Elizabeth Sneddon
(1907-2005). Pioneering and celebrated speech and drama specialist, educational and academic leader, lecturer and director. Born in Durban on 26 October 1907, she studied at ***. *** She founded i.a. the first Department of Speech and Drama in South Africa (Professor and Head until 1972), the Speech and Drama Association of South Africa, the Theatre Audience Guild (1949), the Natal Theatre Workshop Company, the Face to Face Festival (1990), and a founder member of National Theatre Organisation (being appointed as a member of the first board in 1948), of the Natal Performing Arts Council (1961) and Durban Arts Association (1980). Responsible for creating 8 theatres in Durban, including the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre at the University of Natal, Durban. On occasion acted as adjudicator for the FATSSA Play Festival. Directed more than 70 productions, principally classics, including André Huguenet in King Oedipus (in 1952) and Leon Gluckman in King Lear (in 1954). In 196* she collaborated with Welcome Msomi to create and present the hugely popular Umabatha, Msomi’s Zulu version of Macbeth, which successfully toured Britain. Through her endeavours, Speech and Drama was accepted by the Joint Matriculation Board in 1977. Recipient of numerous awards i.a. the first Nuffield Dominion Fellowship (1950), Carnegie Foundation Fellowship (1951), Honorary Doctorate from University of Natal, Durban (1979), Vita Award for Contribution to Theatre (1986), the State President’s Award (1989) and Civic Honours from the City of Durban (1991). [Mervyn McMurtry] SNEDDON, Elizabeth. . Later addition to the Breytenbach's NTO Board of Control together with Marda Vanne. Head of Drama at University of Natal. She directed Leon Gluckman’s production of Shakespeare’s King Lear at the Wits University Great Hall in 1954 in which Gluckman played Lear. Percy Tucker filled the post of business manager, and Audrey Cobden assisted Gluckman. She convinced Welcome Msomi to write Umabatha which she produced in 1971. SNEDDON, Elizabeth, b. in Durban (88 years ago = 1996). 1926 went to Univ of Glasgow & graduated in 1932 with MA Honns degree. Did a post-grad in 1933 dipl. In Pedagogy . Also did a study course at London’s Royal Academy with a L.R.A.M. degree and returned Home. Opened her own Speech/Drama studio in Dbn. University College of Natal invited her to teach extra mural classes to black, coloured & Indian students excluded from SA univ. Out of this org. grew University of Dbn-Westville. Then started teaching as a lecturer in Eng. She introduced Speech & Drama as part of the curriculum and as a result of the student enrolment she became the 1 st Prf of Speech & Drama at the University of Natal. Her dept was the 1 st of its kind in any SA Un. In 1958 she was the co-founder of the Performing Arts Council of SA. In 1984 she helped to found the Durban Arts Youth Festival, an educational project designed to stimulate a deeper awareness & interest in the creative arts. In 1995 the Festival became known as the National Creative Arts Youth Festival. She started the Durban Theatre Workshop Company in 1949. Numerous famous names resulted from that: Yvonne Bryceland, Athol Fugard, Richard Haines, Ian Steadman, Dorothy Ann Gould, Ann Wakefield, Alan Auld, Bill Flynn, David Horner, Francois Swart, Robert Gordon & Colin Spence. She produced the historic Black Macbeth, Umabatha, which Pieter Scholtz directed. She received the State President’s Award – the Order of Merit – and VITA’S Moyra Fine Award for a lifetime of service to the theatre in SA. She was Life vice-President of the Guild of Speech & Drama Teachers in SA & received the Critics’ Award for excellence as Director and for her services to Drama in SA. Durban Arts Association run by Denis Shaeffer & Elizabeth Sneddon.
Sources
Tucker, 1997
Return to ESAT Personalities S
Return to South African Theatre Personalities
Return to Main Page
