Faculty
The original staff and faculty all came from the United Kingdom, as all but one had previously been employed by Fernald. John Broome, for example, had been a choreographer of the Old Vic Theatre in England before joining the ADA as lecturer in movement.
Other instructors were later hired, such as Terence E. Kilburn who came to the ADA in October 1969 as a teacher and actor and director in residence.
Kilburn had an early career as a child actor playing Tiny Tim in the original Christmas Carol movie, and had been in many other movies and plays before coming to OU. Upon Fernald’s departure in 1970 he would become Artistic Director of the ADA and Meadow Brook Theatre.
Over the years, numerous professionals were invited to speak and teach at the Academy. Among them were renowned guest artists:
- Catherine Fleming, voice coach for the National Theatre of England and for Laurence Olivier
- actor playwright and director Charles Nolte (a visiting lecturer in fall 1973)
- Stuart Vaughan, an internationally known director, playwright and author, came to the ADA to direct the production of Richard III in 1973-1974.
Several members of the neighboring Stratford Festival Theatre Company of Canada also visited the Academy.
From 1967 to 1977, the ADA employed 62 teachers in acting, voice, and speech, dance, movement and mime, commedia, text and interpretation, period technique, singing, fencing and stage combat, and makeup.