Our selective list of (almost) 100 actor-driven ensembles that have staying power:

Lodestone Theater Ensemble lodestonetheatre.org This young Asian-American company produces rarely but memorably.

Long Beach Shakespeare Company bardintheyard.com A new company that performs Shakespeare quite well, plus an occasional detective comedy.

Lonny Chapman Group Repertory Theater lcgrt.com A North Hollywood institution. When they’re good, they’re perfectly respectable; when they’re bad, they’re unbelievable.

Los Angeles African American Repertory (818) 761-0704. In each of two new plays reviewed by the Weeklyin the past two seasons, our critics have loathed the material and praised the company.

Los Angeles Repertory Company larep.org One of L.A’s oldest extant classical repertory companies (founded 1966) with a reputation for staging classics well, the troupe has been dormant for a couple of years.

Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company lawsc.net Is that a banana in Hamlet’s pocket? If the show’s by LAWSC, it probably is. All gals doing the Bard is great fun for the actors and makes the gender-point overabundantly clear.

Loud*R*Mouth Theater Company loudrmouth.com All productions directed by Laura Marchant, mostly light comedies, excepting the local premiere of Suzan-Lori Parks’ In the Bloodlast year.

Lucid by Proxy lucidbyproxy.com Young, vibrant troupe unafraid of tweaking convention.

MACHA Theater Company machatheatre.org A women’s company “advancing culture, history and art” through community and educational outreach. Only one full production that we know of, since its inception in 2000.

MagnaCarta Theater Company magnacartatheatre.org Founded in 2001, averages about a production a year, mostly well-performed, thoughtful comedies.

Matrix Theater Company (323) 852-1445. Has been quiet lately. A tradition of excellent stage productions by working TV actors; originated the policy of strategic double-casting that spread around the city like wildfire.

Meadows Basement See article by SM.

MET Theater themettheatre.com Very active company does everything under the sun; production standards vary.

MetaTheater Company (323) 993-7113. This young, ambitious company got off to a good start with a visceral production of Dogs Barkingand The Dead Eye Boylast year.

Moving Arts movingarts.org New plays. Has shown a penchant for Christopher Durang-style absurdism.

Naked Angels nakedangels.org This NYC-based troupe staged an impressive production of Stephen Belber’s Tapehere two years ago, and just opened a bill of one-acts (co-produced by FOX Broadcasting Company) aimed at turning playwrights toward TV, where presumably they’ll be more useful to society.

Neurotic Young Urbanites nyurbanites.com A smart, fun-filled troupe that consistently asks us to examine the way we watch the theater, and things beyond it.

A Noise Within See article by SM.

Oasis Theater Company oasistheatre.com Vamps on classics with a cleverness that’s always entertaining though occasionally too clever.

Open First Theater Company See article by SLM.

Pacific Resident Theater See article by SLM.

Pasadena Shakespeare Company pasadenashakespeare.com A talented company currently regrouping since landing in a fiscal marsh.

The Powerhouse Theater powerhousetheatre.com Very snappy company that’s just taken its topflight musical (about a pathetic all-girl rock band) to Chicago’s Lookingglass Theater.

Quantum Theater Company quantumtheatre.org Anything’s possible: They made Timberlake Wertenbaker’s verbal gymnastics in Our Country’s Goodlook easy, but also made corned beef hash out of Romeo and Juliet.

Road Theater Company roadtheatre.org Disney couldn’t do environmental atmosphere any better. The acting is also excellent. Play selection veers toward the sentimental and melodramatic.

Robey Theater Company See article by EAK.

Sacred Fools Theater sacredfools.org Its core aesthetic is sci-fi. Very busy company that occasionally demonstrates its capacity for brilliance.

Shakespeare Festival/L.A. shakespearefestivalla.org Festive alfresco stagings of the Bard go down easy.

Silo Theater Company (323) 692-8108. From Sarah Kane to Ubu Rex, from dark anarchy to gleeful anarchy, the company stages the end of the world with conviction and craft.

The 68 Cent Crew 68centcrew.com New and new-ish plays range from hokey to riveting.

Son of Semele Ensemble sonofsemele.org Keeps knocking at society’s edge in kinetic and sometimes upsetting productions.

Sons of Beckett sonsofbeckett@yahoo.com Stages existential farces. Our reviews have been mixed.

Theater Banshee at the Gene Bua Theater theatrebanshee.org Has been staging British farces with shining moments, but not entirely effectively.

Theater District (at the Cast) thetheatredistrict.com Has a front-porch drama aesthetic.

Theater 40 theatre40.org Some excellent actors, mostly staid play selection.

Theater Neo theatreneo.com A big, stylish company that does many new plays.

Theater of NOTE theatreofnote.com Excellent production values. Appears at the moment to be working through a tear between its punk-poetry heritage and an opposing impulse toward something sweeter, more light-hearted and box-office friendly.

Theater Tribe nohoartsdistrict.com/theatre A terrific acting ensemble in North Hollywood. Does fairly traditional (Clifford Odets, Lanford Wilson) large-cast shows.

Theater West theatrewest.org Old-fashioned fare by one of L.A.’s most senior rep companies.

Theatricum Botanicum theatricum.com From Shakespeare to Arthur Miller in the summer’s open air; keeping Will Geer’s populist, pro-union politics alive on the stage and in the actors’ paychecks.

Towne Street Theater See article by EAK.

Troubadour Theater Company troubie.com They mock pop culture in classics with sharp, ribald humor and wild theatricality.