Monday, May 29, 2006

regrouping and ramping up

again with the busy schedule. this week was long, and i'm glad it's over. the weekend was busy and good. saturday another teacher and i took our "art of musical theatre" class to NYC for the day to see "phantom of the opera". it was an entertaining show. i last saw it on tour at the kennedy center but it was nice to see it in it's more permanent home. the coolest part of the trip though, was when the kids would see a magic moment in the show and immediately ask me how they did it - and i had the answers! i felt all cool and teacherly. photos are here.

on wednesday, we had a meeting about our upcoming trip to london. until now, and sort of even now, i can't really believe i'm going. the way my life developed and evolved after i got back from europe the first time really left me feeling like i would never get there again. it's been 10 years since i was in london last and this time i'm going for free. i pay for lunch and spending money, and that's it. i've got a new backpack, a current passport and a new digital camera. what more could i need? in that meeting we got an itinerary of sorts. the main reason we're going is to take workshop sessions at the Globe theater, with Globe professionals. Each day is a different concetration including acting, stage combat, design, and voice work. At the end of the week-long session the students put on a scene, which is directed by one of the Globe pros.

since it's a theater trip, we're seeing a show almost every night, and i think on one day we see two in a day. One show we see twice, once at the Globe and once with the RSC at Stratford.

Some of the shows we're seeing include:
avenue q
billy elliot
a voyage around my father
antony and cleopatra
coriolanus
titus andronicus (at the globe)
and titus andronicus (at stratford, in the noh style)

we're staying here, each in our own single room (with a common bathrooom though, so i'll be packing my flip flops for the shower). the workshops are in the morning and we see a show each evening, but we have the bulk of the afternoon to ourselves. the kids are allowed to go off in groups of 3, so it's possible i might actually have a moment to myself! i've decided on this trip to let my tourist self hang out all over. i will take pictures, make rubbings in westminster abbey, and point at stuff i think is cool. i will have a backpack, and a map at all times.

i'm so stoked.

1 comment:

redhorse said...

and I'm so incredibly jealous!! But I was thinking... if you get time and the inclination... there is a place in Hyde park you can ride horses through the park and I have to say, that was one of the highlights of London for me :-)