Thinkers, Lovers and Dreamers

Well it's been a busy week. You know, seeing shows and turning twenty and all. ;) Lets jump back.

Last friday we had classes, i got out at 3:30 and ran to the Globe theatre to get Tickets and then flew home, took a quick shower and headed back to Kensington High Street. A few of us (Ann, Geoff, Sienna and Aylia) wanted to check out Jazz Piano Bar we always pass by. It was SO NICE. But they reserve the place weeks in advance, but because it was so early we no one was there yet, so we got to sit down for a little while and listen to the pianist. It was great. We're getting a reservation and going again soon! Then we decided to head home and check out "Ben's Thai", which is a thai resturant above our local pub. IT WAS SO YUMMY! SERIOUSLY!!! I LOVED IT! And then we came home and we had a little move night with Peter Pan! It was lots of fun just to have a simple night, and to chill! I loved it!

Saturday i did some work and then headed out to Kensington High Street to do some errands with Sinead. Went to our little cupcake place. We're also, i must say, in love with the boy who works in the cupcake place. It's rather silly, since practically everyone fancies him. But, yes the cupcakes are fantastic too. We also just wanted to walk around a bit. After some lunch, we headed home and i got ready for Inherit the Wind.

{image}

Inherit the Wind was brilliant. I went by myself, and loved every moment. It so took me back to Sophomore year! But i certainly appreciated the play much more now! First off, Kevin Spacey was...perfection. His speeches were so moving and inspiring. It's such a great play, with really lovely and moving moments. It's very powerful, if it's done right--and this was. It is very strange watching a british cast putting on an american (southern american) play. I think some of their accents were a little weak, which surprised me. And the space was HUGE. The Old vic itself, the seating, isn't too big. I was sitting first row circle (or mezz) but the stage was HUGE. I thought it went on forever. It went so deeply back, which worked so well. And i also loved how they kept all the music in, and i believe added some. I worked so well and added so much to the production. I also really loved the man who played the Journalist, he's such a great character and he sounded perfect. I walked away in such a state of awe. Especially since at least half the audience gave a standing O. Which is rare here.

Sunday was also lots of fun! I did some work in the morning and then we headed back over to the Globe to see Loves Labor's Lost! It was a very fun show! I have never read or seen it, and i really liked it! It had a lot of physical comedy, and i thought the production was really great! It's so interesting how they transform the stage for every show! It was SO completely different! We had lots of fun! During the interval the actors came on with some cheese and grapes and one came over to us. She had sienna try to catch the grape, so she through it from the stage and SIENNA CAUGHT IT! The entire crowd clapped for her! It was lots of fun :D

Sienna and Me

In the beginning the musicians came on and played for us! It was so much fun, and he was so close i decided to take an illegal picture, thus the angle ;)

Isn't she cute ;)

Then when i got back home Sinead and i grabbed some work and we took the tube to Regents Park. It's so beautiful! Our destination was Primrose Hill which overlooks some of the city!

I snagged one of my faves, a glass coke! <3

But the park really is so beautiful! We've had some great luck with parks, and it's so much fun to find a nice spot and just do some work. Although it was a little chilly!

It was lots of fun, there were so many people to watch, and lots of puppies! :D Eventually we got too chilly, so we walked home (it was so much closer than the tube lets you think). We found a cafe and kept doing work and then we headed home.

It was a lovely weekend, and i can't believe i got to see so many shows!

Now time to work on some monologues, more later!

Cheers, T

"Answer me in one word."

Oh Tart Tuesday.

So far i've had a wicked busy week! I warn you now, this is going to be a very photo heavy post! :D

TUESDAY

Alright, so we had a few classes in the morning but after that we had these "cultural outings" that they planned for each of us. They assigned us a person in the group to go with, and then we'd go out and explore the place they assigned. Kate and I went to the "Transportation Museum" which, was actually interesting...but a little silly. But today was also TART TUESDAY. Because we were low on time Sinead and I went to Whole Foods and got those glorious raspberry chocolate tarts we had been lusting after. They were really great, especially the raspberries...but the chocolate filling was a bit much for me. Next week we are hoping to try out that french place on Kensington High Street. ;)

Alright, so kate and i met up and headed to the Transport Museum. I, because i am an idiot, left my flat keys and my walet back at the flat. Somehow i still remembered my camera, theatre ticket and change purse? Anyway poor kate had to pay for me...but this is what we walked into.

They had all these examples of Trains, Carriages and buses. In each they usually had fake people from the era. (See above) Here is Kate hanging out with this fine lady in the OmniBus!

Kate riding the T in the 70's

Different types of tickets

In the tube section they had different examples of Art that people have done based on the tube map. In this case the artist named all the stops after different stars. It's pretty awesome brilliant. (We arn't allowed to use the word awesome.) ;)

Kate driving the bus!

This is what they believe London will look like in 2055. 

Looks pretty nice, except there are like a MILLION airplanes and Air Vehichles. But i thought it looked pretty. I'd live there. They also said that in 2055 80% of people will either walk or ride their bikes everywhere...mhmm? I'm not sure if i believe that.

It was actually pretty fun. ALthough, it really was silly at times. They even put in fake horse poo where they had horses pulling the carriages. But all in all it was pretty educational and fun. it was also a lovely way to get to know Kate. we had fun. But we had three hours at a museum that took us an hour. So afterwards we walked around the market. Tuesday, if you didn't know, was SUPER rainy. Like on and off POURING. While we were exploring the market we ran into this guy doing some street performing!

He was pretty funny. Ironically it started POURING moments before he did his final "impossible" trick, but he was pretty great otherwise. He was from Argentina! :)

Then we headed off to the Globe early so we could get in line to stand by the stage! Seriously. POURING. I mean sometimes it was on and off. But it was pretty hilarious. Plus, i didn't have my walet so i didn't get to buy anything really at the shop. But i did snag 50p from Kate to get a button that says "I defy you, stars!" (50 points if you know the play, although if you don't i'm disappointed in you).

Aylia, Ann, Sagan, Caitlin (all waiting in line)

Sinead, despite the rain we were all very excited ;)

If you can tell, the stage is very slick...which makes it a little difficult for the actors sometimes ;)

Ceiling of the Globe

Geoff and Vanessa

They sold these cute raincoats with a line from Merchant of Venice on it. 

Alright, so after waiting out in the rain, we got to go in (i was third in line so we got RIGHT IN FRONT in the middle of the stage. It was honestly so fantastic. Umbrellas arn't aloud down in standing because it will block everyones view, so we just had to stand their in the rain for the entire show. But i can't even begin to tell you how worth it it was. From the very moment they stepped onstage to their fantastic dance off stage, it was worth standing in the pouring rain. IT was such a fun, energetic show. And they totally played with the whole rain thing. In the middle of the show one of the characters ran forward (it was Pheobe) and she slipped and landed right on her rump. It was HILARIOUS, but they all want along with it (after some laughing) and actually, all the next few lines were all about falling in love, which made it even funnier. It was such a true theatrical moment that you really only experience at the globe.

(Jack Laskey and Naomi Frederick) {image}

Rosalind played by Naomi Frederick was a masterpiece to watch. I don't know how to explain how clear she was, but it's almost as if she was just speaking normally. You could not only understand every word she said, but truely comprehend the meaning of every word. It made the verse so easy to listen to. She was beautiful. :) And Orlando (played by Jack Laskey), besides being super attractive, was also wonderful to watch. He an Naomi had lovely chemistry and he also was so easy with the verse. Really everyone really fantastic. Touchstone was HILARIOUS, and so was Jaques. The show is just so funny, and this production was simply enchanting!

Something cool, if you've watched History Boys with me...or heard me rant about it...then you might recognize this young man. But Jamie Parker was in the original cast of The History Boys (West End, Broadway and Movie) and he played Oliver (Orlando's brother).

Cool huh? {image}

Alright, continuing on. Really, it was such an amazing experience, even with the rain. Because, when else will you be standing watching such a brilliant show with pouring rain? I was worried about the actors with their leather and beautiful costumes. The costumes were all so fantastic too. As You Like It is such a beautiful show. At one point Orlando came on (right before the intermission) and threw sheets of his poetry into the audience. Of course we tried to get as many as we could. Someone put one on my back, and because it was SO RAINY it stayed there until i got home ;)

At the end they had this huge celebratory dance, and still a few of the actors slipped...it was so funny and energetic. The audience was totally with them every step of the way. It was so much fun. We couldn't stop clapping and they had to come out a few times. We took the train home, soaked to the bone but GUSHING about the play. Aylia, Sienna and i are hoping to go again in a few weeks!

WEDNESDAY

Alright, so we had theatre history. And then we were all downstairs waiting to get ready for our masterclass. And Kate, one of the lovely ladies that helps organize everything for us, was telling us about the masterclass. She says something about how lovely Naomi is, and if we liked the show last night. Suddenly the name clicks with like half of us and we all gasp. YOU MEAN NAOMI FREDERICK FROM LAST NIGHT? WE'RE MEETING ROSALIND?!?!?! Yes.

So we got our masterclass with the lovely Naomi. Let me say, it was so exciting. We basically sat in a semi-circle around her with Richard beside her asking questions about her career, about As You Like It. Her and Richard know eachother, and it was really such a sweet, lovely interview. I took lots of notes, and had such just drank in every moment. She gave us some wonderful advice and really was just all around the kindest person. She's so talented! We were all so star-struck. And after we took a group picture, which hopefully i can snag eventually.

Then of course we had lots and lots of rehearsals for the GALA that night. Basically it was an opening for the new Fordham center. We all (as a chorus) recided the Prologue to Henry the Fifth (O, for a Muse of fire that would ascend the brightest heaven of invention...), did a historical dance and then sang Linden Lea. It actually went very well. Then we watched a video where Fordham basically asked for donations...and then we got free Fordham hats. Altogether it was totally worth all the work we did :D

Here is a picture of me in my Corset for Historical Dance, they are actually lots of fun! (Please ignore how TERRIBLE i look...)

Then we all went home to crash. It's been difficult going everyday without a break, but it's almost here. ;)

THURSDAY

Today was really calm compared the past million days. IT's mostly individual or small group stuff. Voice, Auditions, Alexander Technique and Dialect. But all spread out.

highlights:
-Doing a monologue from An Ideal Husband (Wilde).
-Alex Tech was really awesome, it's so strange. She readjusted my balance to show me what would be more effective than what i do...and it feels so strange because it's balanced, but so unbalanced. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but it was cool. So i think i'm really going to benifit from it.
-Dialect was cool too, we're doing stuff from Ernest, which was fun for me. ;)

SO that was super super long. Sorry, but i hope you've enjoyed it. It was a really fun week despite how busy it was.

Right now i'm trying my laundry machine. It keeps making funny noises, so lets just hope it all works out in the end.

Cheers!
--T <3

PS. The title is from As You Like It. (Act 3. Scene 2. Line 215)

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages."

Orientation Day 2 and 3

I don't know how long the internet will hold, it's been really bad lately but i'll get as much as i can in!

Alright well Day two of orientation was great. We went on a walking tour with our Tutor, Michael Winter, through Kensington (which is where the LDA is). The picture above is from one of the apartment complexes around Kensington Square. They are gorgeous. Another thing I’ve notices (and you may have too) is that the sky looks BRILLIANT in all these pictures. It's amazing. It's so blue. Anyway we learned a lot about all the different architecture of these buildings and about different statues along the way. Like this one of King...Albert I believe? It's gorgeous, and surrounding him are figures of painters, sculptors, artists and writers. I took a close-up pictures of Shakespeare (of course) and Homer.

(this is the Royal Academy of Music)

We walked around for a bit longer and then had a nice lunch break where Sienna, Sinead, Aylia and i found this fantastic little French cafe right near the school. It was delicious, and Sinead and i shared the most wonderful tart. I seriously cannot stop thinking about it--i want another one RIGHT NOW.

And then we had a few different meetings about some of our upcoming academics. And to finish the night off we got to see Troilus and Cressida at the Globe.

(another view from Millennium Bridge)

Later, our professors apologized and said that not everything we would see would be that terrible. Which surprised me because I really loved it. But thinking about it, I probably loved it because a.) we were at the globe, standing beside the stage (actually leaning on the stage). B.) Troilus was quite handsome. C.) I love the show. D.) The magic of being there.

(Aylia! Haha, we were very excited!)

(This is Sienna and Me)

But I honestly do believe that it was a good production. Troilus and Cressida were a little too modern, and if you read my earlier post you’ll know what I think about Cressida. I still really didn’t like (nor did I agree with) her performance. It was so wonderful being right against the stage. It was such a different prospective. I really loved it. We were on the side, so some of our view was obstructed (which was ok with me because I had see it) and it was so great. The actors were right there; I could reach out and steal a sword. It’s hard to control the longing to just jump up and join them. And I must say it gets difficult to stand that long once you reach the fifth act…but it’s so worth it.

(our view right along the stage. We literally leaned there the entire time.)

Orientation Day three. Had some individual meetings with Voice and Alexander teachers. Then we had another tour of the Banquet House and the Houses of Parliament. It was really really interesting and lots of fun!

(That's Michael Winter, our Shakespeare Tutor :D)

(Paintings in the Ceiling of the Banquet House)

(Houses of Parliament)

(Sinead and Big Ben!)

We got out at 5 and had the rest of the evening to ourselves. I decided to finally go see (500) Days of Summer. WHICH I LOVED. Of course. I loved the dance sequence. Come on, you have to admit you’ve had that moment when you’re walking down the street, so happy you could just break into a huge dance number. I think it’s brilliant. Life should so be like this…where everyone just joins in. Seriously.





And today i just spent walking around. I really wanted to find some reliable internet which failed miserably. It's been off and on today. I bought the 500 days of summer soundtrack and a scarf. AND I FINALLY FOUND TROILUS AND CRESSIDA at the 3rd bookstore i tried (in Notting Hill). And now i'm just back home doing lots of work getting ready for the crazy week ahead. We have class like 12 hours day. It's going to be so much work but lots of fun i hope <3

Hopefully (if internet and time allows) i'll get back to you all sometime this week. Let you know i'm alive and all.

Cheers!
-T

"You have bereft me of all words, lady."

Well good afternoon. Sorry it's been a few days, London has been a bit busy. So i guess lets go from the beginning.

Dad and I left Dublin early to catch the ferry. We originally thought it was going to be SUPER expensive to take the ferry and then all the trains into London (about 5 train changes). But for everything it was just 44E Per person. We couldn't believe it. The ferry was SO NICE, and pretty quick. We got to wales in about two hours. Now, considering we were in a new country, dad and i were prepared for customs. The Republic of Ireland is not part of the UK...but...nope, nothing we just waltzed right in and onto the train. And thus began our epic train journey across the Uk.

Wales was gorgeous, i didn't get it in time, but while we were flying across the country side we saw a golf course covered in sheep. Seriously, people were playing and there were sheep scattered across the fairway. It was great.

All the train rides were beautiful. It was a VERY long trip: left dublin Radisson at 7:15AM and arrived in London at 7PM. But it was totally worth it. On our last train we sat with this lovely couple and just had a wonderful chat until we reached london. It was really interesting hearing the British prospective on all different topics from the recession to 911 to American Idol (The x Factor)...Even sports and such. It was so great, and wonderful way to end our travels. But it was a heavenly feeling finally arriving at the hotel. I barely got a glimpse of london traveling through the taxi, but what i did see was glorious. Although i was a bit exhausted and really just wanted a place to rest for a bit.

The hotel room is silly. I couldn't believe it when i walked in. We have a staircase for pete's sake.

It's crazy. But awesome. We had dinner at the hotel and just lounged for the rest of the evening. I must admit was a little overwhelming at first, but really having two days of getting used to everything has been very helpful.

Sunday we spent most of the day walking around, seeing where LDA was and where I'm living. See the neighbourhoods and such. Everything is lovely, and even though i couldn't get into my flat yet...it looks great and the surrounding area is fantastic!

Apprently, this is home.

Moving in tomorrow, which is exciting...i'll finally get to meet everyone :D

The best part of sunday (yesterday) was going to the Globe. We took the tube, which is SUPER EASY. It's amazing. The T here is very clean, and simple to figure out where to go. And an all day pass is only 5.60 pounds. It's great. But anyway, we took the tube and walked across the millennium bridge...which was gorgeous and we had such a great view!

(View from Bridge)

(The actual Bridge)

(1000pts to anyone who recognizes this bridge from a recent film...)

And then we got to the Globe to see Troilus and Cressida. I cannot explain to you how brilliant it was. It was so so good. I loved it. Ulysses and Troilus were SO good. Cressida...got better by the third and fourth acts, where things got very emotional for her, but i didn't really agree with choices she made in the first acts but OH WELL. It was still so beautiful. The show was so creative, and the globe is...amazing. It's hard to describe the feeling seeing a show at the globe, but it really was perfect. And i loved the show. I've never really read it and seeing was so wonderful...i honestly think it might be my new favorite. It was brilliant.

So far this has been my favorite adventure. :D

We got out a little late, and i was starving...so i popped into the nearest burger king and snagged some chicken fingers ;)

Another wonderfulful moment was while we were hopping T's i ran by and saw an old Spring Awakening poster, which of COURSE i had to get a picture of. It made me think maybe for a moment it was still showing...even though i know its not :P

Alright, well i've rambled on for some time now...so i'll just say London so far as been very lovely and i'm already so happy i'm going to be living here. The city is beautiful and starting to feel comfortable, which i think is important. Now i've just got to start figuring out military time and what the weather girl means when she says it's going to be 20 degrees out...and i'll be tip top ;)

Cheers!
--T

PANDARUS: Is this the generation of love?

ps. DJ wins 1000pts. :D And bragging rights!