Things I will miss in England... a list.

(Not necessarily in this order)

1.  Cadbury chocolate (real Cadbury...)
2.  Twinings tea (real Twinings...)
3.  Regular English Tea with Milk
4.  Pubs
5.  True alcoholic Bulmers, Magners, Kopparberg Cider
6.  Terms:
  
    Quid (slang for £)
    Full stop
    Chuffed
    Chundered
    Cheers
    Fancy
    Jumpers
    Cross
    Kicking off
    Fit
    Fanny/fanny about
    Wanker
    Faff/faff about
    Pissed (drunk)
    Popping by
    You okay?
    You alright?           
    Can't be bothered
    Sorted/Sort out             
    Keen             
    Press on             
    Straight on       
    Knob
    Knackered
    Cringe
    Mental
    Cheeky            
    Fortnight             
    Knickers             
    Trousers             
    Crisps       
    Smart (not just intelligent but well put together, well dressed)       
    Posh       
    Clever
    Slag
    Bless
    Fag (cigarette)
    Rough

(to be added too... sometimes they don't just come to mind)

7. RIBENA.  I have only found some cheap-o horrible version of Ribena in New York once... not like the true Ribena in the UK.  Blackcurrant goodness!
8.  Pret a Manger.  This also exists in New York now but it's not the same.
9.  DIGESTIVES.  They are essentially biscuits (cookies in American terms) that cannot be found in the US
10. Quavers (type of potato crisp/chip)
11. Fish and Chips
12. Balls... there are so many balls here and opportunities to dress up.
13. Night buses.  The tube stops at a certain hour but night buses are saviours!  And... they don't just exist in Harry Potter
14. The history.  Everything here is historical and as an outsider, that sense of history permeates into the culture: pubs, balls, education, etc.  I will miss that sense of antiquity.
15. The National Theatre.  The National produces daring, solid, new works that look at society from the past to the present day.  An institution like it does not exist in the States and I will miss it terribly.  I wish there was such a dedication towards the theatre like that in the States.
16. UCL. They let me live my fantasy of studying in England and gave me quite a year of learning.  I'm very thankful for what I've learned.
17. The Musical Theatre Society.  They gave me a social life, an opportunity to have fun acting and to learn about myself.  And despite the drama, I made good friends.
18. Cellar Door.  So many good memories.
19. London style of clothing: classic, jumpers, brogues, very vintage-almost 1940s, sort of taking history into the present like the city and country.
20. Speaking of clothing these stores: Next, Topshop, Warehouse, Selfridges, John Lewis, Joy
21. And shoes:  Office, Schuh, Clarks (it's different than in the States!), Dune
22. Camden.  I know... odd.  But I like Camden Lock and the wonderful shops/atmosphere of next to the river.
23. THE SOUTH BANK.  So beautiful.  It's where the National Theatre is and just looks over to Parliament - it encompasses what IS London.
24. The accents.  There are so many accents in England (not even counting the whole of the UK) and I've learned to understand the region and 'class' assigned to it
25. Britain's obsession with class (this is not necessarily a good thing but something I find fascinating that is so unique, so unapologetic, and almost politically incorrect from an American point of view)
26. The British Library
27. Cambridge.  History and friends (Katie and Josh) - I always feel like I'm in Harry Potter when I go there.
28. Parks in London.  There's so much green space and it's so charming and livable and typically... English.
29. Trains - trains get you everywhere... thank you RAILCARD!
30. Marks and Spencer.  Not just because of Percy Pigs or their food...
31. PAPERCHASE.  I never began to love stationary until I found this store.
32. Sainsburys.  Good 'ole Sainsburys - main supermarket in the UK
33. Waitrose.  High-end supermarket for when I feel POSH.
34. Boots.  Boots has everything (drugstore)
35. NHS (National Health Service).  America needs it.  Full stop.
36. British humour - dry, sarcastic, and mockingly.
37. Friends (a number on a list doesn't give them justice AT ALL).
38. FOYLES.  The best bookstore in England.  Its main store is on Charing Cross Road and it is massive and so much better than a Barnes and Noble or Waterstones.  It has EVERYTHING and it's not corporate.  But SMART (both in intellect and in style).
39.  COVENT GARDEN.  Not the market part but Seven Dials, the streets around it - it's so quaint full of small shops and I just feel transported back in time to the quintessential charming London world.
40.  Dove Spray Deodorant.  They don't have spray deodorant in the States and I LOVE spray deodorant... odd I know.  It just makes life easier.  I will miss it... may need to import it!

More to add later...

It's odd.  After being here for almost a year there are certain aspects of British/London life that don't seem so novel that would of made me so obsessed a year ago because of its 'British-ness':

-Pubs and the characters within them are so British (and Irish) and the atmosphere is so warm and full of tradition.  Now it feels second nature, a place to meet people.  
-The accent - I know it's lame but the accent doesn't faze me like it did before, now I begin to (dare I say it) judge or assess people on their accent (Brits and Americans included).
-Tea too... I used to think it was SO cute and British - now I love it.
-The TUBE - who knew?  I know it and love it and it's orderliness (they have bars so people walk in one direction... and signs to direct pedestrian traffic).
-Driving on the other side of the road has become second nature.  I wouldn't be surprised if I have a similar near death experience of being run over in America like I have here...
-The history... it still fascinates me when I read books and see where they happened, but the fact that I'm surrounded by it and that it is so embedded in the culture doesn't shock me like it used too.  I know I will miss it when I get back to American and something (gasp!) 100 years old is 'old'.

The irony:  the more I articulate these 'things' the more I single them out AS particularly novel and unique to what I'm 'used to'.  Essentially, they may seem 'normal now' but truly they are and always will be somewhat 'differently fascinating.'

As I approach my departure... more to come, I assure you.

THE MORE TO COME:

One of the many amazing things about going abroad is learning about yourself but also really learning and understanding your country (America) and the country you're living in (Britain).  I found that while I still don't always know when is the PC way to use England or Britain (it's quite complicated!), I feel I have gotten somewhat of a grasp on what is typically 'British' (or 'English' - I told you I didn't know!).  And it's comforting knowing that it's both a combination of my own stereotypical movie vision of England but also of a more modern place full of complexities and issues that any country has.  Whether it's the humour, the cultural bias, the pop culture obsessions, one acquires this knowledge by comparing it to what one knows (America) and by seeing the differences in how different countries present their news, conduct their elections, interact with each other and different classes, ethnicities, immigrants, and even how they wash their dishes and don't always use clothing dryers, one begins to have perspective on both where they came from and from where they are.  But that's only possible by being in two different places and living life in those respective places.  And as I approach my departure back to America, I find that comparison and the fact that I feel so invested in both America and England truly powerful.

Old England and Exams.

I think it's a general assumption that Americans are obsessed with Europe because everything is old.  With England, it's all about Jane Austen, those historical films, Lord of the Rings, and of course Harry Potter.  In England, everything is full of history.  It's what makes Europe so novel for Americans.  Something 150 years old isn't old at all.  Walking around York on Roman walls... THAT'S old.

When the musical theatre society was on their way to Scarborough for the festival, I was looking out at the English countryside and exclaimed, 'That looks like Pemberley!' (As in Mr. Darcy's mansion in Pride and Prejudice).  My friend Dom's remark was, 'I always love when Americans come to England.  They realise that these places actually exist.'

Yes, in England, many things I only saw in movies or read in books, were actually real.  For example:

1. Harry Potter:  Students do wear robes and dine in large halls with long tables and benches.
2. Harry Potter:  'Head Boy' and 'House Leaders' also exist in schools.
3. Lord of the Rings:  People actually sit in 500+ year old pubs drinking pints (no hobbits, though).
4. Jane Austen:  Places like Pemberley actually exist.
5. People do tend to live in castles or old castle-like homes.
6. There are cities and towns that are hundreds of years old... and look like it.
7. Jane Eyre:  The Moors... are moor-like with rolling hills and Heathcliff-like ominousness 
8. People are obsessed with the queen.  And royalty in general.
9. Jane Austen:  People drink lots of tea.
10. There are lots of sheep...

NOW.  The most recent 'old' thing I encountered in England was... EXAMS.  I took my first exam today.  It was six hours long on Shakespeare.  I'm surprised I'm even able to type!  But what was it about this exam that was so... Harry Potter like?  Or just... BRITISH and precise?

When I walked into the exam room I got nervous just because it was an ENTIRE HALL (like in Harry Potter when they take their OWL exams).  There was a man with a desk, a microphone, and a massive clock facing the rest of the room (also like in Harry Potter).  The same old filling out sheets properly was standard, raising hands to go to the bathroom, etc.  We had our 'designated lunch break' and massive panic ensued and we went back into the massive, daunting hall.

But what was it that made me giggle inside after that six hour long saga?  Not only was the 'moderator' so precise that five minutes BEFORE the time was over we had to start organising everything, but what was it...

We had to tie our booklets together.  With a STRING.  A string, I say!  I just thought... surely a stapler would work, or a paperclip.  We are in the year 2010.  It was so entirely endearing.  And it made me think:

Yes.  Coming to England, I sometimes feel like I am living in a Harry Potter movie, or a Jane Austen film, or just... my own vision of England where everything is old and traditional.

I get to do this two more times.  And while I probably won't miss the stress of being in such a formal hall with such strict rules when I go back to America, there's a part of me, in a very nostalgic way, that will miss that sort of - intense, traditional, precision that is... England.

Even those bloody exams with their Harry Potter halls.  And string.

*Edit: When I took my Chaucer Exam there was a student writing with a pen and bottle of ink.  As in... feather and a bottle of ink.  Like what they would've written in DURING the Middle Ages.

Apologies...

Apologies to those (few) readers of this somewhat lame blog. I have been absent because of frantic discussions about getting to the festival, rehearsing for the festival, and ultimately going to the festival! The festival was a complicated affair that I learned a lot from but also had my contentions. But, as to not spoil or speak ill of things, I would like to highlight what I learned and loved:

1. Spending a week with what has become the best large university social group I have had was wonderful. Bonding times, living in a somewhat obscure town for a week, and raucous nights were highlights.
2. I think I've learned a bit of what it's like to be on tour - get a new venue, have little time to figure out how everything works and then do a show! This gave me very little time to freak out.
3. I love the theatre. So much. I love it in its messiness, when we're all kind of doing a show on a prayer and yet it happily turns out better than it ever was.
4. I have learned that if I truly believe and trust in myself, normally my mind and body will follow. Let's put it this way: my performance, technically, this time was solid. In comparison to the show in December, I did not mess up the counting in my individual, difficult pieces. Was it because I relearned things? Partially, but I set my mind to not letting me psyche myself out and I accomplished that. That sounds cocky... but I am proud of how I overcame my psychological barrier.
5. I would love to do a show forever and ever. BUT, being in the midst of school work, in some ways I feel that if I were to really grow the next time I (hopefully!) play Cinderella I would need time to grow as a human being.
6. Not everyone is going to like you and that's life. Actors are notoriously insecure. I am most definitely an insecure human being. Acting is a very emotionally risky business because you invest your heart and soul into a character that in one sentence a critic can destroy. I've learned that that will happen and that I need to develop a tougher skin.
7. There's no spirit like team spirit. UCL won the pub quiz. And it was, possibly, one of the happiest moments of my life. We cheered like we won the World Cup or £1,000,000. We truthfully won neither.
8. I will cherish this experience for good and for bad for my entire life. I'm just so happy I got to do the show again and with people that I love.

Post-show I had the opportunity to see more of England and Ireland. Pictures, adventures, and thoughts to come... especially as we get closer to - yes, my return home.

And by home, I mean New York.

New York I have missed you loads.
London I will miss you when I am in New York.
It's a Catch-22.

Lastly, what I've learned the most about the above experience and about my time in London: the importance of friends. Friends are so important. Cherish them because at times, I feel they are the only thing holding me together.

I wish to go to the festival! And the ball!

Into the Woods was entered into the National Student Drama Festival and was shortlisted in January for the top 15 shows out of over 150. About two weeks ago, we found out that we are in fact, GOING TO THE FESTIVAL! I cannot describe what an honour it is to go not just for the society, but for UCL. We are one of eight shows and the only musical. I am extremely excited to reprise playing Cinderella and to spend a week in Scarborough with my peers who have become some of my best friends.

I will post news and such as it gets released. We will have a right up in the Sunday Times... oooo....

Into the Woods without delay but careful not to lose the way!

I have been sort of MIA... mostly because I haven't had much to comment on and because I have been occupied with essays, readings, and INTO THE WOODS!

Below you will find the main publicity photo for UCL's Musical Theatre Society's production in the Bloomsbury:



Although pretty much all of you who read this won't be able to come, I thought it would be fitting to still post the website for tickets.

Also, here's another link to the full album of publicity photos I took from my not so great camera. It was loads of fun... and so many children stared in awe!

The First Amendment and Censorship in Britain

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Growing up in America, the idea of "freedom of speech" has been ingrained in me since I was a child. For both good and bad I knew that because of the first amendment anyone in the United States could say and express what they pleased (now, of course there were times when censorship did exist by the people but rarely, if ever, was it government instigated). That meant that the KKK could have "white power" protests and that civil rights activists could march in Washington. More recently it means that gay activists can march for equality and that anti-national health care fanatics can obnoxiously protest in Town Hall meetings through the country.

It also means that artists of all kinds can produce their work for an audience without government regulation.

One of my classes at UCL is called "Moderns II." It focuses on modern literature post WWII. The topic of this lecture was on theatrical censorship in Britain. As an American I was surprised to hear that censorship of plays did not stop in Britain until 1968. And, even more incredible, this censorship committee, The Lord Chamberlain's Office, began in the 1500s. That's four hundred years ago. And if any of you know your Shakespeare - it's the SAME Lord Chamberlain's Office that existed during Shakespeare's time (its function has morphed over time).

So what did this censorship entail? It meant that every play that wanted to be produced HAD to be given to the Lord Chamberlain's Office for approval. What did they censor? Anything too political, anything talking about foreign enemies, anything concerning homosexuality, immoral behavior, and sexuality in general (I may note that what I am saying is a gross generalization - there are books and documents that I am too lazy to find). When A Streetcar Named Desire was produced in London for the first time various clergymen and officials were outraged at its "immoral" message - essentially a sympathetic prostitute who depended on the "kindness of strangers." You could not have plays simulate sex or other bodily functions on stage and language was censored heavily as well. And people from the Lord Chamberlain's Office would visit shows and take extremely detailed notes (now found in The British Library) documenting shows.

(And as a side note, even though censorship was abolished in 1968, when Margaret Thatcher was in office censorship began again.)

Obviously, there were ways to get around this. If a theatre was also listed as a "club" they could simulate sex and more controversial behavior (profanity was still not that heavily used). The biggest beacon of anti-censorship was The Royal Court Theatre. They produced and still continue to produce new and slightly controversial plays such as Look Back in Anger, The Rocky Horror Show, and more recently That Face and Enron. Even though censorship is abolished, The Royal Court still is a beacon for new and daring works.

So what does this mean? For me, it's a reminder of how much the first amendment is so ingrained in my head and how I believed that any western country was similar. Yes, while censorship did and still does exist on different levels in the States ("banned" book lists, local people shutting down shows, etc.) we haven't necessarily had anything government regulated. This is a VERY foreign idea for me. And on an artistic level, it makes me appreciate British theatre in a much different way. Britain is known for its controversial and daring plays. If Enron transfers to Broadway you will understand what I mean. America HAS a legacy of political and social playwrights (Edward Albee, Arthur Miller, Tony Kushner, the list goes on...) but we don't have the legacy of censorship that Britain does. With censorship, I believe, comes a great need to boldly express opinions. Theatre and the freedom of expression, therefore, have a much deeper value. Because with censorship comes an appreciation for the freedom to express without any boundaries.

Unlike other countries who've encountered censorship, as Americans I believe that we at times forget to appreciate how lucky we are that freedom of expression (for good or for evil) has existed since the creation of the United States of America.

4th University in the World

On another great note: the Times (London) comes out with a "higher education" ranking every year. UCL has always been at the top but this year did extremely well - fourth in the world and beating Oxford!

I share the table for you all to marvel at:

The Times Higher Education Table

Columbia didn't do so bad either...

Musical Theatre and Swine Flu

The two are not necessarily related. Well, in the London production of Avenue Q they joked that "Swine flu is only for now."

And so it seems I MIGHT have swine flu. The lovely doctors and nurses were all too worried that me being asthmatic and sick right now results in swine flu. The trouble is, swine flu has normal flu like symptoms. So who knows. But I'm on the infamous "Tamiflu" that is quite unpleasant. And I am essentially quarantined for a few days. Oh precautions...

On another much more positive note, I had the lovely opportunity to be a part of the UCL musical theatre society's "24-hour Fresher Musical". Yep, 24 hours. The show was essentially Les Miserables and I had the fortunate opportunity to play Cosette. It was great fun and truly a beautiful testament to how much teamwork and passion really fuel a production. I was so happy and touched to see people building a set, working lights, really working hard to learn their lines, get their costumes right, etc. in JUST the course of 24 hours. And the support - now that was great too.

Piggy backing on that - I auditioned for the main stage production of Into the Woods at The Bloomsbury Theatre. Despite massive doubts about my work - a realization that I am changing as a person and therefore an actor, I feel so pleased (and in some ways shocked but really really really happy) to be playing Cinderella. I am so excited to tackle her and the complexity of Sondheim and really USE all that I learned at Adler in this character!

As for lectures and seminars - they're good - not too much to say so far! Interesting people - much more individualized. But I am more focused on the fact that I need to get better before anything truly gets rolling!

British "isms" continued

"Hiya" - common greeting
"Are you okay?" - seems odd but it's used a lot when people see you in stores, are looking lost, etc.
"Full Stop" - synonym to a "period" in a sentence
"Faff" - courtesy of Josh Seymour it is akin to "putzing" (think Yiddish)
"Fag" - cigarette
"trolly" - shopping cart
"carriage" - train car

I have attended the famous "Fresher's Fayre" which is essentially booths of the university's student societies and clubs. It's a MADHOUSE. I got loads of free stuff including a BAG of stuff from the Jewish Society.

Today also marks the FIRST of my many trips to the National Theatre to see All's Well that End's Well. This show will actually be BROADCAST which is pretty cool.

Classes start Monday. I have never had a break this long - it's October. I believe I should start on some reading...