(The Following Two Paragraphs May Contain Boredom-Inducing Phrases [For Some])
We had an inspiring two classes this morning with Tim Slover; one on Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and one discussing contemporary theatre, in which we went over the importance of language and the specificity of words as major communicators of emotion. We looked at what it means when a writer's instincts are blocked by censorship or restrictions on language. Theatre is now much less censored than it was, as the censors have moved on to the more popular, widespread types of media: TV, radio and films.
Tonight we are attending a new play Silence, by a devised performance created by a group called Trio and put on by the Royal Shakespeare company. It sounds like a treat. They use found sound to create a new kind of soundtrack for a play and build the play around improvisational work.
Ok, let's get to Tuesday and Wednesday
Tuesday
We began Tuesday with classes. We discussed Shakespeare's extraordinary life and the times in which he lived. We also looked at Albert Camus' vision of the Myth of Sisyphus and how this existentialist philosophy has shaped contemporary drama.
Several of us (led by fearless leader Chase) hurried ourselves to the Globe Theatre to watch Hamlet. We were concerned that we wouldn't make it in time, but Chase got us there. We paid 5 pounds and stood 2 feet from the stage. It was inspired! The relationships between the actors were so clear, their motivations were communicated with ease and grace, and their use of the language incorporated everything I've been learning about in voice classes, acting and more!
The actors all stood under the broad overhanging roof of the Globe. Hamlet's line, "most excellent canopy...this brave o'erhanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire," brought me at once to tears with its plethora of meaning at its home-base of Shakespeare's original players.
We went to Chekov's The Cherry Orchard that night at the National theatre. They have incredible moving sets. It was wonderful, hilarious, deeply profound Chekov as I've never known it before. The characters lived before me in ironic ignorance of their fates. It was a beautiful piece, and featured Zoe Wanamaker, the Quidditch professor in the Harry Potter movies in a lead role along with others who have been in many BBC productions.
The city was beautifully lit when we got out.
Classroom clock with pendulum...Emalie prepares for the day.
Time Slover prepares for the class
Church on our "to the Globe" walk.
Stuart and I and stone.
Stuart, I and Olivia hurrying to the Globe
Random ship in midst of city. (Fancis Drake's)
St. Paul's cathedral in the distance! AAHHH!
We made it. Phew...
In the Globe. Yep. In the Globe.
Happiness
Brave o'erhanging firmament.
The players set up.
It was such a wonderful show!
Millenium bridge.
Leads to St. Paul's
I'm on a bridge.
St. Paul's is massive! I can't believe its enormous weight and sheer space-taking.
We didn't get to go in today, but we will. I believe we get to go up and hear/watch the bells ring later in the trip. :)
Wow... Seriously...
At the National
After The Cherry Orchard
The National theatre all lit up at night.
The following are from Thursday, and I will label them soon. :)
Thursday
On Thursday we went to Hampton Court Palace, where a long succession of Kings and Queens including Henry VIII have spent time. Hampton Court was beautiful, and gave me my first real sense of the long history of this place, of aged stone, hallways where those who shaped our current civilization walked.
The most particular pleasure of this day was our discovery of the "Chapel Royal," an incredible place with a ceiling of dark blue and golden stars, with an incredible Tudor ceiling that seems to drip from the ceiling from many locations. The wood paneling around the chapel is so precise and complex that it boggles the mind.
There was music playing inside the chapel when we came through the door leading to it, a sweet and soft but quickly moving chorus of voices that was just perfect for our introduction to the place. We spread out from our group, each of us having our own experience. I cried quite a bit. My eyes darted over the woodwork and lingered on the otherworldly ceiling. I sat on one of the pews and leaned back, enjoying the marvel of the place. My eyes were constantly finding something new to focus on, something new to take in. It was as intense a spiritual connection as I have felt in a good while, and I am so appreciative for it. I think most sacred spaces can guide our eye to the divine, just like chapels and cathedrals like this draw our eye to the heavens, only this chapel had the heavens painted on its ceiling.
We were not allowed to take pictures there, so the above is a sort of picture of my experience there, maybe my favorite leg of this journey yet.
If you want to see the ceiling and a bit of the chapel, you can look at this link:
http://www.hrp.org.uk/hamptoncourtpalace/stories/thechapelroyal.aspx
On Thursday we went to Hampton Court Palace, where a long succession of Kings and Queens including Henry VIII have spent time. Hampton Court was beautiful, and gave me my first real sense of the long history of this place, of aged stone, hallways where those who shaped our current civilization walked.
The most particular pleasure of this day was our discovery of the "Chapel Royal," an incredible place with a ceiling of dark blue and golden stars, with an incredible Tudor ceiling that seems to drip from the ceiling from many locations. The wood paneling around the chapel is so precise and complex that it boggles the mind.
There was music playing inside the chapel when we came through the door leading to it, a sweet and soft but quickly moving chorus of voices that was just perfect for our introduction to the place. We spread out from our group, each of us having our own experience. I cried quite a bit. My eyes darted over the woodwork and lingered on the otherworldly ceiling. I sat on one of the pews and leaned back, enjoying the marvel of the place. My eyes were constantly finding something new to focus on, something new to take in. It was as intense a spiritual connection as I have felt in a good while, and I am so appreciative for it. I think most sacred spaces can guide our eye to the divine, just like chapels and cathedrals like this draw our eye to the heavens, only this chapel had the heavens painted on its ceiling.
We were not allowed to take pictures there, so the above is a sort of picture of my experience there, maybe my favorite leg of this journey yet.
If you want to see the ceiling and a bit of the chapel, you can look at this link:
http://www.hrp.org.uk/hamptoncourtpalace/stories/thechapelroyal.aspx
Drew and I getting to Hampton Court.The palace structure in the distance.
Arrival!
The supposed "wine fountain."
???????
The great hall. This is a room that probably helped develop some theatrical practices. Plays were put on in the far end of the room while people ate or sat around after eating, presumably. 
Double hammer beam ceiling.
Andy, Laura and I enjoying our audio tour.
Reclining under a honeycomb ceiling.
Stuart needs to potty in the water closet.
The royal family. Oh dear!
Elizabeth I
This clock tells the time, the tides, the moon, at least...
This was all real veggies. 
Roasting meat on a spit. 
Great fireplaces.
Great chimneys.
Great wine barrels.
The Red Dragon! Apparently a symbol for England.Random boat decoration.
I am trying to look astonished and awed. Fail...
The statues coming out from the corner are painted on. Don't they look completely 3-dimensional?
The gardens behind Hampton Court Palace.
Chandelier under a painted ceiling.
Odd serpent cherubim - I suppose this makes sense as they are in the King's entry staircase.
These are all muskets!
Unhappy horse
This wood carving is incredible! It's probably from one piece of wood as well, but I didn't get to ask anyone.
Look at the wood-carved grasses!
The royal velvet toilet...They wouldn't let us use it. :(
I want a beautiful old key like this.
Purposeless? Yes. Uncool? No!
Books, books, books!I felt like Mario or Luigi in mushroom-land.
Mom's favorite color. 
Long vine-tunneled walkways.
Hedge Maze Fun!
Laura looks worried...
I'm being pursued!
Olivia is frantic!
Nathan is scared out of his wits...
By Cameron. Hmm...
Olivia and I find respite in a nook.
We gather, wander aimlessly...
This is getting absurd...
Curiouser and curioser...Success!!!!!!
The rose garden. The thing about this place was that I realized that different types of roses have different types of scents. I never fully appreciated this before, but rose after rose, I came away stunned and magicked away into a beautiful place.
I can't remember what color this one was, but it was one of the best smells I've ever encountered, and did hang in the air as a cloud.
Laura really appreciates all the wonderful things I do. A girl after my own romantic sensibilities. 
Me in semi-supine.This is the theatre center at the Barbican. Andy and Laura and I went to Richard Brinsley Sheridan's School for Scandal. The production was and amazing one, with Brechtian set and sound techniques and fairly modern setting with Restoration costume. The kid who plays Dudley in Harry Potter was the fop, and he did such a wonderful job!!!! Congrats, young adult Dudley, whose name I don't know at the moment.
Wow, this building is great!
Totally loving following your blog! It brings back such beautiful memories and it's so fun to hear your enthusiasm--you just had to get to London sometime!
ReplyDeleteMatthew my friend! Genev tipped me off that you are THERE in LONDON and that you have this lovely blog. When I read this post, I got weepy. You see, when I was there I had this very distinct ... (how to describe?) impression of you at The Globe. I was walking around in the theatre space, on a tour, thinking about you and either feeling like you were already somehow there, and/or that someday you would be. And, there you were. There you were/are!!! Anyway, congrats on the journey that brought you there. How lovely to witness a sliver of how excited you are to be learning. I'm jealous. I miss learning like that, especially in that place.
ReplyDeleteTwo additional notes:
*Love Tim Slover. He probably won't remember me, but he gave my group (with John Bennion in 2003? I think?) a lecture on Hamlet which was incredibly profound, and then we saw a production that knocked the proverbial socks off. Hamlet as a brooding imo teen ... absolute perfection. Anyway, how cool you're there with him.
*I have a London theatre favor to ask. We're thinking of using the text of a play (Nick Dear's Frankenstein at The National) in a lit anthology, but I wasn't crazy about it when I read it. Would you be willing to see it and give me your thoughts? I think this run is sold out, but maybe you can weasel a ticket? People, I'm told, are loving it.
Anyway, long comment. If you could perhaps do the favor or would wish to email, I'm dejaDOTearleyATgmailDOTcom. Enjoy! It's your town.