Theatre and Society

What have you observed about British society while you are here? What similarities and differences do you observe between our cultures?
With the exception of the employees at the airport, British people do not have bad teeth! In Britain, there seems to be more of a "scene"; there is a place and something to do for everyone. I thought going to London would be like going to New York City in Europe, and it wasn't. Things are much smaller. The streets are less crowded. What impacted me the most were the environmental aspects. The food is fresh and didn't seem to be genetically modified. The sweets and junk food were more expensive than the fresh, healthy food, unlike America. I probably saw 4 (at most) SUVs. I definitely saw more SUVs on the way home from Newark (which took about an hour) than I saw in an entire two weeks in London. I do feel that British people appreciate art WAY more than American society. Even when we went out, Brits were apt to point out my tattoos and gush about how wonderful they were and how they'd never seen skin art like that in real life. British people were nicer and more helpful than I expected, with the exception of a few. There aren't as many obese people, due to better food, but also everyone walks, even if it's just walking up and down the stairs to and from the Tube. There's actually space to park on the road because not everyone is driving. I'm sure that NY and America have places that appreciate art, have theatre districts with clubs and shows, and have nice food, but London was more of a "put-together" society than I expected. The main difference, though, between America and London: heating and plumbing. I know that I jokingly said several times, "How the hell did London survive in the Dark Ages? It's 2010 and they still haven't figured out the heat thing." I can't figure out how almost 75% of the toilets did not work, or how that's sanitary. I mean, I understand the buildings are older than I can really comprehend, but really? And I get it, you can't rip apart old buildings to insulate them and add pipes yada yada yada, but c'mon, have you ever heard of building a fire? Oh, and everything closes SO early there. Like 10, maybe 11, at night. And on Sundays, you can forget going just about anywhere - it'll be closed. So yes, a couple major differences, but other than that, pretty much the same as here.

What are important links between our cultures? (Language, cultural history, art, theatre)
Well, seeing as our country was founded from revolting from Britain, there are several important links. But sometimes it was hard to remember we weren't in America. For instance, walking across the top of Tower Bridge, we saw pictures of fireworks over the Thames, and Erica goes, "Hey! Is that 4th of July?!" To which we responded, "Hmmm pretty sure they don't celebrate that over here..." Also, it was interesting that although we (America and Britain) both speak English, the jargon is so varied. I feel like in America, slang is national, but in London it seemed like you could ride a couple stops down on the Tube and all of a sudden the accents were different, the words for things were different, and even the people were different (race, style, etc). America has similar art, ranging from modern Warhol to Renaissance, but London has SO much more, and it's FREE! They pride themselves on letting the art belong to the people, not letting a few elite buy it up and hide it away or charge ridiculous amounts to see things to which every world citizen should be exposed. But the main connection between us and them: we are all people with a want for entertainment, a need for protected history, and people trying to make it, and enjoy it while we do. And we can't forget the MOST important link between our cultures is our leaders. We might be a little more different if our leaders didn't keep it all in the family. (Don't believe me? Look up family ties between our leaders and the Queen).

What are some unpleasant connections or left-over biases, or are there any? (racism, religious biases, classism, sexism) How does theatre and art seek to address these issues?
I really think that we were so busy running around to see the sites that I didn't get a true taste of every-day life in London. I honestly didn't see or notice any unpleasant connections or left-over biases while we were there, not between British people or between British people and us. I mean, there was a plethora of cultures in London, and I never saw anyone being unpleasant to each other. As for religion, we saw Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's, which are Christian, but I wasn't really looking for other places of worship, so I can't say if there was any discrimination. But I do think theatre and art help maintain the bond between the people. Theatre and visual art constantly pull you out of your comfort zone with unexpected twists or pictures, sensitive subject matter, and they help people bond. If I look at a picture and get mad, and you look at the same picture and get mad, it's an unspoken truth that we're on the same side, we're teammates, and we have a common enemy. But this can be true with any sort of art and any sort of emotion. Most importantly, theatre and art don't hint around subjects; they put them out there and you, the viewer, are left to deal. So sometimes theatre and art say what the people of society can't bring themselves to say, or they mock how serious we take ourselves and this short time on Earth, or they just entertain us and give us something to do. Whatever the case may be, theatre and art serve roles of paramount importance. The right ones can cheer us up when we're down, move us to tears when we need a release, and be gutsy enough to get away with making bold statements.

Have you seen any theatre or art on our trip that speaks to these or other difficult cultural issues?
If anything, the art I saw on the trip, both visual and in theatre, supported different cultures and their values. For instance, Aladdin, although a silly show, had a cast that ranged from British to Asian to Jamaican. The visual art ranged from all over Europe to American (and that's just the exhibits that I chose to look at). Even Nation was a show that exemplified people from different backgrounds and locations coming together to coexist and survive.

Why is it important to know our history as well as to stay current with events?
I had to remind myself several times that we were in Europe. I caught myself saying, with a scrunched up face, "That ain't American", and well, that's probably because we weren't in America. I mean, only in America can you get free refills. But seriously, I had no clue how important it was to be informed about America's current events and history until I met people in London and they asked me or gave me their opinions on something. For example, we met three French people at Fabric (you know, the top club in the world?) and they said all of France has a different outlook (more positive) on American's since Obama was elected. And as for our history: we only have history because of Britain. If there had been no Britain, there would be no America. What was interesting to me was comparing our history to Britain's history. I never knew Britain had a civil war and also overthrew the government. Unfortunately, I'm not as versed on our country's history as I should be, but when I traveled and stayed in London, I realized it is my responsibility as an American citizen and informal ambassador to be able to answer common-knowledge questions, or be able to talk with other visitors or residents about current American events.

Has this trip changed your perspective on Western culture?
This trip did not change my perspective of Western culture, it only enhanced it. I had always wanted to go to Europe, and London was everything I imagined and more. In my mind, I've always pictured Europe as a place with big stone castles and lots of art and places to fellowship, and that's exactly what London was. It makes me want to adventure and tour all around Europe because if London was this great I can't imagine how great places like Italy with sunflower fields or France with cafes and a lighted Eiffel Tower will be. And as for the Western culture - the people were friendlier and more relatable than I expected. But in a way, I keep thinking: where I live is kind of crappy. Other than a couple museums, there is no scene, people keep to themselves, and even when you get to the city where you can walk, you're just running into more cranky people in the polluted, shoulder-to-shoulder streets of New York. The only way I guess my perspective changed was that I prefer London culture over American culture, but like I've been trying to say, that doesn't take too much...

Did you have a moment of personal reflection or impact in which you realized your viewpoint on something had changed?
I had several of these moments during the trip. Like I said in class, I had a weirdly-powerful, emotional experience standing in front of Picasso's "Child with a Dove". I also realized that I should go to shows and events I'm not looking forward to because that's where I have the most fun. It's the things that I expect to like, like 1984, that I end up hating. Things like War Horse and the British Museum are things I expected to just have to "get through" and they're in my top 5 favorite memories of London. I also realized that I am not the kind of person who is going to be able to study abroad for long lengths of time (like a semester). I wasn't homesick, but I was tired and cranky and sore, and then I missed home. Lesson learned: 2 weeks is enough for me! And, my view kind of changed towards people on the trip. People that I didn't necessarily want to hang out with became some of the funniest people to be around, whereas people that I thought were nice weren't so pleasant to be around by the end (and i know, i know, we were ALL wearing cranky pants). Most importantly, and as sappy as this is going to sound, I realized the important people in my life. I'd see esoteric symbols in a building's stone work and say "wow, i wish brad were here to see this!" and when the foal morphed into a grown Joey I was so touched because I knew how much my mom would have loved to have been there and seen that.

What is your “takeaway” from this trip personally?
What I took away from this trip:
1. I'm a good traveler. I can read maps, I can ask directions, I can get lost and not freak out, and my friends and I ALWAYS found the hotspots.
2. I'm a good friend. I can make people laugh, I can be supportive, and I can shut my mouth when I don't know what I'm talking about.
3. I'm a strong person. I can kick medication AND keep going, I can deal with anxiety, and I can bite my tongue when I shouldn't say what I'm really thinking.
4. I'm so blessed. My family sacrificed for me to have an incredible adventure, I didn't get sick once (no colds or hangovers!), and I met people that will most definitely be in my life forever.

What would you do if you had another week?
If I had another week that was as jam-packed as the two we had together as a group I would cry. Don't get me wrong, it was great, but I don't think I could physically or emotionally take another strenuous week. BUT, if I had a whole other week for myself, I would take the train to Paris for a day, I'd buy groceries and plan on stopping home to eat meals to save some moolah, I'd go to a few more shows like The Woman in Black, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Les Miserables, I'd ride the London Eye (because it would be fixed that week), I'd go to the Aquarium, and I'd have tea every afternoon. This is all contingent on the fact that I had unlimited amounts of money, and because this is hypothetical, then in my imaginary third week in London i DO have unlimited amounts of money!

If a person were walking through the museum of your life, what would the exhibit of this experience look like?
The exhibit would be simple: white with nice lighting and crisp, bright photographs hung on the walls. But there's only one wall, because the room is in a circle. And the photographs are magical. They range in size and vary from black and white to color, and when you look at them you feel whatever emotion the picture has captured. I would have magical photos of everything, but not the sights we saw or touristy ones necessarily, more of pictures of the places I couldn't take pictures. I would have a picture of how I felt when I saw that one Picasso, and the look on Eric and Erica's faces when we were dancing at Fabric, and all of the smiles that were around me because things were just too hilarious to even care. I would have pictures of touching the horse puppet, my face every time a toilet wouldn't flush, and a picture of that time poor Rachael fell so hard that her water bottle broke. I'd have a picture of Erica and I asking London police where Bakers Row was, them pulling out there map, and saying "we have no clue". I'd have a picture of me walking in on some guy, well turns out it was a girl, in Pret where we were just trying to get something to eat. I'd have a picture of Eric and Erica's faces when we found each other at Fabric... I'd have a picture of every bottle or pint of cider I drank, and the face I made everyday when I was woken up. I'd take a picture of my face in the shower with the curtain that smelled of cucumber vegetable hot sick. I'd have a picture of Erica falling backwards over her suitcase in the door way, and the 2 L of cider that kept falling off our suitcases as we made our way to Crawford that no one realized was missing until I looked back and saw the lonely bugger (Oh wait! I DO have that picture!) I'd have a picture of trying to lie down across 2 Virgin Atlantic seats trying to sleeping ,as not to be cranky, with a seatbelt literally crushing my ribcage. I'd have a picture of us all getting our bags and meeting everyones parents (oh wait, everyone took off). But I can't really explain these pictures. They would be candid, and they'd be taken at those moments where you can't even think of a camera and later you can't even remember the moment because in THAT moment you were so there. My exhibit would be magical.