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.