A Semester in London: October 2009

Happy Holloween Everyone! It is Holloween Night and I have been sitting at home watching X Factor which is London's version of American Idol but much better. All the students went to a Halloween Party being given by one of the Rose Bruford students. We will post the photos in the next blog. Since the last blog we all have been doing various things, so this blog is an account of some of what we have been up to....It will cover some classes, trips students have taken, plays we have seen, and various other activities. Enjoy!

End of Vanities

We miss Jo....we all plan on getting together soon!

Here are the Rose Bruford students that I teach attending Vanities and took part in the post performance discussion

Ben and Linsay in the booth

Ben and Sam putting gel away at strike.

Henry the Hoover.

My Class on Small Town America at Rose Bruford

I teach the first year students of the American Theatre Arts course a class on small town America. For the past three weeks they had to act and direct in scenes that were performed every Friday. I managed to attend two Fridays and Sam and Lindsay attended the last Friday. Some of the scenes that were done were from the following plays: Bent, Raisin in the Sun, Doubt, Hello from Bertha by Tennessee Williams, The Crucible, A Lie of the Mind, Butterfly Kiss, and The Colored Museum just to name a few. We have discussed and performed scenes from The Crucible and Our Town in my class. This week we are reading God's Country by Steven Dietz about white supremist groups in the USA.

Tom, Mahala, and Vanessa

Elle and Matt

Vanessa, Hannah, Iggy, ???, and Danielle

Bryony and Hannah

Cassie and Laura

Esti and Billy

Rohan

Bryony, Becca, Hannah, Laura

Celebrating the completion of the directing scenes. Hannah, Sam, Matt.

Charlie, Hannah, and Bryony

Elle and Billy

Plays We Have Attended

La Cage aux Folles was a play a few of us attended as mentioned in a previous blog. Below John Borrowman is signing autographs at the stage door after the show. He can be seen in Torchwood for those of you who follow that series on TV.

I was fortunate to attend the opening night premiere of the ballet, Sleeping Beauty, at the Royal Opera House performed by the Royal Ballet. It was an excellent performance and has received great reviews. The lead dance is an American named Sarah Lamb.

Last Wednesday night we went to the Old Vic which is run by Kevin Spacey to see Inherit the Wind which co-starred Kevin Spacey. It was a wonderful production and Spacey was very good. Some students stayed after the show to see if he would show up in the bar on the bottom floor of the Old Vic which he usually does; however, he did not show up.

We also had the opportunity to attend a play entitled The Author by Tim Crouch that he was commissioned to write for the Royal Court Theatre. As par the course for the Royal Court it was a pretty edgy play that took place in the audience and in which the playwright was in the cast of four. We got to speak to some of the actors after the performance.

Lindsay with Tim Crouch, the playwright

Steve and Adrian, one of the actors, who picked Steve out of the audience to be part of the show.

Adrian's autograph that Andy got for Steve....ask Steve to see the front of the card!!!

A Few Sights Around London

The Art in London class went to the National Gallery last week with Lucy Wilkenson the professor.

The National Gallery

The view from Trafalga Square

Taryn, Sam, and Lindsay having lunch outside the National Gallery

Andy and Taryn....

Musicians in Covent Garden

Gina Figliulo at the Cabinet War Rooms. Gina visited her brother, Matt last week and the week before Matt's sister Jackie came over for a visit. Steve' parents also visited Steve and came to see Vanities and then took Steve to Ireland for the weekend. Krista's parents also came and visited and attended the show Friday and Saturday. She and her parents attended some plays, went to the tower of London and other sites.