Day 4: Visual food for thought

On our fourth day in London, we spent some time in the morning reflecting on impressions of our time in London so far. We discussed unexpected discoveries about London that had occurred in the first three days, as well as how we now defined the word "international." Some of the expected discoveries included observations about food, different ways of saying things, and the friendliness of Londoners.

In the afternoon we traveled to the Tate Modern, and students had the opportunity to view various exhibits, including the museum's collection of Mark Rothko paintings, a special exhibit on pop art, and an exhibit examining the relationship between visual and community engagement. The Tate Modern is an impressive building with some amazing art work. Certainly a must-see on any trip to London.

In the evening we saw a production of You for Me for You by Mia Chung at the Royal Court. Chung is a playwright from the US and a current fellow at New Dramatists. The Royal Court focuses on developing and staging new plays by writers from all over the world, so many playwrights working in the US have had a UK or world premiere at the Royal Court.

A marquee outside the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square.

Chung's play is about two sisters living in North Korea. The younger sister wants to escape from North Korea while the older sister is reluctant to leave because of her past history and her illness. The play uses abstraction and non-realism to explore what it's like to emigrate to the US, and this particular production was bolstered by outstanding direction and an incredible design. The six actors also performed the play with a lot of integrity and attention to detail. It was also fun for us to hear references to NYU, Washington Square, and New York City throughout the play. Afterwards, I learned a lot about society and culture in South Korea from some of my students, and I really appreciated that opportunity. The authenticity of the play had an impact for them, which I think it important.

These two experiences had strong visual components. The museum for obvious reason, but the play on the page does not necessarily indicate a such a realized visual world. It's exciting to see what a director and designers can achieve when they are working together with the playwright's intentions and the actors in service of the play.

The program and script for You for Me for You by Mia Chung.

Day 3: Shakespeare!

Our third day in London was basically all Shakespeare all of the time. The last time I brought students to London in March 2103, we had a tour of Shakespeare's Globe, but we couldn't see anything because the season hadn't started yet. Since then, the company has opened the Wanamaker Theatre, which emulates the indoor experience at Blackfriars. All performances in the winter months now happen in a smaller, indoor theatre lit by candlelight.

We started the day with a tour and workshop, where we had a chance to actually get on stage, speak text, look at into the audience, and experience what it's like to be an actor on stage at The Globe. Then we moved into a workshop space, and our facilitator Mary took the group through a series of exercises that examined the plot and characters of Cymbeline, the play we saw later that afternoon. The exercises focused primarily on understanding what makes up a romance, the genre of the play Cymbeline. It focused on Shakespeare's technique as a storyteller with this particular genre rather than simply on the text of the play, and that choice made a significant difference in our experience of the play in performance.  When we got to the outlandish circumstances of Act V, when all of the coincidences and twists of fate need to be explained and revealed to Cymbeline, I felt more apt to accept them, rather than scoff at them and think of the play as problematic. It was a great lesson for me as a teacher of Shakespeare.

I personally had an amazing time watching the performance of the play, and the space is intimate enough that I could see my students enjoying the play as well. It was a great experience, one that I won't forget, and I hope to return there in the future to see more productions by candlelight.

The students of DGHS London Theatre as Art Form inside Shakespeare's Globe.

Colin, one of the students, getting costumed as Ophelia from Hamlet.

Colin fully costumed as Ophelia, minus his blue Converse.

Members of the class on stage at The Globe, right after making a grand entrance through the upstage double doors, from the tiring room.

Standing onstage at The Globe with our workshop facilitator, Mary (green skirt).

The ceiling over top of the thrust stage at The Globe.

Day 2: Stories old and new

So our work on Day 2 accidentally landed on the theme of storytelling. I didn't plan it that way, but sometimes these things are happy accidents. I've learned to just accept what bubbles up and be #grateful for the connections that emerge organically.

We started the day with a two-hour workshop with Orla Hasson, a colleague and friend who works in applied theatre settings like community groups and prisons.  She lead our group through a workshop focused on sharing our personal stories through single word descriptors, gestures, and movements. She even had the group create a short movement piece that showed our community as this class in this moment and where we hope to arrive by the end of our experience together on January 29. It was fascinating to watch, and I learned a lot about how the group thinks of themselves as individuals and as a collective, and also what they think about me as the instructor. Humbling and reflective. That's how Orla works, and it was a pleasure to be in her presence and in her care.

Looking at a visual representation of characteristics that people see or think about us.

The students with workshop leader Orla Hasson (fourth from left).

Closer image of the visual representations of characteristics.  How are we linked together?

Video clip of workshop with Orla Hasson on January 5, 2016. Moving from a current representation of a community to a future image of the community.

We then moved on to a walking tour of London's West End and learned many new things about the history of London theatre and the reasons for the emergence of this concentrated area of performance spaces. It's one of the most important theatre districts in the world, so hearing the stories of these theatres and the people who worked in them helped us to understand how our trip to London connects to an international perspective on theatre as an art form.

Students on the walking tour.

Students with tour guide Peter Clancy, with the famous Coliseum in the background. It's the building with the revolving globe on top.

Final stop on the tour: Her Majesty's Theatre in the background.

Our day closed out with a performance of Les Miserables. Now with all the theatre happening in London, one might ask why I chose for the group to see a show that's been running for 30 years. The answer: Peter Lockyer, a Steinhardt alum who is starring as Jean Valjean in the original West End production. I had the pleasure of having Peter as a student many years ago (2007), and he very graciously met with us after giving a fantastic performance. It was an absolute pleasure to see him work, and he shared some really helpful insights about the differences between working in US versus a UK context. But he also provided some valuable insights about life long learning, and I know that's what I'm taking away from our time with him. An honor to say that he's an alum of NYU Steinhardt.

Students and staff with Peter Lockyer (front row, second from right), a Steinhardt alum starring as Jean Valjean in the West End production of Les Miserables.

Day 1: Arrival and cross check

I'm dedicating my blog posts for the next week to my adventures in London with 21 NYU undergraduate honors students participating in a Dean's Global Honors Seminar linked to a class that I taught in the fall 2015 semester, Theatre as Art Form. This week-long excursion to London is the culmination our work together, and the students will be seeing performances, participating in workshops with drama facilitators, and working independently on their final projects for the course.

Each student has already submitted a project idea, which I've approved, and now they are using the knowledge gained during our semester together plus the new experiences from this study away experience to complete their projects, which need to somehow address the following questions:

What connections have you discovered between your academic discipline and theatre as an art form?

What global connections have you made through your experience in London?

How might your understanding of theatre making affect your academic work in the future?

Below you will see some images from our first day in London, Monday, January 4. We landed in the morning at Heathrow, took a coach to the NYU London study away site at Bedford Square, had an orientation and walking tour with Tony Skitt, Senior Programme Manager for Student Life, and then a welcome dinner at a local pub called The Lamb.  All in all, an excellent first day! Stay tuned for a day-by-day update on this blog and follow us on Instagram at #DGHSLondon2016.

Cheers!

On the coach, ready to depart Heathrow!

Orientation at NYU London, Bedford Square with Tony Skitt and members of the staff.

Walking tour with a stop in Russell Square.  Joined by students from NYU Abu Dhabi studying in London.

Some of the students at The Lamb after our welcome dinner.

At Capacity--Scene 5: Evolving philosophy

Scene 5

(Mark sits at the bar from Scene 3. It’s the next evening, around 7:00pm. Cassie is mixing him a drink. He is dressed very similarly to the day before, same pants, different shirt, and he’s talking on his cell phone. )

MARK
Except for Mom, I’m not really sure who else is gonna be there. Dad’s gotta work, and Sarah’s out of town for her job. . . . Yeah, she’s traveling a lot too. . . .Yeah. . . . Uh huh. Yeah. . . . Right, that’s what I said, but-- . . . Yeah, I know. . . I know. (Cassie hands him his drink. He mouths “thanks.”) OK, you know I should really get going. The dinner’s about to start and I— . . . . OK. Yes, I will call Dad and see if he can get off to be there.  . . . Yes, I will call tonight before I go to bed. . . .OK. Right. . . . Yeah, ok, I gotta go. The dinner is starting. . . . Yep, OK, I love you too. . .  Got it. Bye, Donna. Bye, yes, Bye! (He hangs up and takes a very large gulp of his drink. It’s strong.)  YOW! (He sets it down. To Cassie) That’s a very generous pour.

CASSIE
Sounds like you needed it.

MARK
Oh, yeah. (He sets the phone down.) My sister. She can’t leave anything alone.

CASSIE (wiping down the bar, pretending to half listen)
A sister? Interesting…

MARK
Why is that “interesting?”

CASSIE
It just is.

MARK
You know, I don’t think people say something is “interesting” when it’s interesting. I think they say “interesting” when they censor themselves. Like “interesting” is some kind of polite euphemism for “fucked up” or “shitty” or—

CASSIE
“You treat women like shit.”

MARK
What?

CASSIE
You have a sister and you treat women like shit. That’s interesting to me.

MARK
What are you talking about?

CASSIE
Is she younger or older?

MARK
Older. Why?

CASSIE
Who’s Sarah?

MARK
Were you listening to my conversation?

CASSIE
You were having the conversation in front of me.

MARK
You work in a bar.

CASSIE
And you're in said bar talking right in front of me. (She leans in for emphasis.) Public place.

MARK
That’s fucked up.

CASSIE
I mixed you a double, didn’t I?

MARK
So?

CASSIE
Do you think I would’ve mixed you a double if I hadn’t heard your conversation?

MARK
Why would you mix me a double if you think I treat women like shit?

(Cassie ponders this.)

CASSIE
Cause one bad quality doesn’t mean the whole person goes to shit.

MARK (taking a drink)
That’s interesting.

CASSIE
Think: “fucked up.”

MARK
No, actually, I find it interesting. For real.  (He drinks.)  Have you always felt that way?

CASSIE (she stops to think)
It’s an evolving philosophy.

MARK
Uh huh.  How evolved?

CASSIE
Couple o’ years.

(Mark finishes the drink.)

MARK
Bad break up?

CASSIE (ignoring him)
Another?

MARK
I am really supposed to be at a dinner, but—

CASSIE (moving to the computer screen)
I can run your tab.

MARK
No, not yet. I hate these dinners. I’ll have another.

CASSIE
Same?

MARK
Yeah, but don’t double it. I can’t be slurring when I get to the dinner.

(Cassie starts to mix the drink. Mark’s phone goes off with a text message. He picks it up.)

CASSIE (while working, not looking at him)
You didn’t answer my question.

MARK (half paying attention)
What?

CASSIE
Who’s Sarah?

(Mark looks up from the phone. He considers what Cassie said before.)

MARK
Sarah’s my girlfriend.

CASSIE
Uh huh.

MARK
So now you must think I’m a real dick.

CASSIE
Well, yeah, but you’re a paying customer, and I’m working on my evolving philosophy.

MARK
I’m really confused.

CASSIE
About what?

MARK
Most women would throw that drink in my face if I told them that. After last night?

CASSIE
And?

MARK
And you just keep right on mixing.

CASSIE
I’m doing my job. A bar is a judgment free zone. People come in here to take a load off, forget about their problems. And the tips flow if I let the problems flow.

MARK
Aren’t you women supposed to stick together on this stuff?

CASSIE
“You women”?

MARK
Yeah, you women.

CASSIE
That’s more offensive than you being a slutty cheat with an old lady.

MARK
She’s not old.  Forty-four is not old.

CASSIE
Older lady.

MARK
Better, but what’s the difference?

CASSIE
She could be your mom!

MARK
Yo, what happened to “Miss Judgment Free Zone”?

CASSIE
She went on a break.

MARK
You were giving Claire a hard time last night even before she started up with me. I saw you change as soon as she came in. You got all tense and started working at the other end of the bar.

CASSIE
Whatever.

MARK
You did! You were chatting me up, asking me all sorts of questions, and as soon as she came in, you took off.

CASSIE
She’s just so gross. She always has been.

MARK
She’s a lonely older lady.

CASSIE
She’s lonely alright.

MARK
Are you jealous?

CASSIE
Omigod, please give me a little credit.  She was my history teacher for Christ’s sake!

MARK
But it sounds like you’re jealous of her. Who cares what she’s doing?

CASSIE
Do you know what we used to call her? (Mark shrugs his shoulders.) Extra credit Claire. You know why?

MARK
Is it that thing you said about her at the bar?

CASSIE
Yeah. It is.

MARK
But she said you did the same thing.

CASSIE
I never blew one of my teachers for a grade. I did the work that I needed to do. She just likes to make shit up.

MARK
Why would she make that up?

CASSIE (handing him the drink)
Why is she in a bar picking up guys like you?

(Mark takes the drink from her.)

MARK
Why should I believe you?

CASSIE
It’s your choice what to believe, Baby Boy.

MARK
Baby Boy? How much younger do you think I am?

CASSIE
I checked your ID last night when you came in. You’re 25.

MARK
Fuck. That’s right. (He takes a drink.) How old are you?

CASSIE
How old do you think?

MARK
Do you think I’m stupid? I may be young, but I know not to guess a woman’s age.

CASSIE
OK. Well, since you are smart enough to know that, I’ll tell you that I’m 30 years old.

MARK
C’mon. (he looks at her long and hard) Seriously?

CASSIE
Why would I lie about being 30?  Just turned this year. Do you know any other women who are 30?

MARK
Yeah, my crazy sister, Donna. You’re so much cooler than she is.

CASSIE
Based on your conversation it doesn’t sound like it’s that hard to be cooler than Donna.

MARK
She’s not that bad. Just has way too much time on her hands. Stay at home Mom, always on the phone with our mom and our aunts. Busy body. And then she calls me and has to tell me all about when I really don’t give a fuck. She tries to get Sarah involved and—

CASSIE
The lovely Sarah. How long has she been in the picture?

MARK
A long time.

CASSIE
College?

MARK
Sophomore year.

CASSIE
Getting bored?

MARK
Not exactly. It’s long distance now, and we’re together but—

CASSIE
But you play on the side.

MARK
Actually we both play on the side. That’s the agreement.

CASSIE
Interesting!

MARK
Not this again.

CASSIE
No, I actually really mean it this time. Sarah agreed to this?

MARK
Such a typical response.

CASSIE
What do you mean?

MARK
Asking me if she agreed to this. It was her idea! She’s the one who wanted it to happen. We see each other once a month, and I love her.  She says she loves me, and she suggested this open thing.

CASSIE
Open thing?

MARK
We agreed that until we can live close together again, we’re allowed to have sex outside the relationship.

CASSIE
And that’s the stipulation? No other rules?

MARK
Oh, there are lots of rules. No repeats. No co-workers. No reckless behavior. No kissing. Never when we’re in the same city.

CASSIE
Fascinating. Truly.

MARK
Yeah, well, it’s worked for us for two years now, and I’m not going to change it up now.

CASSIE
Will you get married?

MARK
Eventually.

CASSIE
That doesn’t sound so promising.

MARK
We both have good jobs in different cities. Neither of us wants to sacrifice that for a marriage where we both live together.

CASSIE
Sounds logical but so not—

MARK
Traditional?

CASSIE
Normal was what I was thinking but—

MARK
Normal’s overrated.

CASSIE
Says the very handsome white male who benefits every day from what the world thinks is normal.

(Mark raises his glass in a cheers motion and finishes the drink.)

MARK
I should get to my dinner.

CASSIE
What’d I say?

MARK
That last comment was not an evolving philosophy. Can I get my check?

CASSIE
What? It’s true, isn’t it? You just don’t look like the type. I mean really. You look like every guy that graduated from my high school, went off to college, and has some office job now, married with at least one kid, and disappointed with how life turned out.

MARK
I didn’t go to your high school. And I’m five years younger than you. And I’m not doing what the guys you know did. That’s why I love Sarah.  She doesn’t want any of that.

CASSIE
Neither did I.

MARK
But look where you ended up.

CASSIE
Where I ended up is just fine. 

(Mark gets up to go.)

MARK
Sounds great.

(Mark is leaving.)

CASSIE
It is great.  I love my job.

MARK (over his shoulder)
Yeah. It’s a great judgment free zone.

(She yells after him.)

CASSIE
It works for me!

(Mark is offstage. Cassie looks after him and then looks around the bar. The expression on her face doesn’t agree with the words she just said. The lights begin to fade, leaving Cassie staring after Mark. End of scene.)