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...
Friday, 9 October 2009
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!
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!
Thursday, 1 October 2009
All's Well That End's Well at the National (a bit of a mini essay)
The National Theatre truly is a wonderful place. They have recently started a program where they broadcast live performances to theatres across the UK and around the world. Tonight, I was in the audience of Shakespeare's All's Well That End's Well (and my friend Josh SAW me on tv!)
As many of you know, I am a Shakespeare fanatic. It seems to be the true "thing" that links my love for academics and my love for acting - it feeds my intellectual and emotional/artistic sides. Seeing great Shakespeare PERFORMED is truly a treat. I loved this performance for a variety of reasons. I did one of Helena's (the protagonist) speeches when I was just starting to really delve into attempting to act Shakespeare. And therefore knew this play very well and seeing it live opened up my eyes to aspects of the play I had never thought of before.
One of the reasons why I love Shakespeare is because he writes fantastic women. His women are notoriously intelligent, calculating, ambitious, emotional, and full of heart (some would beg to differ considering Lady Macbeth but that conversation can be played out later). BUT my one critique of Shakespeare's women is that they consistently fall for the most unappreciative, banal, and superficial men. I have found it hard to reason why an intelligent woman like Helena in All's Well or Viola in Twelfth Night would actively pursue with all of her energy a man like Bertram (All's Well) or Orsino (Twelfth Night). While this production did not resolve my question, it did, however, reveal an element of humanity in Bertram that truly led me to believe that he, despite his violent attempts to dispose of his wife (going to war and proclaiming she was dead), grew to respect and honor his wife Helena. It seemed that on the brink of his imprisonment he began to see how much Helena loved him.
Now. One of the other new things I found while seeing this play was the way in which narcissism propels the play's actions. For example, Helena cures the King and is thus allowed to choose her husband. She chooses Bertram who then refuses and the King is outraged. Yes, Bertram is a superficial boy who wants to choose his own love and cannot obey the wishes of his family. BUT the King's outrage is so monumental because Bertram DISOBEYS his orders. What starts as an insult against Helena (Bertram refusing to marry her) turns into a King's rage against Bertram because Bertram's disobedience defies the King's rule. In addition, at the end of the play, while Bertram reveals a sense of humanity that justifies him willingly staying with Helena, his shift, I would argue, comes from the recognition of how much Helena loves HIM. Not necessarily because Helena is clever - if he recognized this he would have willingly married her in the first act.
This narcissism in the play contrasts DIRECTLY with Helena's selflessness. She is a slave to her love for Bertram and sacrifices herself to ultimately win him back (literally - by following statements in a letter). Before this production I used to see her speeches proclaiming her guilt about Bertram's fate as a weakness on her part. For example, when Bertram leaves to go to war Helena blames herself - not Bertram's idiocy. What I see now is Shakespeare's attempt to both contrast Helena's blind selflessness with the King and Bertram's blind selfishness. But in addition to the literary contrast, what I saw now in this Helena was a woman who while intelligent, was truly a victim of love.
Shakespeare writes about humanity. All's Well That End's Well is a testament to how love propels and affects all aspects of every single human being. And while I still find it hard to believe that such an intelligent woman would fall for such a doofus as Bertram, I find contentment in Shakespeare's extreme portrayal of blind love in this play. How else could he truly portray selfless love without contrasting Helena's selflessness to Bertram's selfishness? The paradox allows us to see the core of this play - all consuming love.
Lastly, this play emphasized the fairy tale quality of the play. The set used the symbolism of a red riding hood, sparkly slippers, a scary forest, etc., to portray a fantasy world. The play itself debunks what we read in stories as children. The stepmother isn't evil and the prince doesn't automatically fall for you. While this is a story about the humanity of love it is also a play about the reality of life. It proposes a new sort of "happy ending" to the fairy tales. A woman can love and "get" her prince... if she's a smart cookie and has the ambition to do it.
So... there's my novel to you. Perhaps this will turn into a paper in the near future...
As many of you know, I am a Shakespeare fanatic. It seems to be the true "thing" that links my love for academics and my love for acting - it feeds my intellectual and emotional/artistic sides. Seeing great Shakespeare PERFORMED is truly a treat. I loved this performance for a variety of reasons. I did one of Helena's (the protagonist) speeches when I was just starting to really delve into attempting to act Shakespeare. And therefore knew this play very well and seeing it live opened up my eyes to aspects of the play I had never thought of before.
One of the reasons why I love Shakespeare is because he writes fantastic women. His women are notoriously intelligent, calculating, ambitious, emotional, and full of heart (some would beg to differ considering Lady Macbeth but that conversation can be played out later). BUT my one critique of Shakespeare's women is that they consistently fall for the most unappreciative, banal, and superficial men. I have found it hard to reason why an intelligent woman like Helena in All's Well or Viola in Twelfth Night would actively pursue with all of her energy a man like Bertram (All's Well) or Orsino (Twelfth Night). While this production did not resolve my question, it did, however, reveal an element of humanity in Bertram that truly led me to believe that he, despite his violent attempts to dispose of his wife (going to war and proclaiming she was dead), grew to respect and honor his wife Helena. It seemed that on the brink of his imprisonment he began to see how much Helena loved him.
Now. One of the other new things I found while seeing this play was the way in which narcissism propels the play's actions. For example, Helena cures the King and is thus allowed to choose her husband. She chooses Bertram who then refuses and the King is outraged. Yes, Bertram is a superficial boy who wants to choose his own love and cannot obey the wishes of his family. BUT the King's outrage is so monumental because Bertram DISOBEYS his orders. What starts as an insult against Helena (Bertram refusing to marry her) turns into a King's rage against Bertram because Bertram's disobedience defies the King's rule. In addition, at the end of the play, while Bertram reveals a sense of humanity that justifies him willingly staying with Helena, his shift, I would argue, comes from the recognition of how much Helena loves HIM. Not necessarily because Helena is clever - if he recognized this he would have willingly married her in the first act.
This narcissism in the play contrasts DIRECTLY with Helena's selflessness. She is a slave to her love for Bertram and sacrifices herself to ultimately win him back (literally - by following statements in a letter). Before this production I used to see her speeches proclaiming her guilt about Bertram's fate as a weakness on her part. For example, when Bertram leaves to go to war Helena blames herself - not Bertram's idiocy. What I see now is Shakespeare's attempt to both contrast Helena's blind selflessness with the King and Bertram's blind selfishness. But in addition to the literary contrast, what I saw now in this Helena was a woman who while intelligent, was truly a victim of love.
Shakespeare writes about humanity. All's Well That End's Well is a testament to how love propels and affects all aspects of every single human being. And while I still find it hard to believe that such an intelligent woman would fall for such a doofus as Bertram, I find contentment in Shakespeare's extreme portrayal of blind love in this play. How else could he truly portray selfless love without contrasting Helena's selflessness to Bertram's selfishness? The paradox allows us to see the core of this play - all consuming love.
Lastly, this play emphasized the fairy tale quality of the play. The set used the symbolism of a red riding hood, sparkly slippers, a scary forest, etc., to portray a fantasy world. The play itself debunks what we read in stories as children. The stepmother isn't evil and the prince doesn't automatically fall for you. While this is a story about the humanity of love it is also a play about the reality of life. It proposes a new sort of "happy ending" to the fairy tales. A woman can love and "get" her prince... if she's a smart cookie and has the ambition to do it.
So... there's my novel to you. Perhaps this will turn into a paper in the near future...
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...
"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...
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
English "isms" I like/would like to acquire
"I can't be bothered" (MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE)
"bin" (trash)
"queue" (The English are OBSESSED with queuing - I tried to hail a cab when there was a queue for cabs... bad)
"well done"
"chuffed" (happy)
"toilet"
"loo"
"straight on"
"bill" (not check)
"trousers" (pants mean underwear)
"knickers"
"ground floor different from the first floor" - the GROUND floor is what Americans would call the FIRST floor so the FIRST floor is actually one flight up. This... I do not understand because it results in me having to walk up another flight of stairs.
"pop in/by/across the road"
"gutted" (upset, disappointed)
"mobile" not cell phone
"phone you" (call you)
"ring" (call)
There are many more that I will post when they emerge from my memory and as I come across them in daily life. This is just the beginning.
"bin" (trash)
"queue" (The English are OBSESSED with queuing - I tried to hail a cab when there was a queue for cabs... bad)
"well done"
"chuffed" (happy)
"toilet"
"loo"
"straight on"
"bill" (not check)
"trousers" (pants mean underwear)
"knickers"
"ground floor different from the first floor" - the GROUND floor is what Americans would call the FIRST floor so the FIRST floor is actually one flight up. This... I do not understand because it results in me having to walk up another flight of stairs.
"pop in/by/across the road"
"gutted" (upset, disappointed)
"mobile" not cell phone
"phone you" (call you)
"ring" (call)
There are many more that I will post when they emerge from my memory and as I come across them in daily life. This is just the beginning.
Friday, 25 September 2009
Perpetually Vacillating
In the past few months I have both felt like I do not know myself anymore and that I have learned so much about who I am. It's contradictory, I know. I have always felt conflicted about acting - whether I should pursue it or whether I should be more... academic. But I always vehemently pursued acting no matter where or what I was doing. There came a point within this past year where I felt like my body kept on moving forward and my self stopped a few feet behind. I began to question why I still act and what it means to me. I don't know. And it is very scary. In fact, for the first time I feel stuck. I doubt the one thing in my entire life that I was so sure about. Sometimes I wonder if this is just growth, if this dilemma actually means that I know more about myself than I ever have before. But really, I have no idea.
In many ways I feel like I don't know what I'm doing here in London and yet I have to be here - that I can't be in any other place but here at this exact moment in my life.
I used to trust that bad situations and bad relationships would without fail end up in disaster. I also used to trust that what I believed was so concrete within me and within my deepest relationships would always remain so. I believed that because nothing had faltered in the past that what was "sure" was invincible. In the past year, and more particularly in the past few weeks and days, my confidence and trust has proved to be faulty. I do believe that this is ultimately a good and positive thing.
Without pain and challenges we are not forced to reevaluate who we are at our core. And without that self-reflection we cannot grow. And no growth in life is ultimately pitiful.
That said, I am an extremely stubborn person. I am also emotionally exhausted. But life does not stop because I'm tired. So I begrudgingly take another challenge to become more at peace with myself. Here we go.
In many ways I feel like I don't know what I'm doing here in London and yet I have to be here - that I can't be in any other place but here at this exact moment in my life.
I used to trust that bad situations and bad relationships would without fail end up in disaster. I also used to trust that what I believed was so concrete within me and within my deepest relationships would always remain so. I believed that because nothing had faltered in the past that what was "sure" was invincible. In the past year, and more particularly in the past few weeks and days, my confidence and trust has proved to be faulty. I do believe that this is ultimately a good and positive thing.
Without pain and challenges we are not forced to reevaluate who we are at our core. And without that self-reflection we cannot grow. And no growth in life is ultimately pitiful.
That said, I am an extremely stubborn person. I am also emotionally exhausted. But life does not stop because I'm tired. So I begrudgingly take another challenge to become more at peace with myself. Here we go.
Sunday, 20 September 2009
An English Rosh Hashanah
Coming to live in a different country is extremely daunting. In many ways, I feel very linked to New York and leaving was difficult because of that connection. Coming to London only deepens my sense of identity. However, this keen sense of self also allows me to look at other societies and people from the eye of an outsider.
This Rosh Hashanah I had the fortunate pleasure to spend the holiday with my friend Josh and his family in Edgware, a suburb of London. Being welcomed into their home was exactly what I needed when in a foreign city. The English are a very civilized (civilised) and reserved people. But once they get to know you it is like being welcomed into a warm and inviting club. I loved getting to meet Josh's family and friends while celebrating and getting an English experience of a Jewish holiday.
When I was in high school, I had a dance teacher who told me that the wonderful thing about dancing ballet is that it is the same in every country around the world. This is true with Jewish practice. While various customs vary, all in all, prayers are prayers past down for thousands of year. Josh's synagogue in Edgware (the Edgware & District Reform Synagogue) is the largest in Europe. Walking to services on Saturday was a massive exodus of Jews to this synagogue. The service (minus a blessing over the Royal Family) was entirely the same to what I've grown up including the melodies. I found this too to be reassuring.
The high holidays for me are about tradition and remembering the Jewish people and their history. Spending Rosh Hashanah in London with Josh's family and at Josh's synagogue was a reminder that despite different passports and ways of speaking - there is a continuity, a sense of common history among Jews.
That strong and solid foundation is very deep and powerful.
This Rosh Hashanah I had the fortunate pleasure to spend the holiday with my friend Josh and his family in Edgware, a suburb of London. Being welcomed into their home was exactly what I needed when in a foreign city. The English are a very civilized (civilised) and reserved people. But once they get to know you it is like being welcomed into a warm and inviting club. I loved getting to meet Josh's family and friends while celebrating and getting an English experience of a Jewish holiday.
When I was in high school, I had a dance teacher who told me that the wonderful thing about dancing ballet is that it is the same in every country around the world. This is true with Jewish practice. While various customs vary, all in all, prayers are prayers past down for thousands of year. Josh's synagogue in Edgware (the Edgware & District Reform Synagogue) is the largest in Europe. Walking to services on Saturday was a massive exodus of Jews to this synagogue. The service (minus a blessing over the Royal Family) was entirely the same to what I've grown up including the melodies. I found this too to be reassuring.
The high holidays for me are about tradition and remembering the Jewish people and their history. Spending Rosh Hashanah in London with Josh's family and at Josh's synagogue was a reminder that despite different passports and ways of speaking - there is a continuity, a sense of common history among Jews.
That strong and solid foundation is very deep and powerful.
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