Week 13 & 14: Act 5

I am sitting in the student lounge at Heythrop, searching for the words to describe these past two weeks.
I am packed and moved out of my flat, and this time tomorrow I will be on a train on my way to Paris.
I have said good bye to all of my teachers and friends-or rather, a "see you soon."

I never expected to grow as much as I did-psychologicaly and quite literally (Alexander class helped me find my full height and we found that I had an extra two inches that I was not using. whoops.)

All this past week, people were lamenting the fact that this program is ending-yes, this part of our lives is ending, but another beautiful new chapter is beginning. Plus, we kept telling each other, we shouldn't be in Act 5 when it is still Act 4.

Acting with Aoife and Shakespeare with Yolanda-two of the best classes, two of the best teachers I have ever had. I will be "affecting people" for the rest of my life.

All of my open rehearsals went off quite smoothly-which never happens, so I was a bit suspicious of my luck. In stage combat, I did a scene from John Dryden's All for Love as Cleopatra-what a joy that was to take our combination that we learned in class and perform it within the drama of that scene.

Movement went well, my partner and I put a lot of effort into our piece, and it was great to devise our own little piece of moveable art/share it with our peers. On a similar note, period dance also went well-brought our ensemble even closer.

Acting open rehearsal-I found a freedom and ease in the scene that I have only found once before-and it was invigorating. It was the reward for all of the work that we did before we even memorized our lines. Shakespeare open rehearsal also commenced in a similar fashion-Ophelia is now beloved to me because I realize I have more in common with her than I thought.

I wish I had more words worthy of a grand poem, to talk about all that I have gone through these past four months, not only by myself-but with all of the people who have gone through it with me.

So, I think I will end this blog series on that note-thanks for reading, whoever you may be.


End of Act 5/End of play/CURTAIN


No pictures, just a little quote by the man himself:

"This above all: to thine own self be true, 
And it must follow, as the night the day, 
Thou canst not then be false to any man." 

London to San Francisco-from one great city to another!

cheers, 

M.A.