ABSTRACT
MI C H E L S A I N T - D E N I S ( 1 8 9 7 – 1 9 7 1 ) fell in love with a dream oftheatre as a boy in his early teens and remained faithful to that ideal until his death. Except for his military service during the First and Second World Wars, SaintDenis’s entire life was bound up in his multifaceted work as a theatre practitioner. Today he is best remembered for his contribution to theatre training through his schools and his two books, Theatre: The Rediscovery of Style and Training for the Theatre. SaintDenis’s approach to training differed from that of his contemporaries; it aimed to develop practitioners in each discipline: acting, directing, design, playwriting, and stage management. His schools functioned as embryonic theatre companies. Part of his legacy is the widespread acceptance of this educational paradigm.
