An appreciation for the stagecraft and classic Sanskrit drama was seen as an essential part of a sophisticated world view, by the end of the seventh century. Under the patronage of royal courts, performers belonged to professional companies that were directed by a stage manager ("sutradhara"), who may also have acted. This task was thought of as being analogous to that of a puppeteer—the literal meaning of ""sutradhara"" is "holder of the strings or threads". The performers were trained rigorously in vocal and physical technique. There were no prohibitions against female performers; companies were all-male, all-female, and of mixed gender. Certain sentiments were considered inappropriate for men to enact, however, and were thought better suited to women. Some performers played characters their own age, while others played ages different from their own (whether younger or older). Of all the elements of theatre, the "Treatise" gives most attention to acting ("abhinaya"), which consists of two styles: realistic ("lokadharmi") and conventional ("natyadharmi"), though the major focus is on the latter.