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.

London: Saturday-Monday

Saturday:
Last day of class! We got to class at 9:30 and discussed Aladdin (with the help of one of the cast) and Nation. Thankfully, we had free time from 12-7:30, during which Aunt Jude took Erica, Eric, and me to the lunch for the best fish and chips I've ever had, the Tower of London (where we saw the Crown Jewels and the chopping block and ax used for beheading people), then to Tower Bridge
to view the city from the top, and then to dinner at Spaghetti House (where we split a bottle of wine and all had delicious entrees). After saying our "thank you"s and goodbyes to Aunt Jude, we made our way to SoHo to see our last show: Midsummer. It was a greatly-entertaining show, consisting of two actors and was just light enough and comedic enough to end our trip on the right note. Only problem: the guy behind us decided that he wouldn't mind sharing his cold or the disruptiveness of his sneezing and blowing his nose with us. And when I say he sat behind us, I really mean that he sat over us, and despite three people turning around and glaring at him (Erica, Eric, and me) didn't seem to mind literally leaning over us and coughing and sneezing and blowing his schnoz. After the show, we immediately made our way home to delouse and take nice showers. Everyone was pretty pooped from the long day of sightseeing, so we hit the hay early.
*
Midsummer
The playwright was trying to show two people living in everyday life, and what the struggles they deal with everyday, and also their interaction when they come together. The play, consisting of two actors, was done marvelously and was well-worth doing. Although I was seated in the back row, I could see, hear, and understand everything that was happening on the stage. The stage was small, but the theatre didn’t overwhelm it. The only thing that interrupted my enjoyment of the show was the guy sitting behind me who had a cold and chose to literally lean over my row to sneeze and blow his nose. The dramatic structure of the play was linear, which made the story easy to follow. The playwright was definitely able to manipulate me emotionally, especially with the use of the actors playing and singing to convey a point or feeling. The play left me feeling light-hearted and at ease. Although there were only two actors, both were extremely successful in acting, singing, and playing a variety of other characters. Both were dynamic performers because no matter which character they were playing, they both seemed to have no inhibitions about how to portray a certain character. The casting was traditional, using a girl for the girl role and a guy for the male role, although the girl would sometimes portray guy characters, but this wasn’t confusing as she added male clothing and deepened her voice for the roles. There weren’t many spectacles in the performance, and all of the props and everything that happened on stage were visible, so I don’t think they were trying to cover anything up. I think the spectacles, such as the playing of live music, only enhanced the production. I really liked the set design, how there was a bed in the middle, then one side was the girl’s side and the other the guy’s. The costume design seemed appropriate, as the clothing was simple and mundane with nothing too flashy, and there weren’t many costume changes. Like I’ve said, the music design was nice and simple and contributed positively to the production. I thought, also, that the sound design was done nicely. If the actors were micro phoned, I couldn’t even tell. The design of the production supported the intent of the play, and if it had been different, would have taken away from the meaning and quality of the production. The one thing that impacted me about this play was the realness of it. Whether it was the sex scenes or the hang over scenes, all of the play had a hint of real life with it.
*
Sunday:
We met the group at Kensington Palace at noon. There, we each got a ticket and were admitted to the Palace. There wasn't a lot to see; the only thing catching my eye was Princess Di's dresses. Other than that, the rooms were empty, and I was actually kind of put of by the gaudiness of the place. Erica and I made the tour last about 20 minutes (including the time it took us to Waltz and look in the over-priced gift shop. We didn't have anything to do until 2, so we made our way to Waffle House, where we each ordered a milk chocolate waffle, which was delish, by the way. Afterwards, we made our way to the Orangery, where we had reservations for High Tea at 2:00. Everyone was dressed nicely, and we had a whole room to ourselves. The tea was delicious (the food, not so much) and everyone was happy about being together and also going home the next day. After tea, Erica and I went to a tanning salon and paid ten pounds for ten minutes in a tanning bed. I must say, the light and the warmth were just what I needed after two weeks in what seemed like the Arctic Tundra. We then ran to the flats to get our electronic receipts for our airline tickets, and made our way to an internet cafe to print our boarding passes. When we found an internet cafe that actually had internet and a printer, we got on and saw that we could get three seats beside each other, so we moved our seats to a row in the 50s, and printed our boarding passes. We thought we were clever, and that everyone from the group would be in the 30s. Turns out, the group was split in the 30s and 50s. But no biggie. On the way home, we stopped at a Chinese Restaurant for a buffet dinner. Then proceeded to go back to the flat to finish all of the drinks in the fridge and pack. It felt like Christmas Eve though, and sleep didn't come as easily as I'd expected it would. But when I got to sleep, I slept like a baby.



Monday:
I woke up at 9 AM, seeing as we had to be out of the flats at 10. Turns out, Acorn decided to cut the heat and hot water before 10, so a shower wasn't an option. We took our stuff to one of the flats at Crawford House, and then went to breakfast at a place around the corner. Turns out, England doesn't know what a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich is. After receiving some sort of sausage with a slice of cheese thing, and having Eric ask them to redo my order, we left (with the sandwich I didn't eat in hand). On the way to Crawford House, I looked for someone I could give the sandwich to, but didn't see anyone, so I left it on a stoop. Unfortunately we couldn't find the cider we had left near the flat, but I'm sure we made two people really happy. We got back to Crawford, hung around for about 20 minutes, then met back at Bakers Row where the bus met us to take us to the airport. After successfully checking in there, we walked around the place that was more like a mall than an airport, taking sample shots of Smirnoff and Bailey's. Finally, it was time to board. This plane was slightly smaller than the 747 we came to Europe on, but was way more comfortable. After taking off an hour late, I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. After an hour of jerking my head up from falling asleep with nothing to rest my head on, the two seats in front of Erica and me were still unoccupied, so I got my stuff, got comfy, and spread out. I passed out, and with the exception of about the last two hours, slept the whole way home. And before we knew it, we were back on US soil, and my phone had service again! The group made it through Customs, way faster than it took in London, and waited on luggage. Finally, I had my bag, and I was making my way to the waiting area to find my ride :) And there he was, jeans, tee, and a suit jacket, waiting on me. So we loaded my things up and hit the road. After getting to Brewster, we ate at Eveready Diner, and then came back so I could take a shower and play Call of Duty. Finally I fell asleep: warm, home, and with a full belly.
Today, I slept all day. I have a list of errands I need to take care of, and I will tomorrow, but my body needed to rest. I've done all of my work for the class, with the exception of one last tiny assignment that I'll post when I do it.
Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed adventuring with me!

London: Friday

What a looooooooooooooooong day...
We made our way to meet the group at the Globe Theatre. Fortunately, we got there early, so we stopped by Starbucks, where Erica got her caramel macchiato and I got tap water with ice. We then toured the Globe, which was way more fun than I expected. At first, we sat outside for about an hour, and right when I was convinced my hands were going to fall off, we moved inside and did a workshop (which was WAY fun and made the whole morning worth all the crankiness I was experiencing). Afterwards, we all got tickets to the Globe Exhibition, which was a complete waste of time and money. We spent a whole 15 minutes there, including the time spent at the magnetic poetry board, and then went to Starbucks, where I got a caramel hot chocolate (delish!) and we sat and waited for Erica's Aunt Judy to come find us. When Aunt Judy (aka Aunt Jude arrived) she took us to a pub nearby and treated us (Erica, Eric, and me) to lunch (all three orders of scampi and chips). We then headed to the Tate Modern, where Aunt Jude insisted on getting us tickets to the Pop Culture exhibition. The exhibition was awesome. Full of Warhol and Basquiat and Koons and Herring and Lichtenstein. With the exception of the "over 18" room, all was great. That room, however, was full of images, sculptures, and videos that I couldn't appreciate. I mean - we're all human, we all have sex, get over it. Anyways, we then made our way around two more floors on which I saw works of art by Picasso, Gris, more Warhol, Koons, Cezanne, Matisse, Rodin, Rousseau, Erst, Dali, tons of Giacometti, Pollock, Klee, Monet, and, most importantly, Francis Bacon. Oh, did I mention that with the exception of the Pop Culture exhibition, all of this was free? Awesome! Oh, and we saw a Projection Room by Paul McCarthy. It was one of the most disturbing things that I've ever encountered in my whole life. Not only did I feel disturbed by the fact that I was basically watching porn with about 20 strangers, but I felt like I was in a real-life sexually-explicit Silence of the Lambs scene. After being disturbed and grossed out for a whole ten seconds, we went to the cafe where I had a glass of wine and slice of carrot cake (which was served with sour cream). We then said our good-byes to Aunt Jude, and made our way to the National Theatre. There, we had another back stage tour, which was really awesome. We saw two of the horse puppets from War Horse. They're made in South Africa from bamboo and had Amber eyes. The two puppets we saw weren't in the actual show; the mother, Alice, was cut, and connected to her puppet was a baby Joey. It was still so amazing. But then, while the tour guide was showing us props, she showed us a prop of a huge "life-size" crocodile head. and it was huge. and i don't know about you, but i've never seen a real crocodile head in my life (not that i know of). so i go to my professor and say "hey andrea is that really the size of a crocodile head?" and before she could answer me, or even hear me, this kid in our group goes "yes that is the size of a crocodile, lindsay, don't be stupid, don't be dumb, you need to grow up". So, with a mouth wide-open, i turned around, cheeks hot, and eyes full of tears. It was kind of like the orange incident: it happened so fast, and it left me with not knowing what to do. So after me getting in a few stabs as fast as I could and, if i do say so myself, were pretty good for the short notice and lack of preparation, I tried to enjoy the rest of the tour. When it was over, I went outside to smoke a cigarette and cool off. At first, I wanted to just pull my professor to the side and respectfully let her know my feelings had been hurt and that the whole time of the trip I've felt that most of the theatre students (yes, this was a theatre student) had been rude, bitchy, and cliquey, but instead, I cooled off, decided that I wouldn't ruin our show or bother her, and more importantly, not ruin my time in London. My whole thing was: a) I wasn't talking to you or make eye contact with you b) i'm pretty sure our professor heard this go down and didn't say anything c) it wasn't a dumb question d) why did he have to bother to go out of his way to insult me e) my feelings were really hurt. but fortunately, i decided, like i've tried this whole trip, that it is what it is, and i'm going to make this trip what i want. i don't expect 100% of people to like me, and i don't necessarily like 100% of people, but i do expect to be treated with respect, so that means if you don't like me, ignore me, and i'll do the same. i don't know - it really hurt my feelings, but thanks to a couple great friends, I was able to vent without making a big deal or blowing things out of proportion and then move on with the rest of my night. The show "Nation" is horrible. I'll post my review, but it's horrible. Don't waste your time. However, the company with me was hilarious (yes, that would be Erica) and we had a great time. After the show we headed home, and on the way walked over the Thames and had a beautiful view of the city at night.

*
Nation
The play showed how people from different cultures react with one another and even though there can be differences, people are adaptable and can come to agree eventually through compromising and by having to meet basic human needs. This show was poorly done. Although the basic story line was okay, I thought all aspects of the show were not up to par. This show was not worth doing. It was basically three hours of a combination of stories to make an unoriginal plot, poor acting, poor choreography, and bad music. At first, I thought I had good seats. But when the white girl showed the tribe the stone statues that they thought were gods, I couldn’t see that at all. I couldn’t see most of the special effects, like when people would swim in the ocean, and I could see the pit, and the conductor on the video monitors in front of the top circle but above where I was sitting. The play had a non-linear structure, and was more episodic with flashbacks to the big wave and to the girls family’s funeral. It wasn’t hard to follow at all, because everything on the stage froze while only the moving parts of the stage were the flashbacks being acted. I did not feel connected to the play at all, so I did not feel intellectually or emotionally manipulated. The play lacked any kind of heart, so I was ready to leave from the beginning. I didn’t think any of the parts that were supposed to be impactful were, and I thought a lot of it was ridiculous. The most successful roles were the roles of the parrot and the role of the old man. I thought the characters that were supposed to stand out the most and do the best (the main guy and main girl) failed epically. The parrot was at least funny, but did get old by the end. The old man was just sweet and did the better job of actually acting. The production employed traditional casting for the roles they were trying to convey. I thought the choices were fine. As for spectacle: if it hadn’t been there, I would have walked out. Although I do think a lot of spectacle was for covering up flaws or scenery changes, I was at least happy to have something to look at and have something to entertain me. The shark was cool, and I liked how when someone would dive into the ocean, someone dressed like him would be pulled up behind the large screens and look like they were swimming in the ocean. None of the design affected me emotionally. I disliked the lighting design because the spotlight followed the main characters wherever they went. I thought the costumes were horrible. Why did the main girl wear panniers with her grass skirt? Other than the grandmother’s dress, there wasn’t much left to costume design. I didn’t really like the scenery design, but I did like the background design, but the designs definitely supported the intent of the play. The one thing that impacted me the most and kept me from walking out was the people surrounding me, and looking at them and seeing how much everyone disliked the play. It made me laugh.
*
Now, we live in Flat 9. We got keys to Flat 5 because our showers and heat weren't working for a couple days. So, when it comes time to umm drop a d-bomb, erica and i head to flat 5. So we get home, and decide to stop off at flat 5. We do what we need to do and rendezvous in the hallway, and just when we're about to leave we hear KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. Pause. "Who is it?" terror floods my body. We look around. There are comforters on the beds. "Oh, we're sorry we have the wrong room!" We stand still for a second. We swiftly lock the door and leave, seeing the two girls who had been knocking in the hall as we pass. We ran upstairs. OMG. we laughed and laughed and laughed. yes, both bathrooms in flat 5, which is now obviously occupied, were blown up. Thanks Acorn, for requesting the keys to flat 5 back before people moved in. Great job with the security...
So, we did a few theatre reviews, now i'm blogging. It's time for bed. We have to be up and at class by 9:30, but it's the last early day, and most importantly, last day of class!
I've loved London. It has been marvelous. But we're all tired and exhausted, and I'm ready for that plane to land in NY!

London: Thursday

As usual, Erica woke me up today. For the first time, I asked for five more minutes. After getting up and getting dressed, we made our way to class (and the walk gets shorter and shorter every time). In class, we each presented a picture and description of a painting that we picked at either the National Gallery or the National Portrait Gallery. Like I've said, I picked "Child with a Dove" by Pablo Picasso. After that, Nancy, our local Londoner, presented a powerpoint about Pantomime, a type of theatre found in the UK around Christmas, telling the story of a fairy tale with children and parents composing most of the audience, because the show we were going to see later on in the evening is one. We then talked about War Horse, which left me with a lump in my throat and a headache - yeah, it's THAT good. We then had an hour to eat lunch (I had a homemade sandwich from EAT.) and then meet the group at the Holbourn station for the Underground. From there, we rode all the way out to Middlesex University (a sister school to SUNY New Paltz) for a tour, which really means advertisement. Don't get me wrong, I have had an unbelievably great time here in London, but I'm ok on coming here for an entire semester. Anyways, from there we took the Tube to Stratford and made it to the theatre with 5 minutes to spare. By this time, though, I still had a horrible headache, and had taken two huge Tylenols, housed glasses of water, and even tried Coke incase it was caffeine withdrawal. But, despite my headache, I had actually become excited for the show. We all needed a little comedic relief, and that's just what we were about to get. The show was awesome - nothing too heavy, lots of double entendres, wonderful costumes, and lots of audience participation. It was so fun to watch the actors crack up with us and each other.
*
Aladdin
The playwright was trying to show that in order to find true love, you have to be yourself, and no matter who you try to be, you won’t succeed unless you’re yourself. Also, that there is more to life than money and things. The play was done wonderfully and I thought everyone did a great job. I’m so glad they put the plan on, and they should definitely keep doing it! I was on the second row, so I felt that I had tons of interaction with the cast, and fellow audience members. The only problem that I had with my seat was that I couldn’t see what was on the floor of the stage, like when the old man was looking for gold coins on the ground. The play’s structure was a traditional linear structure. I was definitely manipulated emotionally because I laughed the entire time, maybe not so much by the playwright, but definitely by the actors and their ability to improvise. The most successful performance was by the villain because he was hilarious and witty, and the genie because he was talented and awesome. Also, by Aladdin’s mother because she was absolutely on top of her game and stayed completely in character the entire time. Dynamic performers were distinguished from mediocre ones based mostly on their ability to connect with the audience. The cast for this show was definitely non-traditional, and looked for specific races and genders for specific roles. I don’t think any of the spectacles covered up flaws because I don’t think there were any flaws, and if there were, the cast went with it. It wasn’t a formal show where flaws aren’t allowed. The only sort of design that impacted me emotionally (made me laugh) were the costume designs (outrageous and over the top, especially for Aladdin’s mother) and the music designs (which included contemporary music and hip hop). The design of the production definitely supported the intent of the play. The one thing that impacted me and will stick with me is the way the actors connected with the audience by listening, responding, and being witty enough to create a relationship with us.
*
By the end of the show, I was hungry and exhausted. We took the Tube to Charing Cross, and then walked to the pub on our block. I was even more exhausted (falling asleep on the train), my headache was full force, and I was hungry. We weren't going to the pub to drink, we were going to get our favorite dish: french fries and garlic mayo. When we got there, literally 3 minutes before ten, the kitchen had been closed down. Eric and I went outside to tell Erica, and after standing there for a few seconds, the manager came out and said they'd be more than happy to start up the friers for us. So, luckily, we got our fill of garlic and grease (which magically cured my headache) and then headed home. I took a shower, organized my things from the day, made our plans for how to get to where we're going tomorrow (The Globe Theatre, or some place like that), and am now updating my blog. It's off to bed now. Two more early days ahead of us, then sleeping in Sunday until High Tea, and then sleeping in on Monday until the bus comes at 12 to take us to the airport. Cheers :)

London: Tuesday

Today was the hardest day, by far, to wake up. Like I said, I've been trying to keep up with my blogs as we go, and after a packed day, it can be not only exhausting, but also time consuming. So I got up, got dressed, and we walked to school. We talked about swan lake and also the design aspects of theatre (costume, scenery, sound, choreography, etc). Class was done by 12, and we got to choose whether to got to the National Gallery or the National Portrait Gallery, where we would look around, and then pick a painting that we liked or was meaningful to us to share with the class at our next meeting time. Erica, Eric, and I went to the National Gallery, which is right beside the National Portrait Gallery, located in Trafalgar Square. I was able to take a couple pictures in the entrance at the National Gallery, only to then find out that pictures are not allowed. Oh, and what treasure did this museum have in store for us. In a span of two hours, I stood in the presence of 13 paintings by Monet, 4 pieces by Manet, 4 works by Renoir, 8 pieces by Cezanne, and other works by van Gogh (4), Pissarro (10), Rembrandt (3), Da Vinci (1), and tons of other 18th to early 20th century artists. You know, I've never really understood people who stand and stare at paintings. I mean, I get certain things, like getting closer to see brush strokes or details and colors, but standing there? I've just always thought it to be the wanna-be hipster cliche thing to do. But today, it happened to me. I turned a corner, and boom, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I looked up and I was standing in front of the most beautiful painting I have ever seen. It was "Child with a Dove", painted by Pablo Picasso in 1901. And when I say beautiful, I don't necessarily mean the most vivid or excellent imagery, and not even the best use of colors. But the imagery spoke to me. This painting literally called my name. I immediately wrote it down, and then looked back up. As I wrote, my heart raced. And when I looked up, I got a huge lump in my throat. I stared, and the lump grew. I didn't want to cry. It was the middle of the day, and I'm in a museum with my friends. So I walked away to keep seeing and writing down other pieces. But I found myself rushing around the room, just so I could get back to The One. And when I made it back, I couldn't contain it any more. I felt hot tears running down my face. I felt my cheeks flush, and I felt my eyes want to divert. And I couldn't help it. It was literally like I was a moth to a flame. And it was strange. The plaque beside it said ""This was painted in Paris at a transition point in Picasso's career. The background anticipates the predominant tonality of the images that mark his Blue Period. The dove and the child's plaything heighten the sense of fragile innocence." I bought the postcard so I could try and keep the memory forever, and even though it's the same image, it doesn't emit the same feeling. But when I think about it, and even writing about it, tears flood my eyes. Catharsis.
After the museum, we made our way to Drury Lane for a backstage tour of the Theatre Royal. The theatre is amazing, and has tons of history. I took videos of our tour guide, but at one point I got yelled at, so had to be a little more sneaky from there on out. What I found interesting about the place: it's super old, tons of royalty has been there, it's haunted, the stage can rock, shake, scissor, and rotate 360 degrees, and Lord of the Rings was put on as a play there. After about an hour, the tour was over, so Erica, Eric, and I made our way to grab some dinner.
Let me just say, I am so sick of eating out. We bought groceries, but we never have the chance to go home and eat. According to people who have been on this trip before, they had more free time in the day to go home in the middle of the day to eat lunch or dinner, but we don't. I'm not complaining about the schedule - I would like to see as much as I can, but being out is where all the money goes. And don't get me wrong, I'm really happy about all the things I've gotten to see, but I feel that a majority of our itinerary was filled with things our professor wanted to do, not necessarily things the group needed to see. But it is what it is, so we go regardless, and we manage to laugh and have fun, even if every castle looks the same as every other castle... ;)
For dinner, we found a small Italian restaurant. I didn't want to spend a lot of money, so I ordered homemade mushroom soup and iced tap water and we were given one piece of bread each. The soup was absolutely delicious, and quite filling. Turns out, we paid for the bread with the 80p cover charge we each were charged that showed up on the bill. Worth it.
We found our way back to Drury Lane to the New London Theatre, where we were going to see War Horse at 7 (not 7:30). I read on the way in that "you'll cry all the way back to your car" so I was a little nervous. After 1984 turned out to be a huge bust, my new "can't wait to see it" play was War Horse. We went it, found our seats (which were amazing), and sat down. The play began, and if you don't know, the horses are huge, real size mechanical puppets. From the first minute I was saying in my head, "Oh my God, if this show comes to New York, my mom HAS to come up and see it". It will floor you. It will amaze you. It will make you laugh. It will make you cry. And it is beautiful. At the very beginning, there's a moment where the foal in running around, and in an instant he transforms into a grown horse, and it is nothing less than majestic. I found myself thinking "It's only the first half, am I allowed to start crying yet?" Turns out, you will cry, but not because it's sad. I mean, there are sad moments, but this play was just above anything I could imagine and just awesome. Absolutely amazing and awesome. YOU MUST GO. Take Billy Elliot and times it by 3. Go see it. I'm telling you - even if it never comes to New York, pay airfare and buy tickets. It's worth that much.
*
War Horse
The playwright is looking at the connection between man and animal, and how strong that connection can be. This was captured wonderfully and almost in an expert-like and unbelievable way. This play will change the history of plays, and I can’t express how happy I am that it was done, so yes, this was definitely worth doing (and seeing)! First of all, we had wonderful seats on the side of the semi-circle stage and were only a few rows back. The performers took full advantage of all of the space of the stage, and even utilized room off the stage by using long poles to make puppet birds fly above the audiences head or coming into the audience to put up flags that stretched all the way back to the stage. When the performers sang, you could pick out individual voices and watch as they started and ended their words. Although the seats were on the side, and I couldn’t always see all of the sketches that were projected onto the screen in the background, this was by far the most intimate setting and the most connected I’ve felt at a performance. The play had a traditional linear structure. This play emotionally impacted me in a huge way. I had read on the way in “You’ll cry all the way back to your car”, and it was so true. During the first half, I found myself thinking “Wow, is it too early to start crying, or can I start now and just keep crying until the end?” This was achieved by the sheer beauty of the horses, and it was true: the puppet horses were even more real than actual horses. When you’re watching the foal gallop, and next thing you know, full-grown Joey comes out galloping, my heart filled with sheer happiness and I was so astounded by the beauty I was in tears. The play made me miss home and miss horses, and the story, as cliché as it may sound, was truly heart-warming. The story wasn’t completely happy and things weren’t always perfect, but everything seemed to genuine and like real life. All of the performances did extraordinary jobs. Of course, the main guy who takes care of Joey was amazing, but my favorites included the German soldier (who really transforms, just proving what the love and beauty of animals can do to someone), the mother (who sticks by her husband and supports him, even when he’s drunk and clearly wrong), and especially the puppeteers responsible for the mobility of the horses. There were no mediocre performers in this play. Not one was simply mediocre. The casting seemed to be traditional, with no one sticking out or looking out of place. The spectacles in the show were amazing, and definitely only added to the show, and were not there to cover flaws (if there even were any). Every kind of design you can think of was in this play, and each one was perfect to the max. As for costumes, even the puppeteers were in fitting costumes. Choreography – a man got shot, and they had five or six men help literally flip him in the air off the horse and then onto the ground AND the footing and movement of the actual puppeteers were flawless. I mean, there were two people crowded up under a life-size puppet running and not tripping over each other with another person on the outside helping direct the head of the horse. It was absolutely insane. The sound designer did a great job. I was so upset when I first when in because there was no orchestra pit, so I figured all the music (other than that performed on stage) was recorded. But at the end, during the bow, the instrumentalists came out and bowed, French horn, trumpet, and all. It had sounded as if it had been a recording playing, and the musicians had been backstage the entire time, and it still resonated around the whole theatre. Also, the actors were micro phoned, but it wasn’t too loud or too soft, and you could not see the microphones at all. The scenery was simplistic, making the most of out a little, not cluttering the stage (which you can’t do with huge puppets everywhere), and wasn’t overwhelming. Also, the scenery was unique with a huge screen in the background with sketches and illustrations being projected onto it to help change from outside to inside to in a war to wherever the characters were. And above all, the puppet designs were out of this world. Of course, the horses were just incredible and majestic, but even the puppets of soldiers, the goose, and the birds were absolutely unbelievable. Each type of design most definitely contributed positively to the play. Everything was so original; I have to say this is absolutely the best play I’ve ever seen in my life. The one thing that will definitely stick with me about this production was the first seen of the foal eating and trotting around and looking so life-like, and then of course the transition of him into a full-grown horse. I will never, ever forget this play, or how it made me feel.
*
So after the show, I was completely exhausted, and Erica, Eric, and I walked home. I was glad to get home and get comfy. I don't feel sick, but my voice is almost completely gone, and I'm tired. I just feel different, kind of like, "ok, keep taking me to shows, but i'm over the whole touristy part of this trip." So I hung out with my flat-mates, had some munchies, talked to my boyfriend on iChat. And then I couldn't go to sleep. Great. So I made myself a Coke and peach vodka, and then had to problem being sleepy. I went to bed, and (it's Wednesday) woke up at 5 PM. Just the sleeping in I needed :) AND I didn't spend any money today. So now I'm updating and uploading and starting my theatre reviews.
We have about four and a half days left, and although I'm ready to start heading home, I am absolutely dreading the flight. This flight is going to be about eight hours, so I figure I'll try and get seats beside my new friends and take some Tylenol PM.
But again, it is what it is, and thinking about it and dreading it won't help or do anything, so instead, I'm going to make a pizza.

London: Sunday and Monday

Sunday:
Erica woke me up (like she always does) at 8:45. We got ready and walked to class, which then promptly started at 9:30. Class was wonderful, and included in-depth conversations, opposing opinions, and interesting concepts about the three plays we'd seen so far: Twelfth Night, Billy Elliot, and 1984. We also discussed a little history about King Henry VIII and his wives, and his palace, as we would be going to see his castle Monday. Class ended at about 1, and at 2:15 we were to meet as a group at St. Paul's Cathedral. Our suite met and went to Acorn (the group responsible for our flats and maintenance) as our heat and hot water and been going out for the past three days. They were helpful, and although it was Sunday, said they would send a maintenance person out that night. At about 1:30, Erica, Eric, Courtney, and I were starving, and since we had made our way to the St. Paul's area, decided to grab a bite to eat at All Bar One. I got chicken skewers and fish and chips (a meal deal, of course), and although the food was delicious, the service was slow and the food didn't arrive until about 2:15. We called our professor to let her know we would be late, as we had already paid and couldn't leave. She was extremely understanding, and said we hadn't missed much of the Shakespeare walking tour the group was going on.
At 2:45, after everyone had scarfed down their dinners, we met Andrea at Paulie D's, and she led us literally around the corner to meet the group. From there, we walked across the Thames on a foot bridge, and wandered around, seeing the Tate Modern, the Globe Theatre, and historic buildings, such as the actual grounds of certain theatres and the church Shakespeare attended. After the tour, which was only about an hour, Erica, Eric, and I walked our way back (yes, over the Thames again) to our flat with plans to relax and get off our feet. I've been trying to utilize my time by uploading pictures and videos and keep up with my blog. For every performance, we are also required to answer critical questions and have discussions in pairs about the shows, and then write them up and turn them in (due in March). In total, we're going to 8 shows, so we'll have a total of 8 reactions. I have yet to start these, but I have notes, and my classmates and I are incessantly talking about and criticizing the shows we see, so this won't be too hard. In fact, other than Erica who wrote her "blog" tonight, I seem to be the only person doing my journal here on the trip as compared to waiting until I get home. I don't see how people are able to not write. Not only am I excited to share with my readers and family what I'm doing, but even when I post every couple days, it's hard for me to remember everything, harder to replicate and reproduce the emotions I felt during an activity, and above all, it takes a good amount of time. So I'm going to stick with my routine.
The walk home was long but we always do it, somehow. It is dreadfully cold here. In fact, the locals are saying this is the coldest it's been in thirty years. But I love what I'm seeing and doing, so I try to pretend it's spring and how everything would look and feel, and that makes everything nicer. But what I have learned is that the next time I travel abroad, which I plan on doing at least two more times, is to get in shape and start walking before we leave. My knees are killing me. I don't think it's from walking, but it could be. I'm more convinced that the cold is actually chilling my bones, but just like any other pain, it's cured with some ibuprofen and chocolate.
At the flat, I uploaded pictures and videos, and added captions to the pictures I had already uploaded. I don't know why, but uploading videos takes literally hours. How curious.
In the evening, we left and went to Sadler's Wells Dance House to see Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake. Although we were in the nosebleed section, I was content. I could see the pit, which had two French horns, and you could see each individual dancer. The show was entertaining and comedic, but also beautiful and poignant. After the show, we came home, I uploaded and updated more info, and went to bed.
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Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake
The playwright is updating a classic ballet with the use of comedy, traditional garb, modern scenery, and technology like cell phones. I thought Bourne did an absolutely fantastic job and this production was well-worth doing, and for the audience worth seeing. Although we were in the nosebleed section, I thought we had the best seats in the house. The performers projected their actions and dances big enough for each audience member to see, and we had a perfect view of the orchestra pit. The seats, however, were squished and hurt my legs, and the backs of the seats were straight up which made for an uncomfortable portion of time for sitting. Although the theatre was huge, the stage was big enough to accommodate the theatre, and the staging was spread out enough where the performers didn’t look like a cluster of ants. The show told a beautiful story with a traditional linear structure. I didn’t feel intellectually manipulated, but again, the story, music, and dance performances were so beautiful that I did feel emotionally manipulated. The play, though ending sadly, made me feel nice, like I was there to attend the ballet and actually enjoyed myself while I did. Honestly though, the music and the heat created by so many people made for a perfect place to nap, and during the first half I had trouble staying awake, but was continuously awoken by the sound of a satisfied audiences applause. The casting was mostly traditional, with the exception of the all-male cast of swans. This didn’t convolute the story, but if anything, enhanced it. With the male swans, the story had minor changes, but the overall storyline remained true to the original. The male swans and the protagonist contributed a homoerotic yet romantic feel to the ballet. I was really glad to get to see this version of the ballet, and I loved the choice of the male swans. Although I don’t think the spectacles in this performance were covering up flaws, I found it interesting that they were used to hide cast members and serve as entrances, such as the big bed the prince slept in. Spectacles such as the shadows of dancers (making their movements even larger), the gun which shot the prince’s girlfriend, and the lighting served to only enhance the effect of the intent of the play. I was impacted emotionally by the sound design (not only by hearing the orchestra play, but also by watching them), the lighting design (the brightness or darkness of the stage given the mood that was meant to be portrayed), the costume design (which helped give the play a modern and contemporary feel, with my favorite being the swans pants, makeup, and lack of shirts), the scenery (which helped to bring the audience directly into the environment of the performers), the puppet designer (like the dog, which helped gain a few laughs), and obviously, and most importantly, the choreography. After racking my brain, I couldn’t think of any kind of design of the show that I didn’t like. However, in the scene where the prince, his girlfriend, and his mother go to the theatre, I was distracted by the performance they were watching on stage, as I wasn’t sure if I should focus on the mini-performance or the performers in the actual play. The design did nothing less than support and enhance the intent of the play. The one thing that will stick with me most about this performance was how standoffish and unloving the mother was toward her son. He repeatedly tried to hug her and dance with, but she would have none of that. In fact, in the beginning, I wasn’t sure if she was his mother or a wife with which things weren’t going well.
*
Monday:
Erica woke me up, again, at 8:30. We had to meet as a group at Waterloo Station at 10 am. It's not hard to get too, but as any business day is, Monday mornings at the Tube are busy. The journey is easy, with only one change of lines to navigate. We got to Waterloo with 4 minutes to spare, which didn't really matter since half the group was about 30 minutes late, but did matter because being early is being on time, for me and mine anyways.
Have I mentioned that I absolutely despise Waterloo? It's freezing. I mean, it's colder there than it is outside. There's no heat, no doors, and pigeons fly in and out and all about. But, we all grinned and bore it, and everyone finally arrived. We got on a train, and headed all the way out to the end of Zone 3 to go see King Henry VIII's castle. It was Andrea's birthday today, so Erica and I folded a piece of notebook paper into fourths and made her a birthday card, with illustrations of Big Ben and the London Eye on the inside. I'm pretty sure she loved it, and it definitely had to be the only homemade birthday card she got.
When we arrived, it seemed that we were in the middle of nowhere. We walked a short distance and saw the castle. It is beautiful, don't get me wrong, and there are about 1100 rooms. But after seeing old building after old building, they all start to look the same. But Andrea was really excited, and after she "geeked out" on us with her extensive knowledge about Henry and the castle, I was happy to be there just because she was so excited. We went in, and like every other old building, there was no heat. But one of our first stops was the kitchen, which held a blazing fire in a huge pit, which served as a wonderful way to warm our bottoms and hands. After meeting our tour guide, going upstairs and watching a brief skit with King Henry VIII, his soon to be wife Katherine, and her sister, we were free to explore on our own. Erica, Eric, and I decided we would go back to the fire and make a plan from there. After warming up, we walked around, taking pictures of the architecture, paintings, stained glass, and each other being kings and queens. After watching one more skit, we warmed up by the fire, and decided it was time to head home.
We're all exhausted. If we're not in class, we're walking around seeing as much as we can, or we're at a show, or we're looking for things to take home, or we're grocery shopping or finding a post office or exchanging currency. The ride home took an hour, and the trains were still as cold as outside. But after an hour, we got off, ran a few errands, and went back to the flat. Since it was Andrea's birthday, we had the afternoon and evening free.I planned on updating and uploading (like always) but then a group of us decided to go to Casa Blue, one of the top Hookah bars in London. Erica, Eric, Rachael, and I took the train a few stops east and got off. After walking what felt a little too far, we found it. I loved it here. With the exception of location, it's been my favorite atmosphere I've been in so far. There were leather couches and comfy chairs everywhere, and the lighting seemed to cast a red glow on everything. And they played Red Hot Chili Peppers the entire time. The group ordered a fishbowl of Bunny With A Gun (a drink composed of lime, strawberry rums, and absinthe). Surprisingly, after downing the drink in under half an hour. I felt nothing. Maybe it's from kicking my meds, or maybe it's from getting used to having a drink every night, but other than a slight woosiness upon standing, there was nada. Don't get me wrong, I'm not ever looking to lose my cool or get drunk, especially when we're in unfamiliar territory, but I was looking to see the green fairy. I mean, this drink has been banned in the US and in several countries in Europe, and I can't even see why. Disappointed.
After getting back to the flat, I continued my routine of updating and uploading, took a shower, and am now blogging. It's 3:15 am here, and I have class in the morning, so I have to wrap up.
However, War Horse is tomorrow night. I am most excited about it, and here I'll leave with lump in my throat. GOOD. I'm on a new kick of needing to have a cathartic experience every 2-3 days now.

London: Thursday-Saturday

Thursday:
Thursday morning, we made our way in small groups to the V&A Museum to meet our professor at 10:15. I wasn't so psyched about waking up early for a place that's a bit of a ways, but this is a class, so we did. I didn't even know what the Museum was going to be about, so I tried to keep an open mind because the British Museum turned out to be so awesome. Unfortunately, this one didn't turn out to be so awesome. Instead of taking off to see everything, my two friends and I went to grab lunch at the cafe. Can I just say: the Coke in London is the best pop I've ever had in my life. It's not just pop - it's sparkling soft drink with vegetable extracts, no added preservatives, and no artificial flavours. WHAT? Anyways, there was a theatre gallery, in which Erica, Courtney, and I played dress up, which was absolutely hilarious.Then the three of us went to the jewelry gallery and the painting gallery.We also went to the stained glass gallery, which was absolutely amazing and beautiful and breathtaking. We finished in enough time to have a half an hour to sit and relax. At 1, we made our way with the group to Westminster Abbey. I didn't even know what this would be like; what it was, what we would do, etc. Turns out, Westminster is a HUGE church, where Princess Diana was married and where her funeral was held, and where we saw the tombs of Sir Isaac Newton, Darwin, Charles Dickens, Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots, Hayden, and many other famous people.Unfortunately, the place is FREEZING, but still beautiful with it's Gothic arches and towers. After a brief tour, Erica and I walked around for a bit and got a bite to eat, trying to hang around until 5 so we could hear the Evening Song. But at 5 when we went, it had been rescheduled for the following evening. But we did get a good laugh. We both needed to use the lou, so I let Erica go first. When she first when in, she came back out saying the toilet had a wooden seat (sick!) but went in anyways. So I'm looking around and listening to the Evening Prayer, and I hear the toilet trying to flush. After about 60 seconds of hearing a struggling toilet that obviously would not flush, Erica came out to me doubled over laughing, as quietly as I could, and so we both tried to figure it out. We took it as a sign that it was time to leave. But by this time, we were miserable. The weather here is, and has been, absolutely freezing. I don't know if my muscles hurt from being tight from being, or from that special once-a-month visitor, or if I'm actually chilled to the bone. But whatever it is, it hurts, and this night particularly, I was in pain. So we decided to head to the flat to shower, but on the tube, realized that we didn't have time to shower and then get to the play. So we rode the entire loop of the Circle Line and got off in the theatre district. Turns out, the theatre we were going to isn't located in the theatre district, and is actually extremely close to where we were. So we got on the tube again and made our way back. We stopped at a pub to grab drinks, Erica with her Hoegaarden, me with my Strongbow. What I love about "gettin' nice" with Erica: we have our BMW time (bitch moan whine) and tell it how it is. There's something really therapeutic about it. So we hauled our butts quickly to the theatre and found our seats. The theatre: Victoria Palace. The show: Billy Elliot. If you have the chance, EVER, to see it, GO! It is by far the best show I have ever seen. The music was phenomenal, the acting was poignant, and the story was inspiring. I had a lump in my throat for the entire three hours. It's about dance, but I felt that I, and anyone for that matter, could relate because it's a story about art, and about the artist; his struggles, his denial, and his family's support, or in his case, lack there of.
*
Billy Elliot
The playwright is trying to convey the theme of being yourself, and that you have one life and doing what makes you happy, no matter who chooses to support you or not support you, you have to do what makes you happy. The show did a fabulous job of getting this point across, and this show was definitely worth doing. We had great seats for the show, but honestly, I don’t think there could’ve been a bad seat in the house. However, I couldn’t see the orchestra pit, so I thought that the music was recorded the whole time (because it was that flawless). But although the play was poignant, I didn’t feel an intimacy or closeness with the performance. The theatre was large, and seemed like a newer theatre, so the sound wasn’t great. There was too much electrical amplification, but this might be due to the fact that the acoustics of the theatre weren’t great, or that the cast included children that might not have the ability to project their voices for the whole theatre. There was plenty of legroom, so I was physically comfortable. The only distracting thing was the person beside me sat up in my view range and was curling their hair with their fingers incessantly. The structure was a traditional linear plot. I was definitely affected emotionally, as was the entire audience. When Billy and his mother (or mother’s ghost) sang to each other, I was on the verge of tears, and left the theatre with a lump in my throat. And the music and choreography of Billy’s dancing left me with a feeling of inspiration and awe. Every actor portrayed their character almost perfectly; the father made me feel uncomfortable with his anger and lack of support and Michael made me laugh with his naïve and childish ways and mannerisms. I thought that each actor had strong, successful performances, but the three performers who stood out to me were Billy, Michael, and the dance teacher. They were all successful in portraying what they needed to portray, but my favorite character was Michael. I don’t think that the actors had much control over whose performance was more dynamic versus mediocre. (Of course, they do have control over how well or not well they performed). But in this case, if one had a main role, they were the dynamic characters. The casting in the show seemed to be traditional - no odd balls sticking out. In this case, spectacle was not used to cover up flaws. When Billy rose into the hair (hanging by a line) and was spinning, it was more a metaphor for his life and him growing. It was not a mere distraction while others were doing shenanigans. I’m sure in Aristotle’s time, he was correct about spectacle, but in 2010, there are things called lighting and drop curtains, and spectacle doesn’t need to be used to distract the audience from seeing flaws. Shows nowadays aren’t magic shows, they’re performances. I thought the scenery and music design was most impactful. The scenery was realistic and detailed enough to look believable, but not overwhelming. The music, more the lyrics than the actual instrumental accompaniment, impacted me the most, making the show more of a tearjerker than I expected. However, the choreography was absolutely brilliant, with Michael’s dances evoking laughter and comedic relief, and Billy’s inspiring and absolutely stunning routines. I couldn’t believe such a young person could dance like that. It made me question, is someone groomed for a role like that, or do they show up at a casting call and fit the role and then learn to do that? I also liked the costume design. The dance teachers hair, makeup, and costume design were all fabulous and stylish. But I did think that sound design was done poorly, and was way too loud for my overall enjoyment. The design of the production most definitely supported the meaning and intent of the play, but if more had been added, it would have started to take away from the actual performance. I thought things were nicely done, and just enough was done. The one thing that impacted me about the play was the love that was shared during Billy’s songs with his mother. It was so nice to see that he had a fan, even though she wasn’t even alive.
*
After the show, everyone was exhausted. Erica and I tried to walk quickly. We made it to the tube, and the two piercing pains in my belly that seemed to shoot from my front to my back, had me doubled over in the tube station. Luckily, we made it home, and turns out, a little ibuprofen and a Hershey's bar is a cure-all. Although I was tired, I stayed up to get to talk to my Bradders for the first time since I've been here. (Completely worth it, by the way). Then it was off to bed.
Friday:
Another early morning. We had to travel Westminster again to meet the group. We were taking an hour-long river cruise from Westminster to Greenwich (pronounced by the Brits as "green itch").It was still freezing, but I discovered on the cruise that putting gloves on your feet can actually be warmer than wearing shoes. We saw a couple cool things down the river, like The Globe Theatre and the London Bridge (that's a replica as the real one is supposedly in a museum in Texas). At Greenwich, we walked through a park, up a huge hill (Hey Brad, you know your driveway? It's like that, but steeper by about 10 degrees) to do something I didn't even know we were going to do (I love these kind of things). We were standing at the Royal Observatory, and guess what's there? The Prime Meridian! So yes, I got my picture taken in the cliche pose of having one foot in the Western hemisphere and the other in the Eastern, but you can't say you have.But after about 15 minutes of being by the Thames, and on a hill, the wind had numbed about 85% of my body and I was over it. I was like, wait we just walked up a hill which was on one side of the line, and stood at the gate which is on the other... so the magic was lost. But there was a cool statue that I got my picture taken with. Some sort of silver sculpture with a glass point at an angle.This, I learned (but more kind of hear), is supposedly the line of the axis through the earth. So Erica, Eric, and I made our way down the hill as quickly as possible (which was undoubtedly 100% easier than going up) to go through the town and visit Greenwich market. Of course, we laughed and laughed at ourselves and each other randomly wobbling and slipping on the whole one-centimeter of snow. We were all hungry so we stopped at Kings Arms to eat some lunch. The place was awesome - it was warm (we sat in leather chairs by the fire) and the food was amazing. Instead of plain ole fish and chips, we all got Scampi and chips. (I think scampi's a crustacean - it definitely tasted like shrimp). It was SO delicious, though! In fact, the scampi was so good, i didn't even put vinegar on it so I wouldn't ruin the taste (and i LOVE vinegar). And I got Coke from the fountain here (first time in the UK)! I went outside for a quick smoke in the back patio area, and sat under a heated tent and made friends (who actually took the picture of Erica, Eric, and me by the sign). When I went it, Erica and Eric said our waiter had mentioned an awesome place to go out that was located by our flat. Not only did he say it was awesome, he said it was the top club in London. Turns out, it's one of the top 3 clubs in the world. See below for more info. We thanked him, and made our way to the Market. There were cool shops and little tables set up. And we found THE coolest thing. (Mom - quit reading unless you want to ruin your surprise... ;) ) We got little packets of tiny tiny beads, that when you add water, grow into balls that you put into flower vases (like marbles), BUT they also feed the plants! and they come in all colors. Then, we got seeds that have words or pictures written on them and when you plant the seeds and they grow, the word grows off the stem. AWESOME! So I got 6 for the special people in my life, and different colored beads for everyone. We were done with Greenwich by then so we got on the train and headed back over to Westminster. We got off at Westminster and went to see the Dali exhibit at the aquarium, which is literally right beside the London Eye. The exhibit was awesome. We took tons of pictures, though close to the beginning we saw a sign that said no photography allowed, but everyone else was so... There were even pieces from Picasso's Blue Period. I was a little afraid of taking pictures of those because there was a BIG sign that said "this gallery is under video surveillance. At the end, there was an interactive exhibit, which featured a huge "smart board" where you could use a fake spray paint can and make graffiti. A little boy (and his mother) were busy creating, so we went to the next room. In this room, there were papers and pencils and pastels and paints and pictures that people had made hung all around. Erica, Eric, and I each painted a card that we then hung up with others. As people put their cards up in the empty frame, a beautiful mosaic was in the process of being created. So before we left, we took pictures of our art hanging with the other visitors's. Can you say you have art hanging in London? I can :)
So we decided to make our way home. At one of the stations before Westminter (Victoria?) we saw a photo booth for passport pictures. We had to get our picture taken. So the three of us cram into this tiny one-stool booth and cheese. The stupid thing wouldn't take our picture. Finally it went, after telling us our pose was not an approved passport picture, and then finally it printed. But anways - Turns out - the theatre isn't in the theatre district. So we got back on the tube and made our way to Battersea Arts Centre on Lavender Hill. This place was like the Harlem of London, at least from what I can tell. We got to the theatre, got our tickets, ran to Subway for a light dinner, then back to the theatre. We saw 1984, the show i was most excited about. turns out - i was wrong. it was absolutely horrible, and i don't mean kind of crappy like Twelfth Night, I mean absolutely horrible. I was trying to convince my friends to read the book and not make an opinion of it based on the play. HORRIBLE. So, at the interval, Erica went outside with me while I smoked a cigarette. While we were standing there I felt a whiz by my calf, and we both heard a THUMP. then another one. we look down and there are two oranges. then there are these two kids, and one goes "Quit smoking it's naughty!" I looked at Erica, both of our mouths open in shock, and then... the kids came and picked up the oranges. Then, I look up, the parents are just standing there, laughing at their children. And when I made a mean face at the kid like "what what you wanna go?" (which, what am i gonna do, hit a 10 year old?) he cocked his arm like he was gonna throw it in my face. And i'm sorry, but the last thing i need is a 10 year old breaking my retainer so I have to walk around with no front tooth, so I looked away, like a punk. So he made some face and said some British rubbish, and walked off. Erica and I were in complete and total shock. This whole ordeal went down in only about 30 seconds. Too fast for me to even think of what to do. so we go in, tell andrea what happened, and sit for the rest of the play, using the time wisely (instead of wasting it by actually watching the play) to pick our fingernail polish off. Like doing something with the TV on just for background noise.
*
1984
The playwright is trying to tell the story of the novel of 1984, and depict the ideas of the Big Brother, mind control, surveillance, and a life with no choices or privacy. The play depicted all of these things, but was not what I expected. I expected the play to be more of the story of Winston, his inner struggles and personal experiences, which the play touched on, but I felt like the play was just a mere summary of the novel. Was it worth doing? I still don’t know. I absolutely hated the story they chose to depict, so I would say no. But artistically, I thought it was different, so I would say no. I’m torn, it’s something I personally could have lived without, but I’m glad they’re trying to get the story and reality of Big Brother out to the public. I sat at the very top of the seats, which I think was helpful because I could see everything, whereas the people in front couldn’t see or catch some of the signs up close. But, I could see between the cracks of the barricades and could see if they were preparing to hold up props or hiding. Unlike everyone else who was sitting on benches, the back row had chairs at least. I found the theatre to be bleak and small, almost like a prison cell, but that could be the feel they intended on seeing as the story had a lot to do with imprisonment. The play had a minimalist style, and that theme was brought to life by the costumes, properties, theatre, scenery, and sounds. I wish I had been a little closer to the stage merely so I could have seen the details of the puppets better, but I was impressed that even though the puppets were small, I could still see them and understand them. This play had a traditional linear structure; it started, told a story from beginning to end, and then ended. I was manipulated intellectually, and even though I didn’t enjoy the performance, I was manipulated emotionally. The fact that I was agitated the entire time seems to me like a manipulation of my emotions. The eight-bit music was annoying, the never-ending signs got old and corny, and the girl playing the old man (who NEVER quit squenching her face, even when she wasn’t being that character) got under my skin like nothing else. For the style of play, I thought that all of the actors did a fine job. Winston was most successful, as he annoyed me less than all of the others. He seemed the most human of all, considering the people he was around were like little robots in their socialist government. But overall, I didn’t find any of the performances dynamic or anything to swoon over. The casting was traditional. In fact, all of the actors (with the exception of Winston and his chest hair that covered his neck) looked the same: white skinned and average. Other than the digital music and overuse of props, there wasn’t any spectacle in this performance. They didn’t need any, not for the story they chose to convey. However, in a larger venue, they would’ve need something more than annoying sounds and signs to keep anyone from getting up and walking out. The bland costumes and colors had an impact on me, most definitely. Other than being annoyed, I was not emotionally impacted. I deeply disliked the sound design, set design, and lack of scenery, but I really liked the puppet designs. Above all, the design of the production most definitely supported the intent and meaning of this show. It was minimalist, bare, and almost unbearable. The one thing that most impacted me was the audience. The people in front of me laughed at everything, which I found the play to not contain funny themes or actions. They laughed at Winston fucking Julia, which was so over-the-top to show how bad they wanted to just have sex, not to be funny, and laughed at Winston being electrocuted, which I guess if you find people being shocked and then screaming with their hands out because of the pain funny, then this play is right up your alley. I felt that this performance tried really hard to depict what the novel was about, but lacked depth, and the audience just wasn’t ready to think critically instead of laughing and looking at what was right in front of their faces.
*
Finally, that sorry excuse for a play was over, and Erica, Eric, and I took off (trying to escape the group too). We practically ran to the Tube station, only for there to be technical difficulties with Eric's oyster card. But we managed to get on the train with only 2 other people from the group also making it. We returned to the flat to get dressed. We were going to Fabric. After getting cute and freshening up our scent and make up, we headed out. And we saw the line. The line for Fabric. So we stopped at a pub to get a drink while the line was so long. There, we met three people from Paris: Carrie, Julian, and some girl who's name sounded like a Jewish expression and I couldn't pronounce, let alone spell. It was nice, they liked Americans, they called Paris magical, and they were funny. It was nice - I'd kind of given up on Paris and going. I figured they all hated us Americans and I wasn't so sure about Paris. But they changed my mind, and my hope has been restored! So we all got in line for the club, but the two French girls got separated, so just the Americans got in when we got to the entrance. I can't even put this place into words. Not only was it huge (3, 4 floors?) The music was awesome. You walk into this place, and the bass vibrates through your whole body. It was hot, so we checked our coats (one pound) and went to dance. There were several djs, one for each floor, but i think the one we stayed at longest was Numbers. I don't know check out for the details. So we dance and dance and dance and have an absolute ball. At about 3 I went out for a smoke, and met George, who goes to university at Bath. He LOVED my tattoos. In fact, he said "That looks like some Miami Ink shit right there" and taught me something about swallows. He saw Holly Golightly on my right inner arm, and asked where my second swallow was. I told him I didn't have one. He said you're supposed to get your second swallow when you're on the path that you want to be on in life, and you're happy with where you're headed. Swallows, I learned, mate for life, so they're lovebirds. So I go back in and we all decide that it's about time to go. I had noticed the shirts that the staff were wearing, almost like I <3 NY but it was I A Little About Fabric: (just google "fabric top club in the world")


Recently named the best club in the world (again) by DJmag, Fabric is a club that is universally acknowledged as being the best at what it does because it simply focuses on the heart of club culture: the music. Although Fabric has been graced by the presence of top DJs, it is most widely celebrated for bringing underground dance music and more obscure, but still talented DJs to the spotlight. Fabric was also the first club in Europe to house what it calls a “bodysonic” dancefloor: clubbers on the dancefloor can literally shake it to the beat because parts of the floor are hooked up to 400 bass transducers that pump out the music being played, right into the dancing bodies via their feet. With 25000 square feet of room to get shook in a club in which “there’s never been so much as a dud DJ,” Fabric more than deserves a spot in this list.
Saturday:
Erica and I planned on waking up at 11. At 2, we got out of bed, got dressed, and headed out to run errands. Turns out, everything is closed on Saturday. The weather was miserable, the post office was closed (I HAVE to get these postcards in the mail!), the banks were closed, and even most of the pubs were closed. We found a cute place to grab some lunch then headed home, as it was almost time for me to start my adventure to the concert tonight. On the way home, we stopped to buy groceries. (Yeah, we're a little tired of spending the money to eat out all the time, and dang, it adds up!) So we get home after grocery shopping, and lo and behold, a bag of my groceries was missing. So I get dressed for the concert, and sweet Erica says she'll walk with me to the grocery store and bring my bag back, as it's on my way to the concert. So we go, they have it, she takes it, and I'm off on my own. I went to Holborn and took the Central Line to the Picadilly Line and got off at Leicester Station, which is right at Trafalgar Square, which is where St. Martin-in-the-Fields is located. I had about an hour, so I went to the crypt and did a rubbing (a gold unicorn - awesome, i know!) and had an Italian-speaking family take my picture. Then I made my way to the church for the performance. The man beside me was a local, and nice, and said this was the fourth performance he had attended at the church. Let me tell you (and mom - get ready to find a horn repair shop) - I had a lump in my throat from the first note. The performance was absolutely flawless. And even parts where I wasn't sure it was flawless (which, what do i know?) the emotion that was involved and created in the movements and sounds were flawless. Again, a cathartic experience. Just what my soul has been needing. The whole time, my brain was just drowned in thoughts about how blessed I am. I wanted to call my grammy and my mom immediately and say "Thank you soooo much for making this happen for me!" I mean, no one says your parents or family HAVE to do things for you. I felt their love during that performance. I left, so happy and so full. I found my way back and got off at Holborn, but see here's where I always get a little confused. Yes, I have a map, and 97% of the time, I'm great with it. But I got a little turned around. I passed that damn Starbucks and sandwich shop Erica and I had passed 30,000 times the first day we were here and were lost, but eventually I found Farrindon Road, and then saw Crawford House, which is on the same "block" as my flat and is a place where some people from our group are staying. Erica buzzed me in, and we had a drink, hung out, and I wrote. It's now 1:34, i'm slightly buzzed from my 568 ml Gaymer's cider, we're laughing about cracking the window because we're tipsy and it's hot, but Courtney thinks because there are no screens that bugs might fly in (even though it's the dead middle of winter). I'm gonna smoke a cigarette, talk to my love, and go to bed. Erica and Courtney want me to mention that Erica is currently wearing earplugs and her Virgin Atlantic eye cover (as she would say, eye patches). London has been good to me. Only a little over a week left. Oh, and Erica and I are wearing our Fabric t-shirts to class in the morning.
And now that I have internet on MY computer, I'll be able to update everyday.
And can I just say, so many people said the food would be horrible in London - and I would like to take a moment and say WTF? It's delicious. The veggies are crisp, the fruit is flavorful, and most importantly, things aren't genetically modified. So yeah, there are some shitty fish'n'chips places that don't beer-batter them or whatever, but c'mon, even Subway has fresh ingredients that are better than the US's. So yeah - next time you're in London, if you've had a bad experience, FIND BETTER PLACES and don't be such a tourist.
Cheers!