Romeo, Romeo, etc. etc.

Thursday (Day 108): Shakespeare as It Was Intended

Work at CPT went quickly today. I spent most of it composing copy and updating the CPT web site for an upcoming production. Tomorrow will be a sad day, my last with Matt and Freya.

The night before, Tuche and I had arranged to meet at a nearby Tube stop. The game that he had played all semester long - getting off one car, then entering another before the train moves on would come in handy, as this is how I joined up with him for our dinner at the Barrowboy and Banker. I could not resist having fish and chips one last time. Tuche had something a little more adventurous, but no less British - bangers and mash.

After a quick stuffing, it was off to the Globe for what we hoped would be a fitting final salute to British life and culture - Romeo and Juliet. As I had hoped, picking up tickets with a strange looking receipt, which the Concierge at my parents' hotel had provided, was a breeze and before we knew it was time for the play to begin.

It was easy to imagine being back in the time of Shakespeare himself. The actors were absolutely fantastic! I'm always surprised by the ease with which the "language of the day" glides off their tounges. No "like" or "uhhhhh" or "you know" for them! Oh, for the days of Jane and William - simply beautiful to hear.

One again, it turns out to be such a small world as I spied Maggie Cummings, from days at the Academy of Notre Dame toghther, among the "groundlings!" While our seats provided an absolutely fabulous vantage point, you can see from this picture that the early bird groundlings have the advantage of VERY close proxmity to the action! Fortunately, the pit is no longer used as a public restroom and those in attendance this night, seeemed much better behaved than those in earlier times.

As the actors took their final bow, I could not help but think that we GCPers would be taking ours tomorrow at our respective intern sites. A sad moment, which only briefly repressed the excitement of our evening. It was capped off by a visit to yet another beautiful gift shop, before making our way back to the tube!

A Place at the Table!

Wednesday (Day 108): Really Sitting at the Table

Tonight I finally got the chance to visit CPT, not as an intern but as an audience member to see A Place at the Table. It traces the shockwaves from the 1993 assassination of Burundi’s President Ndadaye backwards through the Colonial period to ancient myths about the country and then forward to the Rwandan genocide and conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Despite going into the theatre to actually sit at the huge conference table that would become the stage, I felt right at home. Since I had practically been a part of the entire rehearsal process for the production and knew many of the actors, I had an advantage over “paying patrons.”

The show was everything I hoped it would be and more. The play presented the African tribal struggle in new interpretive ways that inspired thoughts about justice, good, and evil. Although there was no direct audience participation, the seating arrangement around the table alongside the actors made me feel as though I had my own part to play.

Perhaps the most impressive part of the show was the table itself. When the surface boards were removed, the audience was able to see that the table itself was filled with soil. Some of the compartments in the table even went all the way down to the floor! The actors planted seeds and dug down into the table, bringing up symbolic objects of oppression and silence.

The performance ended in a discussion with the actors, giving the audience an opportunity to ask questions about the African situation. The play was an excellent way to raise awareness of the genocides happening in our world.

I feel so fortunate that I had the opportunity to work with the cast and see their show during my internship at CPT. They were outstanding!

An Overview of Internships

All Different, but Somehow the Same

Truthfully, we haven't spent a lot of time evaluating our intern opportunities. Some have been pretty high powered. A few of the guys have had to wear suits and ties every day. Some have "shadowed" mid-level managers, and did a lot of "observing." A few have been given tasks, with expectations that they work independently and meet specific deadlines. Others have found their work environments quiet, even a little lonely and repetative.

But you know what they say - "You get out, what you put in." - or something like that.

I LOVED my internship! The people were great and I learned so much. The specific assignments were not as rigorous as some, but they did offer a real chance to be creative, to practice computer and research skills, to explore dimensions of the theatre business that I had not given much thought or of which I was completely unaware. For me, the real value of the internship was as much interpersonal and attitudinal, as skill building. Maybe we'll compare notes a little more seriously at a post-semester get together!

Week 13 - Unlucky, Then Lucky

Saturday (Day 90 ): A Bird's Eye View of London

There was plenty of shopping, then an early evening spin on the Eye together, topped off with a nightcap with GCP friends at O'Neil's.

Followed by a night out with GCPers.

Friday (Day 89): Alex and Billy Were Brilliant

Alex arrived right on schedule from Manchester, and we found each other without difficulty. We had just a moment to stop by the flat before grabbing a quick bite to eat. Then it was off to Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace. Afterwards, we joined some GCPers for drinks and conversation at a local watering hole. I hope to add a few notes here about the play, but the pace here has picked up a lot, so I can't promise.

Thursday (Day 88): Work Continues

This week, I got a quick overview of the software program that CPT uses to create its on line newsletter. Among my assignments for the remainder of the week is to review the upcoming program, research details about the plays and actors, and then propose an outline for the next issue of the newsletter. With a little luck, it will be ready just before Easter.

Wednesday (Day 87): No Joke!

Earlier in the week, EUSA staff had passed on an alert from the United States Department of State concerning potentially dangerous activity intended to disrupt the G-20 meeting, which takes place in London on April 1. We had been advised to discuss the situation with our internship supervisors, especially if we worked in the financial district, where it was thought that at least disruption of public transportation and demonstrations were most likely to take place.

As far as I know, everyone reported for work today. It was easy to see that police were out in force. In addition, streets around London Square were closed, as were tube stops in the general area. There was lots of talk on the streets and many of us were anxious about what the day might hold.

I DID NOT TAKE THESE PICTURES, MOM AND DAD. The one below appeared in the Daily Mail, a London News Service. Things got pretty hot and heavy at the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Bank of England. (An unnamed GCPer actually took the picture above. A little too close for my comfort. Crazy!)

This is my fourth trip to Europe. Each time there's been a real, live example of social action in the streets. If it's not crazy soccer fans celebrating a victory, it's a union on strike. If it's not a union on strike, it's anarchists trying to bring down capitalism. I think there is a serious message in all of this that deserves reflection, but not here, not at this hour.

In other news, the average Briton on the street seems more than disappointed that upon meeting the Queen of England, the Obama's presented Her Majesty with an ipod, loaded with pictures of her most recent visit to the colonies and several of the President's speeches - perfect maybe for a teenager, but a Head of State? For our most trusted and important ally? Let's hope "high-fives" were not exchanged. (I didn't take this picture either.)

The ONLY downside to being across the pond right now is that we might miss Villanova's second National Basketball Championship. Let's hope that the intersection of Lancaster and Ithan doesn't look like Threadneedle and Prince's (shown above) after the Cats stomp the Tarheels.\V/ GO NOVA! \V/

Tuesday (Day 86): Awakening with the Gang

After another day of work with Matt at CPT, I joined the usual suspects for play number 9, Spring Awakening. The musical is based on a controversial 1891 German play of the same title by Frank Wedekind. It's set in late-nineteenth century Germany, and "concerns teenagers who are discovering the physical and psychological realities of adolescent sexuality." The original play was banned in Germany due to its sometimes graphic portrayal of sex and violence. In its day, of course, pregnancy, abortion, rape and suicide were not suitable content for the stage, much less public conversation. It has become a "must see" for even highschoolers in the States, as we are much more open about all of these topics now. Given our situation today, however, it does seem reasonable to speculate about the benefits of our new found "enlightenment."

The show has barely been open for two weeks, and it was a great chance to see the original London cast. Overall the performances were excellent; the London actor playing Melchior, much to my amazement, even resembled his adorable NY counterpart, Jonathan Groff! As with some of the other shows I've seen at the West End, some individual performances were better acted than the New York version I had seen last summer.

Seeing it for a second time reminded me just how beautiful the music is and how poignant the message of the story. It's hard not to be touched by the universal messages of love, friendship, redemption and life itself. It's probably one of the most moving shows I've seen, and I'm glad I got to share the experience with some of my closest friends in the Global Citizens Program.

Monday (Day 85): Back to Reality

The work week has come much too quickly, and I realize how much I miss the big bed, the relaxing bubble baths, the beautiful view and the quiet solitude of my weekend in Scotland. But Alex, from Prestbury, will be arriving this Friday to visit, and it will be a fantastic weekend - maybe even a little loud and boisterous!

Meanwhile, my agenda includes:

a return to class - Britons at Work and finishing the final paper, implementation of SWOT analysis at CPT, seeing show number 9 - Spring Awakening at Novello Theatre, mundane chores - laundry and grocery shopping, waiting for Alex - my favorite Briton, and seeing show number 10 - Billy Elliot at Victoria Palace.

Interning - Week Two

Days 78 through 81: What a Great Place!

The second week of internship with Camden People's brings a new set of challenges. See those windows on the first floor of the building? I have to design a display for the upcoming season. Pervious interns have concentrated on making sure that each display element is perfectly aligned with the one adjacent to it. You might guess that this was not the highest priority for creative people like Matt and Freya. Maybe I will try out some "Creative Memories" scrap booking techniques!

I now have my own set of keys and handle daily banking transactions for the theatre without supervision.

The project for the reminder of the semester has emerged from conducting a non-traditional SWOT analysis - matching my strengths against their weaknesses, creating an opportunity for me to be most helpful to them in the remaining month of work. How cool is that????

First Days of Interning

Thursday (Day 74) "Work" and Show Number Eight!

Week one of my internship with Camden People's Theatre began slowly enough - reading policy and procedure statements, signing waivers, taking a tour of the building, but the pace picked up quickly.

There will be a lot of office management stuff to which to attend weekly: updating the subscribers data base, preparing feedback reports to directors, processing receipts from the current show, managing spreadsheets, preparing bank deposits and related tasks.

The director, Matt, is soooooooo nice. Right off, he has asked me to collect biographical data on potential actors, search the internet for foundations and agencies to which CPT might qualify for funding and take minutes at meetings with applicants for CPT's spring festival of contemporary theatre. The festival, called SPRINT, "provides a showcase platform of major importance for emerging theatre practitioners."

Perhaps CPT's most important contribution to the local theatre scene is TONIC, a scheme for the Training Of New and Innovative Companies. "With the support of Arts Council England, London, CPT now works with up to four emerging companies per year, providing support towards the development of new performance work."

Freya Elliott is the assistant director at CPT. She is interested in creating visuals that combine flim with live performance. Freya is also mixes sculpture, video, paintings, prints and performance pieces. Really neat! She's fun too.

CPT's current production is The Flies by Jean Paul Sartre where "Sartre meets Fight Club! Theatre meets Live Indie Rock Music! It's a play with the Band A Riot in Heaven live on stage. The most famous French philosopher, Jean Paul Sartre tells in The Flies “the tragedy of Liberty against that of Fatality.”

CPT's next production, one that I can't wait to see, is A Place at the Table. It's a "bold artistic journey tracing the shockwaves from the 1993 assassination of Burundi’s President Ndadaye backwards through Colonialism to ancient myth and forwards to the Rwandan genocide and conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo."

The really great thing about working here is that already I am getting to see ALL of the theatre business - from the very start of an idea to a satisfied audience filing out the door.

Somebody Has To Do It!

Unbeknownst to me, it's customary in the business for small theatres to schedule an extra matinee performance of a new production just for the "theatre community" - a "private showing" if you will, to solicit feedback and generate "buzz."

This week, The New Wimbledon Theatre issued such an invitation for Holes. It's based on Louis Sachar’s award-winning novel, and follows Disney’s successful film. The London stage premiere at Wimbledon's black box studio is from Director Adam Penford and Designer Simon Kenny.

(Having read the book dozens of times, it was one of my probably my first reading obsessions in elementary school. And even better, I had seen the play produced at the People's Light and Theatre in Malvern just a few years ago.)

So after lunch on Thursday, Matt sent me off to Wimbledon to represent CPT. It was a beautiful spring day. The "assignment" was in a part of London that I had not yet had a chance to explore. Holes is one of my favorite stories. Oh well, somebody has to do it!

Also Today: The Feast of St. Joseph

Happy Feast Day Father Joe!

The Fifth Week - More Sights

Saturday (Day 34): London’s Bloody History

This morning Krista, Ajay, John and I got up early for a trip to the Tower of London, something I’d been looking forward to visiting since we first arrived here. It was a little bizarre walking up to the tower, which looked rather out of place considering that the area around it has now been completely modernized. From inside the walls of the tower you can still see the towering buildings of glass outside which could, at times, be disorienting.

Once inside, we waited a few minutes for the next guided tour to start remembering that Dennis advised us that a trip to the Tower is really incomplete without being led by a Yeoman Warder. We were surprised to learn that the Yeomen Warders, or “Beefeaters” as they’re nicknamed, actually live on the Tower grounds and have extensive requirements to fill before being eligible to apply for a position; they must have served in the armed forces with an honorable record for at least 22 years.

The minute our tour started, we knew it was going to be a memorable experience. It seems that another requirement is that the Warders display comedic acumen while conducting tours - perhaps it really is the best way to approach the topic at hand. Our guide was hilarious, and found ways to turn even the most morbid execution at the Tower of London into a reasonably enjoyable tale.

We started out at the Bell Tower, where we learned Sir Thomas Moore was imprisoned before his beheading. Krista and I immediately looked to each other, recalling our freshman year religion assignment after watching A Man for All Seasons, chronicling Sir Thomas Moore’s famous battle with King Henry VIII. We moved on to the Traitor’s Gate, the separate entrance to the fortress for those who were condemned to death such as Anne Boleyn.

After hearing some more stories of historic betrayal, escape, and death, we found ourselves at the Tower Barracks. It was once thought during the Jack the Ripper investigation, that the elusive serial killer was actually a soldier living there! Right next door is St. George’s Chapel, built on the burial grounds of thousands of executed prisoners including Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, and Sir Thomas Moore.

After the guided tour, we were able to walk around the grounds and view the Crown Jewels! They don’t allow you to take photographs of the jewels, but take my word for it when I say that they were absolutely spectacular! IF WE HAD taken a picture, this is what they look like.

The collection features the first star of Africa, the largest cut diamond of perfect clarity. Krista and I let the “people mover” slide us past the jewels, our eyes widening with each new crown or scepter. It was definitely one of the highlights of the tour, but before leaving we also stumbled upon an exhibit showing different methods of torture used at the Tower.


It certainly wasn’t as cheery as our visit with the Crown Jewels, but no less fascinating!

After seeing everything there was to see, we headed back out to the street to take some pictures with the Tower Bridge before going to lunch and returning to Manson Place, South Kensington. It was a wonderful day. Though we were tempted to continue chatting about all that we had seen, we went to bed early, knowing that our wake-up call for tomorrow's trip to Blenheim Palace and Oxford would come right after our heads hit our pillows! Sleep Tight!

Friday (Day 33): The Show Must Go On!

After e-mailing back and forth between the Camden People’s Theater and EUSA, I woke up bright and early on Friday morning for my internship interview. I was slightly nervous, having no idea what to expect, but I was certain that my love for theater would pull me through any question they could possibly ask!

Getting to the theater was a breeze since I had already taken the time to find it before hand, and as I rang the doorbell at the theater I finally got to meet my (hopefully) new boss, Matt Ball. He was very welcoming, and we talked about what I’d been doing here, why I love theater and how it’s impacted my life, my goals for the internship, and what I knew about the Camden People’s Theater and their mission. Fortunately I had read up about them on their web site! Finally we talked about my strengths and weaknesses (which I had definitely prepared for in advance!) before Matt showed me around the theater and told me about the productions coming up. I was really happy to hear that I’ll be doing some work for their upcoming production A Place at the Table, which traces the history of the genocides in Rwanda and the Congo. Thankfully at the end of the interview, I was actually offered the internship! My first day is March 16th and I absolutely cannot wait to get started!

Thursday (Day 32): High Above the City

With nothing too eventful besides classes during the week, we were all looking forward to Thursday for our trip to the London Eye and pub walk afterwards. Even though it didn’t snow at all in South Kensington, we were all startled and somewhat pleased to have another snow day. Thanks to the snow in the countryside our macroeconomics teacher was unable to make the trip to EUSA for our class. None of us were too upset about another chance to sleep in, but we were worried that our plans for the evening were going to be cancelled.

Fortunately this was not the case and we headed out into the freezing cold. The ride on the London Eye was nothing short of spectacular. All twenty-five of us climbed into the Ferris-wheel car that we would stay in for half an hour as we went to get a bird’s eye view of the city at night.

It was breathtaking, and even more exciting that the lights illuminating Big Ben that night were green! I was so excited and got some great pictures! Finally back down on the ground, we walked along the South Bank with our tour guide, stopping by some of the places we had already been and learning even more about them.

It was amazing to see how different the city looked at night, and we all managed to appreciate the tour despite the weather! We stopped at four different pubs along the way and grabbed some delicious fish and chips before going back home for the night.

We passed the London Dungeon on the way to the London Bridge tube station, which made me even more excited about our eventual trip there, even though no one wanted to go over and look at the outside with me. Apparently the darkness made it too scary, making people feel as though Jack the Ripper or Sweeney Todd could pop out at any moment! I went to sleep as soon as we got back home, getting rested for my internship interview tomorrow. Wish me luck!

A Snow Day!

Monday (Day 29): Let it Snow!

Heaviest Snow Recorded in 20 Years.
Class cancelled. Public transit suspended.

My three roommates and I woke up surprised to receive e-mails cancelling class for the morning! After we had gone to bed abandoning the Super Bowl at halftime, it had snowed four to six inches. Back home, such a snowfall might lead to a two hour delay, but in England, this is the most snow they’ve gotten in the past twenty years!Because snow is such a rare occurrence and because many of the roads are so narrow, many go unattended. Tube lines were either closed down or delayed, AND my internship interview with the Camden People’s Theater scheduled for today was cancelled. Despite these set backs, Tuche and I trudged to Piccadilly hoping that at least movie theaters and West End shows were still open. We were so excited to see Che Part 1, but no such luck!At least the Pizza Express across the street remained open, allowing us to go back to South Ken feeling like we’d done something fun! Regardless, it was a great day without classes that gave us a beautiful view of the city in the snow!

A Quick Update and BIG News

This is going to be just a quick update, but I received my Visa in the mail the other day and I couldn't be happier. The intensity of the process and the complexity of the forms had me worried that something might go wrong, but when that UPS envelope arrived I was elated. Its basically a giant sticker which resembles the front page of a US passport but with UK stuff all over it. They stick it in one of the available pages of your passport....so we finally discovered the reason why we had to send the New York office my passport and not a copy. Anyway, it feels really good to know that we've done things well and I'm really all set to go to England now!

Now for the really BIG news ...... my London intership ... I've been tentatively placed with the Hampstead Theater!!!!!! I'll be working with their Children's Theater Program. Words cannot express my happiness at this news.

Meetings of the Most Exciting Variety

This week has certainly been filled with news of London!

Monday was my first internship placement meeting, where I discussed my specific interests and goals with Kaitlin, our London contact. We talked about my goal of finding a way to combine my eventual career in business with my passion for the arts, and how that could apply to my internship sites. We came up with several exciting options, including theater, film/television, galleries/museums, and journalism, with theater being my first choice.

If I get an internship with a theater, I could be working with theater management or PR operations, which would be soooo exciting. And while West End internships are super selective and probably out of the question, I'm still keeping my fingers crossed. It doesn't matter to me where my internship is; anywhere they could place me sounds fascinating and I can't wait to find out where I'll be working! YAY! :)

Tuesday was our pre-departure orientation meeting. Katlin reviewed a lot of what we had heard before, but we got exciting news that if we apply online for an International Student Identification Card, we can get tons of discounts in London (movie tickets, museum admission etc.). We were also given information about how to order our international cell phones, which will surely come in handy while we're there! Incoming calls are free and that's about it. So if you want to call me, the best thing to do would be to get one of those 10 cents a minute international calling cards. Of course, I'm a great advocate of Skype, especially if you have a webcam. That way I can talk to you AND see you for free! WOHOO!

So now, we wait until December 4th: our next meeting. It seems like so far away, but I have the feeling that November is going to fly by! Hopefully I'll have an internship update to post before then, but we'll see what happens!

VISA of the Non-Shopping Variety

Well, I've finally managed to finish my UK Student Visa Application. I consider completing it a small miracle. There are only so many ways I can assure people that I'm not, in fact, a terrorist and explain that my parents are American. If a study abroad program is in your future, DO NOT PROCRASTINATE with your application. There are a ton of questions to answer. They're all super specific. Now that I have finished it, we need to find an office in Philly to submit my finger prints and various supporting documents.

The next big task is to schedule an appointment to meet with the EUSA London contact to discuss potential internship sites. I'm so excited. I'm going to try to get an internship somehow related to publishing, theater or film. Past Villanova students have been placed with the BBC, which I think would be absolutely amazing.

I cannot wait for it to be January 4th, but with October almost gone I don't even want to think about how fast it's really going to come. It's CRAZY! But everyday in Business Dynamics class, sitting next to Krista, makes me more and more excited! I can't wait to actually post about Londony things instead of logistics and longings!