The Residents (STC)

The Residents were an acting ensemble comprising 9 actors, formed as part of the Sydney Theatre Company (STC). They were employed on a full-time basis to develop and perform plays as part of the STC annual program. They effectively replaced the previous ensemble-in-residence, the Actors' Company. The Residents were formed in June 2009 and disbanded in 2012.

History and Development
In 2008, Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton took over the Artistic Directorship of the Sydney Theatre Company from its previous AD, Robyn Nevin. Nevin had introduced the Actors' Company in 2006 - they were an ensemble of experienced actors who were employed full time in the STC to develop theatrical productions. in 2009, Blanchett and Upton decided to dissolve the Actors' Company and use the remaining two years of funding to support a new model of ensemble-in-residence. They offered nine positions to a selection of actors. The key difference between The Residents and the Actors' Company is that the former comprised young, emerging actors, while the latter comprised well-established, experienced actors. Both ensembles were funded by a donation from the NSW state government.

There were a numerous criticisms of the changeover in model of acting ensemble. Many critics cite poor planning, a lack of artistic direction, and a lack of understanding of the goals of the ensemble is the key factors in the downfall of the Actors' Company. Upton and Blanchett aimed to address these matters by maintaining a more 'hands-on' approach with the Residents.

Upton said of the Residents that there will be more opportunity for them to experiment with ideas, and less pressure to output polished, large-scale productions. A further distinction between the Residents and the Actors' Company is that the former group did not always perform together in one play. Much of the time, a few members worked on one production, while the remainder worked on another.