Journey's End and Lovers Meeting

I just returned from a 2 week adventure in Australia to find my diploma waiting for me in the mailbox. It is official! I have earned my Master of Arts in Shakespeare Studies from the University of Birmingham. Now, onward to future adventures!

Goodbye England! Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Today I return to California. The ending is bitter sweet. I shed a few tears last night after several celebratory rounds of drinks with my friends and colleagues. I will miss them all very much. I am looking forward to seeing my folks and having some time to relax over the holidays. It has been a wonderful year. I have met the best people in the world, learned more than I could have imagined, and completed a dream. This has been the best year of my life (so far).

Things I will miss most:

1. My girlfriends

2. Pub Nights

3. The Shakespeare Institute Players

4. The Royal Shakespeare Company

 

5. Walking by the Birthplace every morning

6. Fancy Dress Parties

7. Laura's Antics

8. Cappuccinos at Gusto Ricco's

9. My Flat Mate, Jude

10. History Everywhere I look...



Today is the Day!

After months a blood, sweat, and tears, my dissertation is complete. I feel relieved!

 

The finished product!

 

When I brought my final copies to the Shakespeare Institute today, the office staff rewarded my efforts with a lollipop! I feel like a kid again!

 

After we submitted out dissertations, we headed across the street to the Windmill Inn (aka the Windy) for a couple bottles of wine, laughs, and relaxation.

As You Like It Encore

On Thursday, 16 August 2012, As You Like It will be remounted by The Shakespeare Institute Players. We will perform an edited version for UK Summer Camp 2012. The summer camp will be visiting The Shakespeare Institute to experience their very first Shakespeare production. The camp benefits children who were directly affected by the events of 9/11. The 9/11 Scholarship Fund was established by the British Council to award scholarships to the dependents of victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks to the U.S. I am excited to give these kids a piece of Shakespeare, a good laugh, and a touch of hope for their futures. We'll make Shakespeare scholars out of them yet! ;)

Love's Cure Performance

After standing in as Clara in the final dress rehearsal of Love's Cure, I was excited to see the show from the audience tonight in the Shakespeare Institute Hall.

This morning the play took its final shape, complete with set, costumes, and enthusiastic performances. The last staged performance of Love’s Cure, or The Martial Maid, was an extraordinary 400 years ago. This morning José Pérez Díez treated us to the staged reading of the play as part of his thesis project. Directed by Robert Ball, and written by John Fletcher (an apprentice and collaborator of William Shakespeare), this play was sure to please at the onset. None-the-less, Love's Cure delivered many delightful surprises along the way, including men in drag, sword fighting, and comical disguises.

The play takes place in the Spanish city of Seville and concerns a feud between two aristocratic houses, Don Pedro de Vitelli and Don Ferdinando de Alvarez.  The family of Alvarez proves the most "dysfunctional" as his daughter, Clara, has been raised as a boy and his son, Lucio, has been raised as a girl. When the two siblings are united early in the play, they must cast off their upbringing and return to their proper gender roles. To complicate matters further, Clara instantly falls in love with Vitelli. Love triangles and mistaken identities are abound in this play, full of gender dysphoria.

Robert Ball has cleverly staged this production with original practices in mind, employing an all male cast, live music, classical costumes, and a three entrance set.

Through my brief involvement with the production I have fallen in love with this gem of a play. Congratulations to all on a job well done.

Mom and Dad Visit the UK!

I just got back from a lovely 2 week trip touring various highlights of England and Scotland with my parents. We have not seen each other in 6 months which made the reunion all the more memorable. We are exhausted from running all over the countryside and took many pictures to remember the occasion (1,500+ to be more precise). Of course, I will just share a few with you below.

STRATFORD UPON AVON: During my parents visit, the weather miraculously turned to sunshine. I attributed this change to my folks bringing a piece of California with them to England. I informed my parents immediately that England is not normally so hot (Yes, it was HOT!) and to enjoy it while it lasted.

Day 1: I whisked my parents around Stratford-upon-Avon the moment they arrived in town. Before jet lag could set in, we visited the Shakespeare Institute and my flat on Birmingham Road. Then we had dinner at the Old Thatched Tavern and saw Richard III at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).

Day 2: We visited the closeted of the 5 Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Houses (Hall's Croft, Nash's House/New Place, Birthplace) along with Holy Trinity Church to pay homage to William Shakespeare. We then had a delightful, but hot, afternoon at the Butterfly Farm, exploring the gardens and walking along the river. We ended the evening with a meal at the Garrik Inn and King John at the RSC.

Day 3: We spend the morning at Kenilworth Castle and the afternoon at Warwick Castle.

Day 4: We walked to Ann Hathaway's Cottage and traveled by train to Mary Arden's Farm.

Below is a picture of the Shakespeare Institute Gardens, my parents at Nash's House / New Place,  Anne Hathaway's Cottage, and the entire family at Warwick Castle.

Day 5: We took on our biggest adventure yet! - We rented a car!!! Dad was a really good driver, despite all the help he got from the passenger seats. We drove to Bath and spent the day exploring the city.

Day 6: We began at the Cathedral in Salisbury, then on to Stonehenge and Avebury.

Day 7: Cambridge was sunny and delightful - Too bad the universities were unexpectedly closed for exams. We managed to sneak a peek at King's College Chapel and took a punting tour on the Cams.

SCOTLAND: We spent 3 nights in Edinburgh. Although the main event was a trip to the countryside. As you can see, Scotland showed us true UK weather.

Day 8: We traveled to Scotland by plane. Exhaustion finally hit us, so we spent the evening talking over dinner and relaxing at the hotel.

Day 9: We went to Edinburgh Castle!

Day 10: We went on a bus tour with Rabbies to Birnam forest, Pitlochry, the Queen's View and the splendour of Loch Tay, followed by a whiskey tasting at Dewars. Yum!

Day 11: Back in Stratford, we pack up up our belongings and had dinner with our new friend Barbara.

LONDON: London was all abuzz with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. We didn't plan to attend the party, but we sure did! We walked our feet off and ate enough meat pie and mash to sink a ship. Below are the highlights: Covent Garden, Albert's Memorial, and my parents on the Thames.

Day 12: We took a train to London and wandered around Kensington Palace.

Day 13: The British Museum had a lot to offer. We also made a trip to Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar square to check out the Jubilee.

Day 14: The Tower of London kept us occupied for most of the day. Then we were off to the Globe for a tour!

Day 15: More walking around the city, trying to stay clear of the Jubilee crowd. Covent Garden turned out to be a nice place to have lunch and see some live entertainment. Mom finally got to shop!

Day 16: We parted ways at Paddington Station. My parents flew safely home to California and I stayed behind to finish my dissertation. It has always been my dream to share London with my parents, and despite all the craziness caused by the Jubilee, my dream finally came true.

Rereading Measure for Measure

A really great article by my friend Dave Paxton on my favorite play, Measure for Measure. A must read:
http://bloggingshakespeare.com/sexing-isabella-and-angelo

Love's Cure - Play Reading

I was invited along to a cast reading of Love's Cure, or The Martial Maid by John Fletcher - a gem of a play my friend José A. Pérez Díez has been editing as part of his PhD research at the Shakespeare Institute.  Robert Ball is directing a staged reading of the newly edited script in original practice with an all male cast.  Luckily, despite my womanly figure, a key cast member was missing from the rehearsal and I was afforded the opportunity to read a part.

This was my first encounter with the play.  I enjoyed the gender reversals and utter state of confusion presented in this five act comedy.  There were many laughs to be had, a few awkward moments, and hilarious mispronunciations - all of which resulted in a rather charming evening. I am looking forward to watching the process unfold from the sidelines and the final performance in July.

Read A Bit About the Play and follow The Love's Cure Blog.

First York Cycle Performance!

Yesterday evening we had our first performance of The Spicer’s The Annunciation and Visitation of Mary from the 15th century York cycle plays. Jason invited his supervisor and fellows to the event. We listened to a phenomenal 20 minute seminar on performance modernization of medieval drama, given by our lovely director. We then performed the piece two ways: once in original practice and once in modern practice.

The audience filled out forms to document their experience of the performance. Hopefully Jason received adequate feedback for the performance.

Our final and most important performance will take place on May 18th to finalize Jason's project. I am looking forward to returning to the rehearsal room to make changes based on the feedback that was received. I have been having a great time working on this small piece of medieval drama. If you are here in Stratford, please join us on May 18th in the Shakespeare Institute Hall for the final performance, time TBA.

King John on the RSC's Courtyard Stage

Last night the Shakespeare Institute Players took to the Courtyard Stage as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company's Open Stage Festival - What a mouthful!

On Saturday, we (the players) were busy rehearsing the show, setting our technical elements with the RSC staff, and attending a vocal workshop. Then on Sunday we opened with several other groups from the surrounding area. We were of course the only production of King John in attendance. The bottom section of the theatre was sold out.

It feels good to represent the Institute Players, but even better to share the stage with them as honorary RSC actors for the day. I am hoping to acquire some pictures from the production - so check back soon!



Time to get down to work....

Yesterday I met with my course advisor to talk about my progress at the institute and to discuss ideas for my dissertation. I have decided that the focus of my study will be Word of Mouth: Gossip and Lies. I am debating to focus all of my efforts on Shakespeare's cannon, or to extend my reach to include other playwrights of early modern drama. This would allow me to write about such works as Christopher Marlowe's Edward II and Thomas Middleton's Women Beware Women. However, I would like to make sure that my scope is not too big for my paper, so I may end up just sticking to Shakespeare - After all, there is a plethora of material that pertains to my area of interest. I still do not have a supervisor for my dissertation, but I hope to find one soon that is as excited about my topic as I am. Wish me luck!

Titus Opening!

Titus Andronicus opens tonight at the Shakespeare Institute! I have been putting my best foot forward during the process, trying to remember that each day I am allowed to act is a gift. This production has been a trying experience for me. There have been a few bumps along the road to say the least. However, last night's run-through reignited my excitement. We may have a show on our hands!

Lizz Ketterer Trust Raises £550 with R&G

Thanks everyone for sharing with us a roaring success: ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN gathered a full house last night. Extra chairs had to be fitted in to accommodate everyone. I cannot remember having seen the Hall of the Shakespeare Institute so full of happy people enjoying themselves so much! Thanks to everyone for coming along. It was truly a memorable occasion.

And the Lizz Ketterer Trust is proud to announce that Ketterer's Men were able to raise £550 in a single evening, thanks to the generosity of our fantastic audience last night.

A new picture of Lizz is now hanging on the conservatory's wall in the Institute as a lasting and loving tribute to her

Shakespeare Institute Christmas Party

Tonight was the Shakespeare Institute Christmas party. We all brought food and drink to enjoy together in the Hall. It was fun to see everyone dressed smart (as the Brits would say!). Our director, Michael Dobson, got down on his guitar. We danced the night away until they closed the hall at 11pm. It was a great night and a perfect way to end our first term.

Titus Andronicus Casting!

I am thrilled to announce that I will be playing Saturninus in the Spring production of Titus Andronicus at the Shakespeare Institute! Jon Harvery will be directing this cross gendered production for the Shakespeare Institute Players, in which most the characters will be played by women (all except Titus). This allows me the opportunity to play a character that I would not normally be considered for. Our first read-through will take place after the holiday season, which gives me plenty of time to prepare for the role. I am looking forward to getting started!

The Changeling Closes!

For the last few weeks I have been working relentlessly on the Shakespeare Institute Player's production of The Changeling. Playing Beatrice-Joanna has been a challenging and rewarding experience for me. With a short rehearsal process and only 4 performances, I have hardly had time to know my role as deeply as I would like. This production has been filled with many trials, tragedy and frustration - Yet through it all, we were able to collectively deliver what has been hailed as "the best Players production in the last decade". Bravo cast! Let's keep the good work on the rise with our spring production of Titus Andronicus!

I am thrilled to announce that I will be playing Saturninus in the Spring production of Titus Andronicus at the Shakespeare Institute! Jon Harvery will be directing this cross gendered production for the Shakespeare Institute Players, in which most the characters will be played by women (all except Titus). This allows me the opportunity to play a character that I would not normally be considered for. Our first read-through will take place after the holiday season, which gives me plenty of time to prepare for the role. I am looking forward to getting started!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I give thanks to all of my new friends at the Shakespeare Institute. Thank you for celebrating with me when I am so far from home. I feel truly loved.



The Changeling Opens Nov. 25th!

Good news! The Changeling opens this weekend at the Shakespeare Institute presented by the Shakespeare Institute Players. Betrayal, adultery, murder, inescapable passions, alchemical lore and
bed tricks - A fantastic combination for a rarely revived masterpiece of Renaissance drama. I will be playing Beatrice-Joanna. I invite all my UK friends to come along for an evening at the Institute. For all of my US friends, we are filming the show and there should be a chance for you to see it at some point should you so chose. Let the festivities begin!

The Changeling by Thomas Middleton & William Rowley will be directed by alumna Joy Leslie Gibson. Performances will be in the Lecture Hall, Mason Croft (home of The Shakespeare Institute). Dates & Times: Friday, 25th & Saturday 26th November at 7.30 p.m. with matinees on Saturday, 26th and Sunday, 27th November at 2.30 p.m. Tickets are £8 (£7 concessions - students, OAPs, UB40s).

Changeling Transformation

The Shakespeare Institute Players production of Middleton & Rowley's The Changeling is starting to take shape. With only 4 rehearsals left, all I can say is: It's about time! All the players have been juggling busy schedule, doing research, studying, working and attending university classes and events. We are finally at the point where the scripts are out of our hands and we are able to truly PLAY. Wish my luck, everyone! This is my first full length production in the UK and I am excited to show my fellows what I really have to offer!

A Character Study of Edgar in King Lear

I attended a fabulous lecture this week by Ewan Fernie, Chair of Shakespeare Studies and Fellow at the Shakespeare Institute. The topic of his seminar revolved around the presence of possession in the character of Edgar in King Lear.

Edgar is Gloucester's legitimate son. His half-brother Edmund, frustrated with his social status as a bastard son, frames Edgar of plotting to kill their father. Edgar is forced into exile in order to avoid the rage of his father and his own imprisonment. At the end of the following speech he adopts the disguise of "Poor Tom," a mad Bedlam. This personae carries him through the majority of the remaining action of the play.

EDGAR
I heard myself proclaim'd;
And by the happy hollow of a tree
Escaped the hunt. No port is free; no place,
That guard, and most unusual vigilance,
Does not attend my taking. Whiles I may 'scape,
I will preserve myself: and am bethought
To take the basest and most poorest shape
That ever penury, in contempt of man,
Brought near to beast: my face I'll grime with filth;
Blanket my loins: elf all my hair in knots;
And with presented nakedness out-face
The winds and persecutions of the sky.
The country gives me proof and precedent
Of Bedlam beggars, who, with roaring voices,
Strike in their numb'd and mortified bare arms
Pins, wooden pricks, nails, sprigs of rosemary;
And with this horrible object, from low farms,
Poor pelting villages, sheep-cotes, and mills,
Sometime with lunatic bans, sometime with prayers,
Enforce their charity. Poor Turlygod! poor Tom!
That's something yet: Edgar I nothing am.

“Edgar I nothing am.” – This line cements the casting off of Edgar’s self as he deconstructs himself into the personae of Poor Tom. What does it mean to be ‘nothing’? Perhaps it is the abandonment of self for a time. Perhaps he is a shell of his former state; or contrary to that belief, perhaps he is liberated to be more than himself. In this the actor has to play multiple characters, layered on top of each other in the fabric of the dialog.

I found the topic fascinating as Fernie described Poor Tom as being “more alive than Edgar.” He is possessed – someone or something speaks through him – and this possession allows him to speak in “communal voices”. His feigned madness allows Edgar to speak truths he may have otherwise stifled.

From an acting perspective, I was also struck by Fernie’s questions to his listeners: Does the actor possess the character; or does the character possess the actor? Is human identity threatened by acting? Is there an inherent risk of possession in acting?

He says, perhaps even Shakespeare was aware of possession as a necessary condition.