In the Drama Theater, the Sydney Theater Company will present Shakespeare's "As You Like It" on March 1 and 2.

Is the old actor-manager tradition of presenting Shakespeare returning?

In his 1956 essay on "the need for a national theatre", critic Kenneth Tynan laid out a list of its primary functions: "presenting Shakespeare .

There are so many good reasons for presenting Shakespeare - above all, the astonishing quality of his plays - that any call for fewer productions runs the risk of sounding churlish.

In addition to presenting Shakespeare, the theater could produce contemporary plays and accommodate a resident company with living quarters on the island, Ms. Romer said.

He also wants to find a way to present free outdoor Shakespeare in the summer.

By 1800 Sidaway presented Shakespeare and other contemporary English pieces.

And the Roundabout Theater, a leading Off Broadway house, regularly presents Shaw and Shakespeare.

Now in its seventh year, the festival is devoted to presenting Shakespeare in bare-bones productions that put the emphasis on illustrative action.

The licensing system prevailed for two centuries; from 1660 to 1843, only two main companies regularly presented Shakespeare in London.