There are two types of theatre companies. One consists of people who have come as freelancers to do a play, be it the technicians, the backstage crew or the actors. They may have worked together in the past, and they may possibly work together again. Then there is the other type of theatre company -- the repertory. The dictionary describes the repertory as a theatre company that has a stock of plays which can be shown week after week. But to have a stock of plays, you need a large bank of actors and a director or directors to direct those actors, play after play, year after year. And after a while you realise that you have a large family of people all connected by their desire to be part of the great theatrical experience. They rehearse, laugh, cry, squabble, party and even live together with the plays. In short, their lives are inextricably linked to one another, and there develop bonds beyond those onstage. I have worked with three repertory companies in the last ten yearsin Mumbai -- Samvardhan, Arpana and Motley, and to my mind they have been the greatest contributing factor in my growth as an actor. They have given me a means of realising and assessing this growth by providing me with continuity of work and input. I have been watched over and nursed by my directors and have had the benefit of being critically evaluated by them and by my co-actors. Only a director who has known you over a period of time can point out your strengths and weaknesses. He can tell you something as precise as, "You talk from your chin which is why your face tilts upwards which is why your eyes are half shut which is why you look lethargic onstage." Or, "You don't have to frown to convey the impression that you are listening to your co-actor. Really listen instead." All these may seem as pretty commonplace observations, but somehow acting is a profession where common sense is, more often than not, sacrificed at the altar of profundity.

Repertory companies, by their very nature, aremore open to giving newcomers a chance. Struggling actors usually meet the director backstage after a show, or join up for a workshop with the group. They help out backstage, operate lights or music, hunt for costumes or props, put up the sets, order the tea and snacks and generally learn the ropes. And someday when their time comes, they bag the role that they have been waiting for. Sounds disheartening? Well, to get ahead you have got to hang around. Some repertories like Arpana and Samvardhan have a policy of encouraging newcomers (and admitting latecomers) by allowing them to perform curtain raisers -- short stories or poems before the main show. I remember calling up a TV director recently who, immediately after I introduced myself, said, "Aren't you the guy who played the younger brother in Bade Bhaisahab?" He was talking about a short story by Premchand that I had performed as a curtain-raiser five years ago!

There is of course a flip-side to all this symbiosis. People may startfeeling happy just to be surrounded with familiar faces, and may stop growing as actors. Professional jealousies and personal rivalries may creep in. People may feel disheartened with just hanging around. Directors may become habituated to their actors and stop reacting to them. For familiarity breeds not always contempt, but sometimes boredom too. Personal relationships may spill onto the stage, not always in a helpful manner. I for instance, have worked with a particular actress in no less than seven plays in the last five years. She has been my onstage friend, friend's wife, friend's lover, lover, queen and sister. I have this horrible feeling that someday I'm going to get the wires crossed onstage and call her sweetheart instead of bhabhi.

Some directors do their best work with actors they have worked with for years. Many actors too do some of their best work in repertories. This ongoing relationship through the years and sometimes generations is the repertory company's greatest contribution tothe theatre. It's not only about creating history but also about creating a sense of history.

Jaimini Pathak is a theatre actor.