Some Updates

Life has been SO busy here.  Fun, but busy.  I am going to update you all backwards and let you know what has been going on.  Some of this is more touristy.  This entry is more touristy than educationally based... but when I have more energy, I will blog about the AMAZING workshops that we have been going to. :-) Until then, an update of Yesterday and Today. 

Today
This morning I went to see an AMAZING production of Tube by an amazing theater company called Oily Cart.  They say that do all sorts of theater for all sorts of kids.  This is a little tid bit from their website...
Oily Cart is one of the great British theatre companies of the last 25 years. Yet plenty of theatregoers, even the most avid, will not have heard of it. The reason is simple: Oily Cart works entirely with children, many with complex disabilities, and often behind closed doors in special schools.
Lyn Gardner, Guardian Unlimited


We saw their show this morning that was for babies.  The audience was children two years or younger with their parents.  It was such an amazing experience.  It is amazing that theater can be created for children that young.  Not a child was bored.  I will admit I cried several times.  We don't have anything like that in the USA.

After we left the show, my friend Erica and I went on an adventure through London.  We walked ALL over.  Picadilly, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar, Leicester... ALL over!! :-)  It was exhausting but lovely.  After we walked around London we went to the London Eye... for those of you that don't know, I HATE heights. HATE HATE HATE.  The London Eye goes 1,300 some feet in the air.  Blech.  But I decided I wanted to do it.  It was anxiety inducing.  It was terrifying.  But it was a lovely view.  I also braved standing at the edge of the scary glass bubble to take some pictures.  It was lovely. 

Outside Buckingham Palace 

Erica and I at Buckingham Palace

All of us on the London Eye 

Me on the London Eye!

Taylor and I on the the London Eye.  I look like I am about to cry because I was. 

Me, Taylor, Erica, Rachel, Janet, Katie at the Eye

Yesterday 
Yesterday started with a great conference session on using theater to discuss difficult topics, sexual education, and social justice issues through theater.  We then wandered through Greenwich and had "Mexican" food for lunch.  When I get the picture of what it looked like from Abby, I will write more on the "Mexican" food.  We did some shopping (burned some holes in our pockets) and walked around in the BEAUTIFUL weather!! :-)  It has been amazing weather here.

Later that evening we went to see our grad assistants from our London University partner in their doctoral version of Madea.  It was BREATH-TAKING.  Simple, full of movement, sound, music... It was just amazing.  They used theater in a way that Americans are scared to use theater for.  They had some difficult issues, sexuality, and death embedded in a show meant for youth.  It was a piece of art that would allow high schoolers to really be able to tackle tough issues.  It was inspiring.

For dinner we went to an AMAZING Belgian restaurant.  It was PHENOMENAL food!  It was a great night with lots of laughing and eating.

My friend Janet and me at Belgo

YUM!

Afterwards, 4 of us went out to an old theater that had been turned into a venue for musicians. We saw a band from the US called Young Blood Hawke TOTALLY by accident.  We arrived home very late in the evening but had a GREAT time.

I still need to update you on Wednesday and Thursday which were CHALKFUL of important theater moments from this trip... but it's time for bed, so for now this will have to be it.

Happy belated 4th!!!  Here's one more picture to make you smile...

At Greenwich where our conference is.  Also where they filmed some scenes in Les Mis the movie!