In praise of repertory theatre

New York

STRANGE but true: To experience the pleasure of traditional repertory theatre on a significant scale - to watch actors perform multiple roles in different plays over the course of a few days - you would have to leave the two epicentres of English-speaking theatre, New York and London.

While London has the National Theatre, which has multiple spaces and features several productions playing at any one time, it has not had a resident company of actors for many years. New York does not have a major institution that regularly features plays running in repertory or a permanent acting ensemble.