Repertory in New York

The magic word in American theater is repertory—the performance of plays in rotation by a resident company, mostly classical plays and preferably in the company’s own playhouse. The idea of repertory is in the air, plumped for by the Ford and Rockefeller foundations as necessities in an affluent society, and promoted by such practical demonstrations of it as the Tyrone Guthrie theater in Minneapolis, the Seattle Repertory theater, the San Francisco Actors’ Workshop, the Arena theater of Washington, and the touring company -—now resident in New York—called the APA (Association of Performing Artists).

In Europe, east and west, repertory is a commonplace, both in the centers and the provinces, but until a few years ago it was virtually unheard of in the United States. Even New York, the traditional pace-setter, drew a blank. And, in a certain sense, still valid, New York did not need repertory. Broadway, accustomed to demanding the best, always tried to staff each production with the leading talent available. In repertory you use the same actors in all the shows, playing different parts. They do the best they can. It does not follow that they are the best for every show they do.

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Nathan Cohen

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The magic word in American theater is repertory—the performance of plays in rotation by a resident company, mostly classical plays and preferably in the company’s own playhouse. The idea of repertory is in the air, plumped for by the Ford and Rockefeller foundations as necessities in an affluent society, and promoted by such practical demonstrations of it as the Tyrone Guthrie theater in Minneapolis, the Seattle Repertory theater, the San Francisco Actors’ Workshop, the Arena theater of Washington, and the touring company -—now resident in New York—called the APA (Association of Performing Artists).

In Europe, east and west, repertory is a commonplace, both in the centers and the provinces, but until a few years ago it was virtually unheard of in the United States. Even New York, the traditional pace-setter, drew a blank. And, in a certain sense, still valid, New York did not need repertory. Broadway, accustomed to demanding the best, always tried to staff each production with the leading talent available. In repertory you use the same actors in all the shows, playing different parts. They do the best they can. It does not follow that they are the best for every show they do.