LONDON 2010: WEEK ONE

Welcome to the first 2010 London blog for this semester. I am warning everyone that this first blog is a long one. We packed in alot during our first week. We are all tired but happy!!!! Before I give you details of our first week in London I want to officially do a blog welcome to the American Theatre Arts students from Rose Bruford College in Sidcup, UK who will be spending the year studying at Saint Mary's University. They arrived at Minneapolis on August 25 where Peter Snell, Lindsay Christensen, and I picked them up. Welcome Charlotte, Stephen, Elle, Matt, Danielle, Billy, Bryony, and Este (l to r in photo above). After arrival we were starving so I took everyone to Buca for a nice family-style Italian meal. We were lucky to have been able to dine with the Pope. See photos below. After a two hour ride back to Winona they were able to settle into their dorm rooms.

On Thursday Peter, Lindsay, and Krista show them around campus and took them shopping to help them settle in. On Friday Drs. Michael and Katie Flanagan and their son Tim graciously took all of us out on the Mississippi in two boats after we had a cookout at Dr. Bouler's house. We thought we would introduce them to life on the river right away. On Saturday we all went to see Picasso at the Lapine Agile at the Commonweal Theatre in Lansboro, MN where we got to meet and speak to the actors after the performance. On Sunday I left for Rhode Island where I spent a day and a half saying goodbye to family and friends before I left for London on August 31st. I arrive in London on September 1st and the adventure began!

SMU STUDENTS ARRIVE IN LONDON:

On September 2nd Darrell and Marie arrived and stayed at the Piccadilly Hostel for two nights before we could get into our flats on Sept 4th. I met them at the hostel and we walked around London. I took them to one of my favorite cheap Italian restaurants, Pollo Bar, for some pasta.

The next evening we went to see the Broadway production of Hair which was closing the next day. A great show. Darrell and Marie went up on stage at the end of the show and throughout the show Darrell and I were mocked because of our hair or lack there of....my moustach also was referred to a number of times

Darrell and Marie on stage at finale of Hair

While we were entertaining ourselves the rest of the Saint Mary's students were making their way to London. Some from Minneapolis where Jake got to ride in Business class after he was given a ticket, had it taken away and was given it back again! A whole other group were meeting in Ottawa, Canada where they were flying Air Canada to London. Matt Gorgone's flight from Boston was cancelled, not because of Hurricane Earl, but because the plane had mechanical difficulty. He missed the Ottawa flight and had to leave the next morning. Everyone arrived Saturday morning and Matt on Saturday evening.

David Dean who thought he was flying solo found many of his classmates at the Minneapolis airport who were on his flight.

Once the students arrived at Heathrow they took the Underground to Baron's Court Tube Station which is the one closest to their flats. Darrell, Marie, and I were waiting there for their arrival to take them to the flats. Here are some of them on their journey to Baron's Court.

Annie, Jarod, Regina

Maggie, Greg, Joanna arrive at Baron's Court

Rick and Tom

Ryan sits and waits for others to arrive.

Marie taking the tube in with Darrell after they arrived.

Marie and I having coffee and waiting for students to arrive at Baron's Court

Our first meeting in the Flats

Darrell outside the entrance to the flats.

So before I took them touring to keep everyone awake until bedtime (this is necessary to get our body clocks in sinc with the time change) I gave the students their food stipend and we all went grocery shopping. Below is the result of Darrell's home made pizza...I was pretty impressed. He actually even made his own pizza dough. I, however, never got a piece. Oh, well!

TOURING AROUND LONDON ON ARRIVAL DAY:

I didnt' feel like walking everyone around so we drove around in this red, Ferrari limo.

ONLY KIDDING! I wish we were driving around in this. No we took the Underground! We got our Oyster cards (our three month pass for the Tube) and were on our way. Along the way I was teaching the students how to navigate the Underground system which is pretty easy.

Josh's paper is announcing the Tube Strike that we encountered on Monday and Tuesday. On Monday we had to go to The Globe and on Tuesday we needed to take the train to Rose Bruford in Sidcup. More on that later.

Trafalgar Square - Photo by Ryan

We went to Big Ben, Embankment, Charing Cross, Trafalgar Square, Saint Martins-of-the-Fields crypt where I treated everyone to tea and my favorite, bread and butter pudding with custard.

Rick being a tourist!The Millenium Bridge at Sunset: See it really didn't get blown up in the last Harry Potter movie!

Bread and Butter Pudding with Hot Custard at The Crypt!

On Sunday we went to the classroom which is right at the end of the student's street. First day of class was Monday. In theatre in London Class Heather, Mike, and Jarod presented on the Globe Theatre and The Merry Wives of Winsor that we attended that night. In the Page to Stage class Tom and Josh presented on Henry IV, Part I which we saw yesterday evening(Saturday).

Classroom

On Tuesday morning we had to get on the 9:26 train at Charing Cross to Sidcup for the two classes at Rose Bruford. We all got up very early to get there because we didn't know what the strike situation was going to be. A lot of the lines were completely closed. However, the District Line which the student take to get to Charing Cross and the Northern Line which I have to take were both running. My line however didn't stop at Charing Cross. That tube station and Embankment were closed. I had to walk from Leicester Square. Students got to Embankment. Needless to say we were really early at the station and waited for a good hour and a half. We had time to get breakfast, read the paper, shop, and chill. We made it to Sidcup on time. I met the first year ATA's that I will be teaching beginning this week and actually gave a short class on the Guthrie and American Regional Theatres. They were going to see the Tony Kushner One Acts at the Tricycle Theatre that were performed at the Guthrie two summers ago. The SMU students had their Global Issues class with Steven Dykes and Acting the British Approach class with Tony James. We then made it back for our first rehearsal at the Drill Hall where we had a read through of God's Country which we are performing Oct. 19 -23 and in Dublin November 29th and 30th at the Smock Alley Studio Theatre.

Heather and Anna are being cool for school.

Regina and Jarod waiting for the train to Sidcup.

THE GLOBE AND THE MERRY WIVES OF WINSOR AND THE RAIN!!!!!

The Globe

Monday Night's Performance...we stood as Groundlings

We arrived early 5:30 again to avoid the strike which started at 5:00pm. We wanted to be first in line so we could be the first ones in and rush the stage so we could lean on it for the whole performance see that we would be standing for three hours. We loved the show. However, it began to rain during the performance and the Groundlings are not covered and we cannot use umbrellas as they would block the view so we got drenched. We also had to walk to Embankment in the pouring rain to try to get a tube ride home or catch a bus a Charing Cross. We were all luck and got on a tube that was working. We are discussing both Globe Productions in class tomorrow. It will be nice to compare the two Falstaffs from both productions.

We are at the beginning of the queque...

Still waiting.

Waiting in another line to get into the Yard.

The set for The Merry Wives of Winsor

Matt is very excited for the show to begin...I think that is why he is smiling.

Annie and David are jumping for joy to see their first play in Londo

Michael is all wet!

REHEARSALS:

We began rehearsals on Tuesday at the Drill Hall with a readthrough. It is Sunday now and I have managed to block the entire show except for the last couple of pages. We ran out of time today. Students are doing well so far. On Monday we will go to TARA ARTS STUDIO and look at and rehearse a little in the space before we go see Billy Elliot. The cast also met Laurence and Shane, two British actors who are part of the cast for God's Country. We had a terrific first week of rehearsals.

Students waiting to get into the rehearsal space.

Michael, the Stage Manager, and Heather, the Asst. Stage Manager

David Dean teaching stage combat moves for Act II

Jake on a break!

CAMBRIDGE:

Our first of four Friday day trips was to Cambridge where we had a guided tour from Ian, a Scot. He was a terrific tour guide. As part of the tour we went into King's College which architecturally is incredible. After the tour we ate at The Eagle Pub, the oldest pub in Cambridge and went punting in the punt boats. It rained a little in the morning but then cleared up just in time for us to enjoy the boat ride! Some took the boats out on their own and others opted for a guided tour. Enjoy the photos!

King's College courtyard.

Ian the Scot

Ian, Annie, Mike, and Marie

Touring King's College in the rain!!! ugh!

The Eagle Pub, Cambridges oldest pub. It is also haunted. The top window must be left open always. The ghost likes it open! It is written in the least that the window has to stay open. We all had lunch here. Maggie and I had steak and ale pie! Really good!

Maggie and Josh

Michael eating one of Sir Issac Newton's apples! So he claims!

Is that a chair leg in Henry VIII's hand? Yep it is. A Cambridge College prank!

Punting boats!

Photo by Jake

Marie, Heather, Anna, Jake, Ryan, and myself went on a guided tour lead by George who was quite the character. Lots of fun!

Rick the punter!

Greg the Punter! Is Maggie not enjoying it??????

Josh the Punter!

No Comment!

Marie and George.

THE WEEK OF SHAKESPEARE CONTINUES:

On Friday night after we returned from Cambridge, Greg, Maggie, Matt, Josh, and I went to Tara Studios to see a production of The People's Romeo. It was Romeo and Juliet in Bangladesh and in English. The actress playing Juliet was fantastic! Also great music. The story was told by 3 actors and two musicians. It was press night and we got to meet the cast and diretor. We also had a chance to look at the space that we will be doing God's Country in.

Students with Jonathan Kennedy, Executive Director of Tara Arts


Some of the students went to go see a Thursday matinee of Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim at Regent's Park. Here is a picture of the set.

THE GLOBE: HENRY IV, PART I

On Saturday evening we went to see our second production at the Globe, Henry IV, Part I. Again most of us got there early to be first in line. All along the Thames Southbank the The Mayor's Thames Festival was going on. Lots of entertainment (the students enjoyed a Korean Mime Troupe), food(we all had fudge and other goodies), and even got some shopping in. The play was wonderful! Very funny and we had a great spot right up front! It is worth waiting.

Matt in front of St. Paul's Cathedral and Millenium Bridge

Waiting to get into the Yard

Rick, David, Tom, Matt, Ryan, Mike, Darrell, Joanna

The Gallery is covered with Coats of Arms....

The Set

The group in front of The Globe stage


Well it has been a long week and this has been a long blog! We have had mostly good times this week. We received some bad news on our way back from Cambridge. Ryan's grandmother passed away. We all want to send our sympathies, thoughts and prayers to Ryan and his family. We are thinking of you. Some good news. Today was Rick's 21st Birthday! Happy Birthday Rick from all of us! Hope you have a great birthday in London! Until the next blog tata....become a follower and you will be notified as to when I post something. I will try to do one every week.

Gary