Week 6-Birthday Week

Might I add as a preface; I turned 21 this past Wednesday and the term is almost half over.

On my birthday, we went to see "The Grand Tour" at the Finborough Theatre...small blackbox at the back of a bar...underneath a sign that said "theatre & toilets." It was a good diversion, entertaining, but that's all I can say about it.

This week's theme/lesson-people who perform theatre, are good, and are around my age do exist in London. I only say this because we are all cooped up in class all the time it is very easy to forget that we are outside of America...even with teachers who have British accents. We went to see the third year students at Guildhall School of Music and Drama perform "Twelfth Night" on their campus. It was a good show, albeit, a peculiar ending-but I really enjoyed myself. The students were having a great time on stage, and that was so infectious. Then, the next say in Shakespeare class, we all got a taste of that actor-audience relationship that is so prevalent in a lot of Shakespeare's comedies. We did this exercise where, while performing our monologues, our peers shouted out questions on lines they didn't understand or words they didn't hear. It was a bit like heckling, but it was helpful, because it pointed out words that I never would have thought-were important to hit, as well as ideas that are fully formed in my mind-but not as apparent to the audience. Really forced us to find the best way to explain using the words of the monologue-our thoughts to our confused peers. It was so much fun. I was once again reminded of the luxury and privilege that I have here-to be young, to study what I love, in a place that is unfamiliar and exciting and increasingly dear to my heart.

Then, this Friday-I took a trip to the Globe to see a friend perform in his showcase. Walking into the space for the first time was breathtaking. I was skipping around, gaping, weeping (inwardly.) Granted, it is not the original-of course-but it still breathes history. I felt proud to be a member of a long lineage of actors, a tradition, a way of life, family, etc, etc. I never did feel as proud or as aware of this in America-in New York, I feel like it is just necessary. Like theatre is something I have been a part of, I've found my niche in, for a long time-and to back out of it now would be foolish. But, oh, those doubts are still there. But for the two hours I was standing in the freezing cold watching the showcase, I forgot all about that...maybe because of the cold but I like to think it was because of my newly enlightened state of being. On to my favorite part of the post:

my friend Allie, the bridge, and a tempestuous London night

Me before La Traviata! 

Pilgrimage to the Globe Theatre. 

Well-deserved bow after a great performance!

In front of the Globe stage

The London Coliseum is exquisitely beautiful.

A good week. Will spend tomorrow having brunch in North London and catching the Chinese New Year festivities in Chinatown. Happy year of the sheep, everyone!

cheers,
M.Ang