January 4th 2014 - The Museum of London

 I first went to London for my 16th birthday with my mother 5 years ago. On this first trip I specifically avoided all the museums.  Personally, I never thought of myself as a person who enjoyed museums and I was more interested in sightseeing. So, when I first looked at our itinerary I was not exactly excited for all the museums we were going to visit.

Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised by how

much I enjoyed visiting the Museum of London.  I also became very grateful that it was our first experience in London.  I learned so much significant history about London that helped me appreciate the city's history.  This appreciation made the rest of my trip all the richer because I understood the history behind the architecture and the culture.  Tour guides we would meet in later tours would reference specific historical events and I would remember all these facts that I learned at the Museum of London. 

I have never actually taken a class on European history.  I knew about historical events from media and cultural references I had seen and heard of, but I never really learned the true facts and affects of all these events.  I was able to learn about how events such as the fire and the plague caused such drastic changes in London's landscape and development.  For example, London's architecture completely transformed after the fire. This is why many buildings that were part of London's earlier history cannot be found anymore.  

Additionally, I realized that I can grow and become a person who appreciates museums.  I was surprised at how interested I was in everything and how much fun I had simply exploring.  In the past, large museums have intimidated me because they can be so large with no direct path, so you never know when you are "done".  This museum was arranged perfectly in chronological order.  You always knew where to go and everything was arranged by year.  In this way, I had a better sense of the actual history and how separate events caused the future.  My favorite time period was the 1920's onward because everything started moving so fast and there was so much accomplishment in such a short amount of time.  I honestly do not know if I would have appreciated this museum as much as I did if I had gone when I was 16.  However, this experienced greatly changed the way I felt about museums in general and it prepared me for all the museums we had in store for us.

January 4th 2014- "Lost Boy"

When I first looked at our show list I was more looking forward to all the West End shows. The first show we saw was in the smallest theater I had ever seen in my life.  I sat front row and I was afraid that if I crossed my legs, I would trip the actors. I was so impressed by the way they used the small space.  I figured it would be a really small cast because of the size of the stage, but they would have a full chorus on stage during specific scenes.  They were jumping and dancing and I could not believe how they could do it all without tripping on each other or falling on the audience.

I was so pleasantly surprised. I was not expecting to be so moved and to see such an excellent work of art. Melody was a very present and effective element during this show.  Unlike many musicals, the music in this show does not try to sell a tune. The songs were not particularly catchy or flashy. These are not songs that you will leave the theater singing or that you will quickly put on your ipod.  However, this music drove the story forward. They felt natural.  It was not awkward at all.  The songs were so much a part of the story that it flowed so well that you did not even realize it was a musical. They were used as a form of expression.  The songs were used to express the thoughts, feelings, and emotions. The different styles reflected the point the story was trying to convey.

What affected me most was the satire. I did not expect to cry as much as I did. It illustrated and satirized society in a very emotional way. I personally question certain things our society seems to associate with "growing up". Alcohol, sex, and simply showing that you are "tough".  I also think that men have this overwhelming pressure to "be a man" and prove their masculinity.  I loved how the show turned that idea on its head and displayed how this sort of behavior actually makes you more of a child.  It was a very human show.  I also was very taken by the number in which Captain Hook was dancing with the bodies of dead soldiers.  It was very uncomfortable and dark but it made the point perfectly. It got me thinking about war and other events that sacrifice the lives of innocent people because someone is trying to prove their worth or "manliness".

Because I was sitting so close, I saw subtle and incredible acting.  Their facial expressions were so genuine.  They also had amazing vocal skills.  At the end of the show, the entire company belted a song and it sounded so beautiful and overwhelming that I got goosebumps.

January 5th 2014- London Film Museum and Houses of Parliament

Throne used in "Elizabeth" starring Cate Blanchett

The London Film Museum was very small but had a lot of cool props used in actual films.  I especially liked the props used in the movie musical "Oliver!"  It did get me thinking about a discussion we had earlier in class concerning the movies and musicals.  "Oliver!" was of course originally a musical.  However, now there is a trend of turning non-musical films into stage musicals.

Theater and films have an interesting relationship towards one another.  They are the same in that they both have the same main purpose, which is to tell a story.  They are different because theater is live and film can be edited.  They illustrate different forms of telling one story.

I do not have a solid opinion on turning movies into musicals.  I am not against adapting and experimenting.  But like anything else, it can be done right and it can be done wrong.  Creators must be inspired.  In this day in age it is getting difficult to decide of a movie is getting adapted into a musical because someone was inspired and has a vision, or if its simply just another way to make money.                                                                

Thunderbirds!

                                                                         After exploring this museum I decided to go on my own and explore the Houses of Parliament.  I had seen them all before but they are the most beautiful sights in London and I cannot get enough of them. I got great pictures of Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the Eye of London.

January 6th 2014- Thames River Cruise, Royal Observatory, National Maritime Museum, and the Queens House

The Thames River cruise had such gorgeous views.  I found the division caused by the river interesting.  I loved seeing the views and the differences in architecture between the two sides of the river.

My favorite thing of the Royal Observatory was

standing on the Prime Meridian! I also liked the accompanying museum.  It got me thinking a lot about the importance of time.  Time affects the activities we chose to do.  Greenwich Mean time is technically the starting point and the ending point of world time.

I felt the National Maritime Museum was more of a children's museum.  The Queens Museum next to it was absolutely beautiful.

January 6th 2014- "Peter Pan Panto"

I had never been to a Pantomime before so this was such an interesting experience.  I feel like I know more about English theatrical tradition after experiencing this unique form of theater.  I expected the show to be smaller.  I did not expect it to be as large, spectacular, and well-put as it was. I heard that pantomime was a low-type of theater so I was expecting it to be more low budget. Oddly, it was one of the largest theaters we saw shows in. I was also surprised by the use of contemporary songs.  I was not expecting that at all.  Although, the type of audience participation met my expectations. It was very childlike, yet it had a lot of adult humor.  I understand why it is not a popular theater form in the U.S.

I honestly was not even thinking of "Lost Boy" while watching the Panto.  They were so completely different from each other that I could not watch them with the same mindset.  I think the story is relevant because the themes of childhood, imagination, and being lost are universal.  Everyone relates to the desire to cling to your childhood.

And I met Henry Winkler! 

January 7th 2014- British Museum and the West End Scavenger Hunt

Rosetta Stone

This museum was so large and overwhelming.  I did love seeing the Rosetta Stone.  I found myself spending the most time looking at Roman statues.  I thought they were interesting and beautiful.  I could look for this type of aesthetically pleasing scenes and sets in the theater.

The West End Scavenger was a lot of fun.  I
participated in the game fully.  I learned that I do not like walking in the cold (:P)  It was great seeing different theaters in different atmospheres.  I felt like it gave me a clear idea of what shows were playing in London and the different settings and types of theaters.  I later found myself knowing where certain theaters were and where certain shows were playing because I remembered it from the scavenger hunt.

Visiting Trafalgar Square during the Scavenger Hunt 

January 7th 2014 -"The Commitments"

I felt "The Commitments" was a lot of fun.  However, it was only fun because of the songs.  I could not really make out a plot that interested me.  The songs did not tell a story in any way. I am not sure if it is easier for the English to understand the Irish accents the actors were speaking in. All I know is that I had a lot of trouble making out what the actors were saying.  I do not have much to say about this show other than the fact that it had catchy songs that I liked.

January 8th 2014- The Tower of London and "Drawing the Line"

I really liked visiting the Tower of London.  I especially liked the way the museums were set up.  The history of the monarchy was particularly interesting.

"Drawing the Line" was my second favorite show of the trip.  I sat in the front row and really was able to see the subtle and incredible acting done by everyone in the production.

The issue of understanding different sides of an issue is very relevant today.  In today's society with politics and religion a lot of people see issues as black and white.  Especially in the United States.  We are given a very ethnocentric view of world events.  I appreciated the idea that everyone is trying to do the right thing.  Everyone has pressure on them.  I think problems would be more easily understood if people were able to see things from another side's point of view. I never was much of a history buff and I honestly did not know much about this point in history. But this play kept me super interested in the story. I also loved that the show ended with the line between India and Pakistan in the backdrop in flames.  That was a perfect way to end the play.

January 9th 2014- Class with Howard Brenton and Backstage Tour at Drury Lane

It was so great to have Howard Brenton as a guest for our class after seeing "Drawing the Line" the night before.  I respected and admired this work so much.  I found it incredible how he was able to write this play while being impartial.  He said it was simply, "telling the truth".  He was a lot funnier and more informal than I expected.  I was expecting more of a distant intellectual.

The backstage tour at Drury Lane was very impressive. I had been on tours of theaters in the past, but this tour went above and beyond.  I especially enjoyed how the tour guides dressed up and acted out parts. It was great having tour guides who were actually actors.  It made the tour so much more interesting.  I had no idea how historic that theater was.

January 10 2014- The Globe Exhibition, Workshop, and Tour, Bankside, and "From Morning to Midnight"

In my previous trip to London, I had toured the Globe Theater. But I loved how in this trip we got a special theater workshop.  I loved looking at the Globe through an actor's perspective.  We got to stand on the stage.  It gave me a deeper insight on how actors performed in that type of space. It was also great that we were able to have an acting workshop.

After the tour I walked down the Bankside for hours.  I took in all the beautiful views and got great photos.  It was one of my favorite photo-ops of the whole trip.

"From Morning to Midnight" at the National Theatre was a very unique theatrical experience.  I believe that the expressionistic elements of the play were effective in telling the story.  I did not necessarily understand all of these elements, but it helped create the world of the show.  The main actor was truly extraordinary.  He was able to do physical comedy and dramatic scenes.  I thought he was a perfect protagonist. 

I appreciated the idea that frivolity is useless.  However, I do not necessarily agree with the fact that family and religion are under the category of frivolity.  It is possible for people to create these values to be frivolous.  But I also think people can find great happiness and meaning through these values. Family and religion should not be put in the same category as money and meaningless sex.  I also do not agree with the final message of the play.  I took it to be saying that life is worthless and meaningless and the only way out of frivolity is through suicide.  I did appreciate the play as an artistic endeavor.

January 11 2014- Portobello Road and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"

This was the first day of our free weekend.  For most of the day I was at Portobello Road with my roommates.  It was awesome to see all the shops and antique stores.  I loved how long the road was and how many shops it encompassed.

That night I went to my show of choice which was "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory".  This show is a new musical adaptation of the well-known story.  I chose this play because I love the story and have loved every adaptation of it that I have seen.  I am happy with my choice because I enjoyed the show a lot and had a good time.

January 12 2014- Berkeley Square

Berkeley Square 

On the Sunday of our free weekend I took time to relax.  I did go walking through the parks around Buckingham Palace.  One park I focused on was Berkeley Square.  In my senior year of high school, my chorus sang the song "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square".  I honestly went to that park specifically to sing that song while actually being in Berkeley Square.  That's exactly what I did. :)

January 13th 2014- Tate Modern Museum

This was a very interesting experience because modern art is so unique.  I liked it even though I did not fully understand it.  I like the fact that a question is being asked even though I do not know the answer.
The display that was simply a mirror spoke to me.  Not because I am narcissistic.  I loved the idea of our faces being works of art. My being in front of the mirror changed it completely.  If someone else were to walk in front of it it would create a completely different work of art.  This work of art changed almost every second because of all the movement going on in the room. Also, we were all analyzing and observing different abstract art, but when we are forced to look at our own faces in public we get uncomfortable.  It reminded me that every person is a work of art.

This is related to theater because every theatrical experience varies per individual.  We all bring our own personal experiences and ideas to every work that we see.

January 13th 2014- "Fortune's Fool"

I did not find the diction that helpful during this show.  At times I felt that the actors were speaking too quickly.  The only character who I felt made good use of diction was the "French" man.  The way he spoke and threw his voice was in line with the obnoxious nature of his character.

The second act of the show seemed to drag a lot for me.  The entire act was the main character telling everyone it would be best for him to go.  I understand he truly did not want to go, but even when his daughter was gone and he was getting abused by others he still stayed.  It felt as though there was no reason for him to take so long to leave.  Especially because of the fact that the door was wide open behind him.  I felt like it was not clear what the actor's reasons for staying were.  Also, I did not agree with the director's decision to keep the door open.

At the end of the play I was left with the question: what makes a gentleman and what makes a fool?  Often I felt that the "fool" of the play was more of a gentleman than his rich counterparts.  It got me thinking about the affects of money and breeding.  Even today those with more money are seen as higher than those who do not have money.  However, the rich often can be more spoiled, disrespectful, and conceited that those with less.  In that way, the poor can act more civilized in their humility.

January 14th 2014- Shakespeare Walking Tour and Henry V

The Shakespeare Walking Tour was informative because it was more historically accurate and exact location wise than the Globe exhibition was.  I got more historical background on how life was like when Shakespeare was alive and the history of the historic theaters.

Later, we saw Jude Law in Henry V.  I believed

this play was anti-war.  It showed all of the dark truths of war and promoted peace with the marriage between Henry and Katherine.  I would have wanted more spectacle.  There were affects such as lightning and smoke.  However, I think they relied more on sound than spectacle.  I think they could have done more during the war scenes. Having read "Henry V", I found it easier to follow.  However, if I had not read the play earlier it would have been harder to follow.  I did enjoy the end scene with Henry and Katherine.  Jude Law did a great job finding the comedy in it and making it interesting.

January 15th 2014-V & A Costume Workshop and Museum

The V&A costume workshop was one of my favorite activities in the trip.  I loved learning about an actual career in theater.  We learned practical applications and what is involved in designing costumes for a show.  It got me creatively stimulated.  We were told to take clippings and fabric and arrange them in a collage.  We were simply looking for creative inspiration.  I had such a great time with this.  I usually am not really artistic but I was inspired.  I loved how this project was open to any possibility.  We were told to design costumes for the three witches in Macbeth.  I always loved the idea of the witches being three innocent looking girls who always happened to be around Macbeth.  By seeing one piece of white fabric I was inspired to make them three maids.  They all looked innocent and pale.  I thought it would be cool if they would simply be working around Macbeth's house and influencing his decisions without him even realizing it.  I also loved hearing everyone else's ideas once we were all finished.  It is so incredible to find what creative ideas can grow from simple inspirations.

After the costume workshop we were free to explore the museum.  Like the British Museum, it was very large and overwhelming.  However, I did not mind it as much because it was so beautiful and unique.  I especially loved the theater section.  As a theater lover, it was awesome to see costumes and set pieces in a museum setting.  I also appreciated the fashion section because I was able to see the way clothes changed through time.  Theater and fashion are categories that you usually do not see in that much depth in other museums.

January 15th 2014- Punchdrunk The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable

This was absolutely the best theatrical experience of my life.  I had never done or even heard about "Emursive".  Honestly, I was dreading this the entire trip.  I am a very shy and squeamish person and when I heard about the fact that we would be walking alone and freely while a story was going on I was really uncomfortable.  I was afraid actors would talk to me or that they would try to scare me.  When we got on line for the show, I was shaking nervously.

When I finally entered into the experience I realized it was just as if I was inside a movie.  Except I did not have to act or be part of it.  I could simply watch and explore and be free to look at whatever I wanted.  Once I realized how cool it was I tried to immerse myself in it as much as I could.  It was so exciting and I feel like I could have been there for days.

The music was absolutely incredible.  No matter who I was watching, the music seemed to go perfectly with what they were doing.  I was so impressed with the actors.  They stayed in character perfectly throughout the entire experience.  Even with audience members bumping into them, watching them, and going right up to their faces.  I never saw an actor look an audience member in the eye, which is absolutely incredible.  I even found myself getting startled every time an audience member walked in because we were all in mysterious masks.  The whole experience was just so cool!

At first, I found a character named Faye who I really liked. I told myself that I would follow her for the entirety of the show.  She wanted to be a star but had an emotional set back after she was cheated on.  At a certain point, her story repeated.  I decided I would follow someone else because I did not want to see the same story twice.  So I followed a bunch of other people until their stories started repeating.  I liked the fact that they repeated.  It gave me the opportunity to go back to square one and see the story through another character's point of view.  The best was when I was following a character called Mary, and she went to a bar to dance with her lover. I heard Faye singing in the other room and realized that I had seen that exact scene through Faye's side beforehand.

I realized that I did not really see an overall plot that united all the characters, but I did not even care.  It was just such an incredible experience that I do not even feel that I need to know what the full story was. It is incredible that a group of people could go to see the same show and have completely different experiences. I think everyone should experience something like this at least once.  I am looking into "Sleep No More" in New York because I would love to experience more of this type of theater in the future.  

January 16th 2014- BBC tour and Afternoon Tea

On our last full day in London, four of us decided to go on the BBC tour.  The main reason I wanted to go is because I am a fan of Doctor Who and I wanted to take pictures by the tardis.  But, I ended up getting so much more out of the tour than Doctor Who memorabilia.  I got to see the biggest newsroom in Europe.  I learned about how BBC has been a leading news channel for so much of the world's history.  The Beatles, Elton John, and Michael Buble among many others performed there.  I also learned that that BBC stage was used as a bomb shelter during the war. I heard a clip of a reporter doing the live news when a bomb struck the building.  He heard the blast and continued with the news as if nothing had happened.  The tour guides also told us much about the monarchy through the lens of the BBC news.  The tour ended with the four of us acting out a mock radio drama in the actual studio.  I loved it because we were interested in acting and theater and it was a lot of fun.

Afterwards, we went to afternoon tea as our last full group activity.  It was a nice end to the trip because we had all become so much closer than we had been at the start of the trip.  I am not a tea person but I found that I really love scones!

January 16th 2014- "The Lion King"

The last thing I did in London was see "The Lion King" with one of my roommates.  It is a show that I have been meaning to see on Broadway for years but have never gotten around to it.  I decided to see it in London because its easier to procrastinate when you live in New York.  I loved the way the costumes were made for the animals.  The puppets were absolutely incredible.  The best moment was when a huge elephant walked on stage through the audience. Timon for example was dressed in green, even though his puppet was orange. I was wondering why and then the actor was able to camouflage with the grass. It was beautiful how they created such an atmosphere of nature.  This show made me realize how difficult it is for actors to take on the mannerisms of animals and work with puppets.  These actors did a tremendous job.  There was so much great spectacle.  It was a wonderful end to a wonderful trip!