British American Drama Academy

The British American Drama Academy is a drama school in London, in the United Kingdom. It is affiliated with Sarah Lawrence College and Yale University.

Background
The British American Drama Academy (BADA) was founded in 1983 by Tony Branch and Carolyn Sands, based upon an idea they developed whilst living in La Jolla, California in 1982. Its goal is to enable students from around the world to study classical theatre with leading actors and directors of the British theatre.

The BADA's aim was also to bring the best British directors and teachers together with young actors of great promise in North America and elsewhere. Working initially from his apartment in La Jolla, Anthony enlisted volunteers (including James Pearson, Robert Zimmerman, and many others) to help organize the first class for the first summer program, which was planned to be in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The program moved in 1985 to Regents Park, London, in order to be better connected with the British theatreworld. Since 1988, it has been affiliated with Sarah Lawrence College, which has spring and fall semesters with BADA in London for credit.

Midsummer in Oxford Programme
Running since 1984, BADA holds an intensive, month-long programme known as the 'Midsummer in Oxford' programme (MIO), in which participants study, live and work alongside BADA and its associated practitioners in Oxford. The programme is based in Magdalen College in Oxford University. It is run in association with Yale School of Drama.

Notable alumni
Past students have included:


 * Simone Missick
 * Michael Arata
 * Jacinda Barrett
 * Byrdie Bell
 * Orlando Bloom
 * Chris Bortz
 * Chadwick Boseman
 * Brian Patrick Butler
 * Jack Davenport
 * Brandon Victor Dixon
 * Chiara de Luca
 * Jennifer Ehle
 * Melissa Errico
 * Sam Feuer
 * Paul Giamatti
 * Peri Gilpin
 * Mamie Gummer
 * Anna Gunn
 * Noah Harlan
 * Da'Vine Joy Randolph
 * Jamie Kennedy
 * Yunjin Kim
 * Tarell Alvin McCraney
 * T.J. Miller
 * Elizabeth Mitchell
 * Ruth Negga
 * Nicole Oliver
 * Oliver Platt
 * Paul Rudd
 * Marco Sanchez
 * David Schwimmer
 * Billy Slaughter
 * Adam Smoluk
 * Ryan Jamaal Swain
 * Nicole Sullivan
 * Joy Tanner
 * Justin Theroux
 * Tracie Thoms
 * Nicolas Wright
 * Bellamy Young