RTDA Term 1: Initiation and book 1. Day 1

Term 1: Initiation and book 1. Day 1



So today I began my very first day of ‘Room at the Top Drama Academy’ with my initiation and general introduction to the facilities provided by this fine establishment. After looking round the room, which took all of two seconds, I picked up the first text book of my course. I should say right now that I have not sat down and written a curriculum for this project my books are chosen for their titles and perceived content. So with that in mind here is the first title:

Approach to Theatre For Student Producers by Frances Mackenzie

This is from Samuel French LTD and was printed in 1957. It cost 5 shillings brand new but according to the inner page it only cost me 99p. This book was published fifty three years ago and the author according to the book was principal of the British Drama League Training Department as well as being the writer of other such weighty tomes on the theatre as 'The Amateur Actor' and 'Little Plays of Pigwiggin'. Now my brief research on the British Drama League, from now on reffered to as BDL, has revealed that it was started in 1919 and ran as that until 1972 when it changed its name to the British Theatre Association. Now the BDL eventually dissolved in 1990 because of financial situations that I do not know about but its work in promoting a British Theatre Festival continues to this day in the form of the All-England Theatre Festival. So I am essentially reading a book that has no idea of the revolutionary changes to the theatre in the UK post 1950s for my first exploration into how to participate in our industry. I am also worried about the language in the book, having already read the first three to four pages it seems that the role of a theatre producer and director of theatre are the same thing. This may lead to some confusion for my simple country bumpkin brain but it is certainly an interesting look at the way jobs were referred to in our industry back then. Anyway more on that and chapter one tomorrow of this brilliant book including a simply brilliant story about Cake.