Fifth Week of Classes

This week was mostly just a time to decompress after the chaos that comprised last week's preparation for the Arts of Shakespeare performance. I took time this week to go to my weekly pick-up soccer game. The men all greeted me and we got right to playing. Unfortunately, I let in three goals in the first ten minutes. I was not on the top of my game and our defense was a little unorganized. But I redeemed myself by not letting in any more goals and my team came back to tie it up! So I'm still invited back. I have a slight fear that as soon as my team loses, they won't invite me back. Here's hoping we keep winning!

For our weekly theatre visit, my classmates and I went to see A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Lyric. This was a extremely abridged version of the play that took many liberties in the name of humor. Oberon wore a bright blue lycra unitard with a big "O" on the front, a cape, and a fanny pack and took to jumping about the stage like a boy pretending to be a superhero. Puck was dressed like a member of the stage crew, his magic being his ability to manipulate the set and actors. Much of the original text was cut, and movement and songs filled in the gaps. Occasionally, modern language found its way in there. It was not the most profound interpretation of Shakesepeare's works I've ever seen, but it was one of the most original and innovative. I certainly enjoyed myself.

It is an exciting time for those of us in the RADA program. After finishing up our first performance, we have been split into two groups to perform either Twelfth Night of The Rape of Lucrece (an epic poem written by Shakespeare in 1594). I was put into the Rape of Lucrece group and after the first day, the verse was split between us (the two men playing Tarquin and the five girls jointly playing Lucrece). It will be a challenge to dramatize this poem, but it should also be very fun and interesting. This past week we just did readings, but we have to be memorized by this week so we should be getting on our feet and really shaping the action of the performance. I'll keep you updated on our progress. It will be a rapid process because we are putting it up just two weeks from now!

The culmination of my week was a trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon with my Studies in Shakespeare class. We took a train from Marylebone Station to the lovely little town and met our tour guide when we disembarked. He was a friendly man who knew all about the town and clearly loved giving tours. He was enthusiastic and open to any questions we had. The first place he took us was to the house Shakespeare was born in:

Outside of the house where Shakespeare was born.
He was born in the upper left-hand window!
(Note the coat of arms with a quill!)

Next, we were lead to the church were Shakespeare went to grammar school. They still have a school room there, but we weren't allowed to go to it. We were led into the church, however, and our guide told us that the Catholic murals on the walls had to be whitewashed over whenever a Protestant ruler was reigning and uncovered again when a Catholic came back into power. This is the outside of the church:

The school was just around to the right.

On the way out of the school, we saw a couple dressed in period costume. I have no idea why, but I figured I'd share it with you!

Just a typical day in Stratford-Upon-Avon...

Next we went to the beautiful church where Shakespeare was buried. Apparently, he invested a lot of the money he made in the town so he had a lot of sway there so that when he died he could request to be buried in the church and to never have his grave disturbed (the custom at the time was to dig people up again to add another body to a grave). They also occasionally dug everyone's bones up and burned them to make room for others (this is where the word "bonfire" comes from, a "bonefire" is a fire so hot and big that bones can be burned). Apparently, Shakespeare was very serious about his plot not being disturbed as you can note from the inscription:

I felt bad for the people buried on either side of him:
they must be so overshadowed by him!

Our trip ended at The Swan theatre where we saw a brilliant production of Measure for Measure. It's not my favorite play of Shakespeare's, but the Royal Shakespeare Company are so talented that I quite enjoyed it. It was a lovely end to a lovely day.

The Swan, right next to the River Avon.