The World's a Stage

Drama is more than an avocation to Joan and Ross Vaughan-Taylor. It is a window on life, and a tool they have used both in teaching children and in running their own drama-training school after they retired.

Joan and Ross Vaughan-Taylor

Joan and Ross grew up in Hertfordshire, England, where Joan became deputy principal of a Secondary school. She found that, not only was drama a useful way of communicating with her pupiles, but it was useful in teaching and reinforcing their academic lessons.

In 1942 Ross joined ENSA (the Entertainments National Service Association). It was an organisation set up in 1939 by Basil Dean to provide entertainment for British armed forces personnel during World War 2. Ross spent the war years travelling with ENSA, helping to produce plays and constructing props. This was no amateur entertainment—among their stars were such luminaries as Gracie Fields and George Formby.

The couple migrated to Australia in 1959 and lived in Adelaide for three years. Joan taught in a Catholic school and, once again, used drama to bring the lessons to life. Although she was successful and her pupils had good grades, she was unacceptable to the school hierarchy because, as they told her, "She was teaching the children to think independently."

Their next home was in Sydney and when Joan retired about 1980 she and Ross founded a company called Cornstalks to teach drama—mostly to children, but also to adults. They operated out of Sydney Opera House.

During this period they were also contracted by a number of companies to run role-plays for their staff. By reversing the roles (workers became managers for a day, and vice-versa) they were able to help people who worked together develop a better understanding of each other's problems.

Joan and Ross have been teaching drama at U3A only for one year but the class was popular and will continue in 2007.

If you have any other questions about the Drama for Fun class you can get Joan and Ross's phone number from U3A's Penrith office by CLICKING HERE.