Educating Rita from a Director's Point of View

Educating Rita from a Director's Point of View

"Educating Rita" by Willy Russell is a play based on one working class

women's struggle to become educated. The play has just two characters,

Rita, the women seeking an education and Frank, her designated tutor.

One of the play's main themes is the emotional and social changes that

occur as the play, and Rita's education, progresses.

In this essay I will write from a director's viewpoint how I think

certain scenes of the play should be performed. I have selected act

one scenes one and three and act two scene four as I think these

scenes represent the changes in the two characters throughout the

play.

Act 1 Scene 1

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I chose this scene as I think it shows the contrasts between the two

characters when they first meet. The whole play is performed inside

Frank's office with only two characters, Frank and Rita ever

interacting on stage. I think though, that it would help the audience

visually, when either character is describing a past memory or event,

if the characters from this situation came onto the stage and act out

these mentioned experiences (with no sound) as they are told.

The layout of the office should be very simple, there are three walls,

the fourth is taken out so that the audience has a "fly on the wall"

viewpoint. The door is stage right and leads straight off stage.

Frank's desk is in the far corner of the room with a large window

behind it. At the start of this scene Frank moves around his office

with a dim spotlight on him. Bookcases are laced across each wall. The

door leads off stage this is to add an element curiosity and surprise

when Rita first knocks on the door. When this incident occurs another

light should be concentrated straight at the door. Rita then proceeds

to bang on the door to try to open it; Frank simply says, "come in"

repeatedly. This sequence is critical in representing the play's main