by architects in different ways. The impact of these spaces on those convened in them is essential. In temples, this impact should highlight their religious element, while in theatres it should underscore their utilitari-anism and the experience of a stage drama. A comparison of selected theatres and temples showed essential forms of auditoria and linkages between the buildings’ interiors and exte-riors used to build the elements of the sacred and the profane. The Church in Bieńczyce, the Chapel of Notre-Dame du Liban and the Orthodox Church in Biały Bór, as well as the Festival Theatre in Bayreuth and the Teatro Popular in Niterói were the cases selected for analysis, discussion and comparison.