Repertory

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For other meanings of repertory, please see repertory (disambiguation).

Repertory or rep called stock in the U.S. is a term from Western theatre. A repertory theater can be a theater in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation. In the British system, however, it used to be that even quite small towns would support a rep, and the resident company would present a different play every week, either a revival from the full range of classics or, if given the chance, a new play the rights for which were recently released after a West End or Broadway run. The companies were not known for trying out untried new work, however. The methods would be also used in The United States, Canada, and Australasia.

The acting company would consist of a "leading lady", a "leading man", a "juvenile" (both male and female for the young often romantic roles), a "character" actor and actress (for the older parts) and perhaps a "soubrette". A "guest star" name might be brought in to boost attendance which only might cover the added cost. Hence the resident cast would number 7, and in addition there would be the stage manager and the "ASM" (assistant stage manager), and lights and sound technicians, where newcomers to the profession would often start their careers and actors would be sure of a steady income for one or more "seasons". Examples of such performers who went on to universal recognition are Jeremy Brett, Judi Dench, Rosemary Harris, Ian McKellen, Christopher Plummer, Harold Pinter, Imelda Staunton, Lynn Redgrave, Patrick Stewart, Geraldine McEwan, and Dirk Bogarde, who wrote about his start at tiny Amersham rep in 1939, to present just a few.

For weekly rep, which is the true test, and for a typical 3 act play with a wise director, the actors' week would start Tuesday and go as follows: Tuesday: Notes on last night's opening from the director, then a sitdown readthrough, on the feet blocking of the moves for Act I, (and don't forget there are performances of last week's play each night.) Wednesday: Run Act I (better have learned the lines last night after the show, scripts in hand not allowed) and start to block Act II, but break early because there's a matinee. Thursday: Finish blocking Act II, run Act II, and block Act III. Friday: Run Act III, runthrough of entire play, no scripts in hand and technicals, meaning lights and sound, to watch and write down cues. Saturday: Runthrough again, stop and go to test lighting and sound cues, may use costumes if ready, mistakes tolerated. 2 shows today, the evening one closing the current play. After the show, the set will be struck (taken down) by the crew, usually apprentices, and the stage manager. Sunday, a glorious day of rest for the cast, says management and Equity, but in reality brushing up on lines and moves and private rehearsals. But for the crew it means putting up the new settings, and hanging and pointing lights, and setting sound equipment. Monday: Morning, runthrough, mainly for the tech folks. Afternoon, Full Perfect (says the director and management) Dress Rehearsal, maybe a few friends in front to gauge reaction. Evening, 8 o'clock Opening Night, with Press critics in front! Followed by notes from the director, visits with friends from the audience (always welcome), and maybe a party nearby. Then collapse in sheer exhaustion.

From the audience's point of view, local communities would become fans and champion their favorites who would be treated as celebrities. And sometimes entire families would make a vist to their local rep as part of the weekly routine like going to church, and for the young ones, it became a part of their future appreciation for live "legitimate" theatre.

During the forties, fifties and sixties, 2 impresarios dominated the field of British rep, mostly in the North. They were Harry Hanson and his Court players, and Frank H. Fortescue's Famous Players. Their system was the toughest of all, for if you joined one of their companies, it could mean "twice-nightly" shows, and a new play to learn every week. That cannot happen any more, due to the restrictions of British Equity which came to mandate just 8 shows a week, including perhaps 2 matinées. Fortescue, who died in 1957, was known to be a strict and upright man. When Pygmalion was playing at one of his theatres, because Eliza says "Not bloody likely!", "FOR ADULTS ONLY!" would be posted in the front of house. Or perhaps he was afraid of the Lord Chamberlain, Her Majesty's official censor whose duties were abolished in 1968.

Times have changed, the practice of a new play every week and a week's rehearsal doesn't happen, and today the practice of "rep" is more likely to be seen in large cities in the manner applied by such well-known established companies as Birmingham Rep in the midlands of England which states in its programs: ""The REP" presents a season with each play generally having an unbroken run of between three and six weeks. This is the form of repertory theatre that the majority of theatres like The REP — which are also called producing theatres — now follow." Actors have the luxury of at least 3 weeks of rehearsal, and audiences see better shows. Repertory can still be found in the UK in a variation of the old time manner, for example the producer Charles Vance still produces weekly rep in Sidmouth (12 plays), Wolverhampton (8 plays), Burslem and Taunton (4 each).

In America, the repertory system has also found a base to compete with commercial theatre. Repertory theatre with mostly changing casts and longer running plays, perhaps better classed as "provincial" or "non-profit" theatre, has made a big come-back, in cities such as Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Boston, San Francisco, San Diego and Seattle. Festival theatre now provides actors with work in the summer. Canada too has its repertory/non-profits, but has had to contend with the tendency of Canadian actors to head South for greener pastures. Their old true English style repertory theatres such as Ottawa's CRT (Canadian Repertory Theatre), and Toronto's Crest Theatre don't exist any more. Although they did have a version of summer theatre in smaller holiday districts, such as the "Straw Hat" players of Gravenhurst and Port Carling at Ontario's vacation Muskoka Lakes area.

Not to be overlooked is a form of touring repertory theatre known as "bus and truck", which involves transporting the actors and sets for about five different plays which can be performed in smaller communities on consecutive nights.

In Russia and much of Eastern Europe repertory theatre is based on the idea that each company maintains a number of productions which are performed on a rotating basis. Each production’s life span is determined by its success with the audience. However, many productions remain in repertory for years as this approach presents each piece a few times in a given season, not enough to exhaust the potential audience pool. After the fall of the Soviet regime and the substantial diminution of government subsidy, the repertory practice has required reexamination. Moscow Art Theatre and Lev Dodin’s Maly Drama Theatre of St. Petersburg are the world’s most notable practitioners of this approach.