Time is flying by here in London. Our days are slammed full of classes, lectures and rehearsals. It’s not always easy. This is a challenging module but that’s part of the point. We need to push ourselves out of our comfort zones in order to grow as artists. Growing pains are to be expected.
This past week we spent a great deal of time with the text. We hashed out the meaning of the words and studied the rhythms. Shakespeare wrote in verse or prose. There are various explanations for why he would choose one over the other. But most often he wrote in verse. Verse beats to a rhythm called iambic pentameter. Learning how to use this rhythm helps the actor identify what words should be stressed and thus clarifies the meaning. When Shakespeare breaks from this rhythm it can be a sign for the actor that something affecting the character; an emotional change may be in order. Very rarely did The Bard use any stage directions. His direction lies within his rhythms. Learning how to use the text is an absolute necessity for success with Shakespeare. We also had workshops in stage combat and Elizabethan song this past week. Good stuff!
This weekend I went shopping for a maternity dress for my character’s costume. I have a new found respect for moms-to-be. It was difficult to find a decent variety of clothing and at reasonable prices. I finally settled on a dress but I’ll need to couple it with a sweater or else I may freeze during our outdoor performance!
Aside from my crazy shopping trip this weekend, I haven’t seen too much of London yet. With days as busy as they are, there is little time to play tourist. But it is fine; we did come here to study after all. I am hoping to do a few sight seeing activities before I head back to Glasgow. There will be some time available after our final presentation at the Globe and before we are expected back in Glasgow.
I did manage to get to a show today in the West End. The West End is the theatre district of London and is equivalent to Broadway in New York. My classmate and I saw Oliver! Although we had nose bleed seats, it was fantastic! It starred Rowan Atkinson as Fagin. Americans may know Atkinson from the Mr. Bean or Black Adder series. He was hysterical as Fagin. Indeed, the entire production was top notch. The show never dragged on or felt slow, even through the run time was two and a half hours. Everyone one was very well cast and the design of the show was stunning. And kudos to the choreographer as well. All and all, a great night of theatre!
We have tickets to a play called Three Days of Rain starring RSAMD alum James McAvoy. That viewing experience is on for next Saturday night. In the meantime, we press on with The Winter’s Tale. I am to be off book on Wednesday. That means lines memorized, for all the non theatre folk who may be reading. So wish me luck! Right now it is all a jumble of Old English in my head! Oy!
Take care!
-m
Monday, January 26, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Welcome to William’s World
London. May 1611. William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale is performed at The Globe Theatre by a company of actors called The King’s Men.
London. January 2009. Rehearsals begin for William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale at the Globe Theatre by a company of actors called the MA CCTs from the RSAMD.
Does that put it in prospective at all? 398 years people. The United States of America isn’t even that old. Okay, so technically we are not performing the whole play, we are only doing scenes, but we are going to be performing them on the Globe’s stage to an invited audience of industry and academic professionals. I can’t tell you what an honor it is to be here and working in this amazing environment with some of the most brilliant Shakespeare scholars the world has to offer!
Today’s Globe is called Shakespeare’s Globe and is an approximate reconstruction of what experts think the original Globe Theatre may have looked like. They are sensitive about using the word replica because the modern Globe’s founders are making educated guesses and deductions based on the available information and research. But I have to say I don’t think Shakespeare would have felt out of place at all in today’s Globe. We have spent time in the studio working with the text, learning the history and training in movement and voice skills that will be of great benefit to us come show time. But, the most profound moments have come when we have stepped onto that stage.
The building itself is circular as was the custom for theatres at the time, built out of 400 year old oak and uses materials that would have been used in Elizabethan England. The roof is thatched (don’t worry it is treated with fire retardant), the walls contain animal hair and if you buy “orchestra seats” you’ll be standing for the whole of the show. The construction crew did not whip out any power tools or rent any Bobcats to erect this tribute. They did it the way they would have done it back then. The structure is held together not by nails, screws and bolts but by wooden pegs. The theatre’s architecture contains some hallmarks of time. The seating (or standing) levels of the theatre represent the elements of earth, water, air and fire. The ceiling above the stage is elaborately painted with the circle of astrological signs and Greek gods serve as a backdrop for the actors.
The stage is absolute magic. When I trod those boards for the first time I felt the history of stage craft surround me. Although the Globe can host an audience of 1,600, it didn’t look or feel overwhelming and “big” when I looked out from the stage. The embracing arms of the theatre wrapped around to hold me. The acoustics of the space are near perfection. We each had a shot at standing in the dead center of the building (down stage center) and speaking some text. Even when they spoke in a whisper, I could hear my classmates from the back wall. Those Elizabethans knew what they were doing when designing theatres. The very building supports the actor and nurtures the performance. I’ve never been on a stage that vibrates with that kind of energy before. As goofy as it may sound, for us, as actors, it was a spiritual experience.
The idea of building Shakespeare’s Globe was conceived by an American named Sam Wanamaker. He spearheaded this project and passed away in 1993 before the Globe’s completion and grand opening in 1997. Many of our instructors and lecturers knew Mr. Wanamaker and share wonderful stories about him. He is regarded with much admiration and affection for his dedication and vision. Yay USA!
We only arrived last Monday and time is flying but we have already learned a ton. We are usually at the Globe 10 to 12 hours a day and every hour is crammed full of wonderful new information and training. Hey, they did call it an “intensive”. We spend all day with absolute geniuses and we are loving it!
I have not seen too much of London yet, but there will be time for that. We get Sundays and Mondays off and are planning to be tourists during some of that time. Monday we hope to visit the London Eye. But for now I’ve got some character research to do. So off I go; cup of tea and Hermione!
Take care everyone!!
-m
London. January 2009. Rehearsals begin for William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale at the Globe Theatre by a company of actors called the MA CCTs from the RSAMD.
Does that put it in prospective at all? 398 years people. The United States of America isn’t even that old. Okay, so technically we are not performing the whole play, we are only doing scenes, but we are going to be performing them on the Globe’s stage to an invited audience of industry and academic professionals. I can’t tell you what an honor it is to be here and working in this amazing environment with some of the most brilliant Shakespeare scholars the world has to offer!
Today’s Globe is called Shakespeare’s Globe and is an approximate reconstruction of what experts think the original Globe Theatre may have looked like. They are sensitive about using the word replica because the modern Globe’s founders are making educated guesses and deductions based on the available information and research. But I have to say I don’t think Shakespeare would have felt out of place at all in today’s Globe. We have spent time in the studio working with the text, learning the history and training in movement and voice skills that will be of great benefit to us come show time. But, the most profound moments have come when we have stepped onto that stage.
The building itself is circular as was the custom for theatres at the time, built out of 400 year old oak and uses materials that would have been used in Elizabethan England. The roof is thatched (don’t worry it is treated with fire retardant), the walls contain animal hair and if you buy “orchestra seats” you’ll be standing for the whole of the show. The construction crew did not whip out any power tools or rent any Bobcats to erect this tribute. They did it the way they would have done it back then. The structure is held together not by nails, screws and bolts but by wooden pegs. The theatre’s architecture contains some hallmarks of time. The seating (or standing) levels of the theatre represent the elements of earth, water, air and fire. The ceiling above the stage is elaborately painted with the circle of astrological signs and Greek gods serve as a backdrop for the actors.
The stage is absolute magic. When I trod those boards for the first time I felt the history of stage craft surround me. Although the Globe can host an audience of 1,600, it didn’t look or feel overwhelming and “big” when I looked out from the stage. The embracing arms of the theatre wrapped around to hold me. The acoustics of the space are near perfection. We each had a shot at standing in the dead center of the building (down stage center) and speaking some text. Even when they spoke in a whisper, I could hear my classmates from the back wall. Those Elizabethans knew what they were doing when designing theatres. The very building supports the actor and nurtures the performance. I’ve never been on a stage that vibrates with that kind of energy before. As goofy as it may sound, for us, as actors, it was a spiritual experience.
The idea of building Shakespeare’s Globe was conceived by an American named Sam Wanamaker. He spearheaded this project and passed away in 1993 before the Globe’s completion and grand opening in 1997. Many of our instructors and lecturers knew Mr. Wanamaker and share wonderful stories about him. He is regarded with much admiration and affection for his dedication and vision. Yay USA!
We only arrived last Monday and time is flying but we have already learned a ton. We are usually at the Globe 10 to 12 hours a day and every hour is crammed full of wonderful new information and training. Hey, they did call it an “intensive”. We spend all day with absolute geniuses and we are loving it!
I have not seen too much of London yet, but there will be time for that. We get Sundays and Mondays off and are planning to be tourists during some of that time. Monday we hope to visit the London Eye. But for now I’ve got some character research to do. So off I go; cup of tea and Hermione!
Take care everyone!!
-m
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Pictorial Proof
Hello faithful readers! As promised here are some photos of my Holiday adventures. Here in Glasgow, it has been a week of relaxing and preparing for my next trip; London. We depart for the capital city on Monday. Most of my classmates are back in town and all a buzz with excitement for our journey to Shakespeare-land. I’ll let you know how our first days at The Globe pan out next week. Meanwhile enjoy the photos! And a special thanks to Remi, not just for hosting me but some of these pics were snapped by his hand!
The Alps from the plane window as we descend into Milan.
Milan Cathedral or in Italian: Duomo di Milano
A fish in the bathtub
The Christmas Eve Feast
A small fraction of Remi's family-Remi in the back left corner and me between his parents
A portion of Czermna's famous hand carved moving nativity scene
Vienna's City Hall
Vienna's Schonbrunn and the city of Vienna behind it
Remi and me with the lights of Vienna's night
Wroclaw's City Hall (250 years in the making!)
One of the many Dwarfs found all over the city of Wroclaw
Wroclaw's Market Square
Wroclaw Cathedral
Prague
The Changing of the Guard at Prague Castle
St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle
The Medieval strip mall of Golden Lane at Prague Castle
Isn't Europe lovely?
That's all folks! Hope you enjoyed our tour. Please look around you and collect all your personal belongings and take small children by the hand as you exit this Blog. Catch ya next week!
Take care!
-m
The Alps from the plane window as we descend into Milan.
Milan Cathedral or in Italian: Duomo di Milano
A fish in the bathtub
The Christmas Eve Feast
A small fraction of Remi's family-Remi in the back left corner and me between his parents
A portion of Czermna's famous hand carved moving nativity scene
Vienna's City Hall
Vienna's Schonbrunn and the city of Vienna behind it
Remi and me with the lights of Vienna's night
Wroclaw's City Hall (250 years in the making!)
One of the many Dwarfs found all over the city of Wroclaw
Wroclaw's Market Square
Wroclaw Cathedral
Prague
The Changing of the Guard at Prague Castle
St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle
The Medieval strip mall of Golden Lane at Prague Castle
Isn't Europe lovely?
That's all folks! Hope you enjoyed our tour. Please look around you and collect all your personal belongings and take small children by the hand as you exit this Blog. Catch ya next week!
Take care!
-m
Monday, January 5, 2009
Wroclaw, Prague and the Rapid Recovery Required
Whoa, I’m tired kids. I’m back in Scotland. We arrived last night. What a crazy Christmas break! We saw so much and I learned a ton in a mere two weeks. It was fantastic but I am glad to be home. I have one week to recover and rest and then next Monday we are off to London for a month! Oy vey! But I didn’t travel half way across the world to sit on my rump, now did I?
So what happened in my last week on the continent you ask? Well last Monday evening we jumped on a bus and traveled three hours to Wroclaw, Poland. Mind you this is after we arrived back at Remi’s house from Vienna at about 1am that morning! But off we went to Wroclaw. We crashed at Remi’s cousin’s house on Monday night. His cousin David was working three hours away at his newly established restaurant in a skiing village so we didn’t get to visit with him but his wife Magda was there and extended the warmest hospitality to us, the weary travelers. Also on hand were David and Magda’s young children, Paulina and Kuba. Paulina was a barrel of fun. She is a high energy, cute as a button, four year old. We quickly discovered we didn’t need a common language to communicate and have a great time. And Kuba is an adorable little man. He’s only a few months old so we didn’t talk too much. He needed his beauty sleep. On Tuesday, after Magda fed all four of us a grand breakfast, Remi and I were off to the big city. Wroclaw is the fourth largest city in Poland. Once in town we met up with more of Remi’s family. Remi’s cousin Gosia and her daughter Magda (yes another Magda and they’ll be a third before the day’s end) were incredibly generous and agreed to be our tour guides for the day. Wroclaw has some marvelous sights and one really needs a good week to take everything in but we only had a day so we did what we could; and let me tell you, that was a heck of a lot! First up, City Hall. Construction on this amazing structure started in the 13th century and lasted over 250 years ending in the 16th century! Does the Union know about this? Because those guys are due some serious overtime! Next up was Hansel and Gretel. That’s the name for two tenement houses joined together by an arch. Behind Hansel and Gretel is St. Elizabeth’s Church. Afterwards we stopped by Jatki. Jatki was a medieval meat market. Today the stalls that once belonged to the various butchers now house the works of local artists. The animals sacrificed here many moons ago are remembered in the form of life size bronze statues of a pig, piglet, goat, goose, duck, rooster and rabbit. Next we passed the colorful tenement houses of Market Square on our way to St. Mary Magdalene’s Church. Here we climbed up into the church’s tower and out onto a bridge that links to another tower. Up above the whole town we had the most magnificent views of the city. After our “stair master” routine we decided to break for lunch. We went to a nearby restaurant called Pyramid. It had exotic Egyptian décor but nothing Egyptian on the menu. I had pizza. After lunch we were off again, this time we passed The University. This institution of higher education was built between 1728 and 1741 and dons the Baroque fashion. Almost simultaneously we passed Market Hall. Market Hall is a giant indoor market that was built in the early 1900s and is still in business with its tenants renting stalls and selling various types produce and foliage. It was built on the remains of the former Arsenal and cannonballs are still lodged in the walls. We then crossed over Tumski Bridge; one of the 112 bridges Wroclaw has to claim; and onto the peninsula of Ostrow Tumski. This part of Wroclaw is home to several churches, seminaries, monasteries and convents. The star attraction here is The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. This Gothic masterpiece boasts two spires reaching up to the heavens, numerous sculptures, paintings and stained glass windows. It is something to behold! On our way to the next site we popped into the elaborate University Church. This was one of the few Baroque style churches I saw on my trip. It is just as ornamental as the Gothic ones we saw but it has a different feel and is lighter in color but equally amazing. Our final stop on the tour was the Panorama of the Battle of Raclawice. This is a monumental painting by J. Styka, W. Kossak and L. Boller that is housed in a rotunda built in 1967. The painting however was completed in Lvov in 1894 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Kosciuszko Uprising. For those of you lacking in Polish history (that includes me) Wikipedia explains: “The Kościuszko Uprising was an uprising led by Tadeusz Kościuszko in Poland and Lithuania in 1794. It was a failed attempt to liberate Poland and Lithuania of Russian influence after the Second Partition of Poland (1793) and the creation of the Confederation of Targowica.” Got it? There will be a test. So this panorama is a big painting in the round. I’d never seen anything like it before. So that concluded our tour. We parted ways with Gosia and Magda and went to a café off of Salt Square. You guessed it, back in the day they sold salt and salted fish in that square. Now a few florists occupy the space. At the café we rested up and had some refreshments. Remi’s school chums, Ada and Magda (yes, the aforementioned third Magda of the day) met up with us for awhile. Then it was time to travel the three hours back to Remi’s home in Kudowa, so on the bus we went.
Wednesday was New Year’s Eve. Remi and I were pretty knackered after so much touring so we took it easy for the celebrations. We stayed home. New Year’s Eve, as it turns out, is also my Name Day. Again let me refer to Wikipedia: “A Name Day is a tradition in many countries in Europe and Latin America of celebrating on a particular day of the year associated with the one's given name. The custom originated with the Catholic and Orthodox calendar of saints, where believers, named after a particular saint, would celebrate that saint's feast day. In many countries, however, there is no longer any explicit connection to Christianity.” So this is similar to a Birthday. People sing to you and give you presents. In the morning on Wednesday I was fooling around on the computer when the doorbell rang. The next thing I knew there was a chorus or four people singing to me in Polish. I had met all of these charming individuals before during my stay and here they were singing to me and presenting me with a gift. I was overwhelmed! How sweet is that! They gave me a figurine of an angel wrapped in cellophane and decorated with fresh flowers. It was lovely! Later that night Remi, his mother and his mother’s friend, Ella (who was over to count down and celebrate with us) sang to me again and bestowed more gifts on to my undeserving self! This time I received a beautiful silver and amber charm (amber is a big thing in Poland). The tradition of name day is such a delight and made my New Year’s Eve even more special. We watched the Polish version of the Dick Clark special, did the count down, made some toasts and viewed the fireworks out of the window. I only lasted another hour and then I had to go to bed. It was a very warm and comfortable way to ring in the New Year. I don’t know that I could have handled anything too wild and crazy!
The remaining two days were pretty low key. We stayed in town and rested up for more traveling on Saturday. Saturday took us to Prague. We didn’t have too long in this magnificent city because we had to catch a plane back to London but we did spend some time at Prague Castle. This is the current seat of the President of the Czech Republic. We arrived just in time to witness the changing of the guard at the main gate. This, of course, was a formal display but I did catch a few snickers from the guys in uniform as they were going through their choreography. I’m sure it’s old hat for them and the tourists can be amusing at times. Inside we passed through the First and Second Courtyards where we saw the Chapel of the Holy Cross, the Renaissance Well and the Baroque Kohl Fountain. The Third Courtyard brought us our fist view of St. Vitus Cathedral. This Gothic beauty is the heart of the castle. St. Vitus hosts the Crown Jewels of the Bohemian Kings, The semi-precious stone adorned walls of St. Wenceslas Chapel, the Royal Crypt, a glorious mosaic over The Golden Gate and some of the richest stain glass windows on which I’ve ever laid eyes. It is breathtaking. Next up was Golden Lane; this is a quaint little strip of medieval architecture that has a ton of little shops selling their goods to the tourists. Also in this section is the entry point for some of the displays available for viewing in this section of the castle. Just walking up the steep, narrow, dark, spiraling stone stairs transports you back in time. Above the shops I walked down the dim and chilly halls and examined the displays of medieval weaponry and armor. Let me tell you, I would not want to meet my end at the blow of some of those very scary looking instruments. Wow. Also on display was some of the courtly dress of the time. That was a little less intimidating but some of those dresses did look complicated. No wonder the ladies needed so many servants to help them! I, in my easy sportswear, climbed down out of the tower and made my way back to Remi whom I had left relaxing in a nearby chair. It was almost time to make our way to the airport but first a quick look at Loreta. Loreta is a lovely Baroque church that dominates Hradcany Square. Loreta is famous for its unique chimes that play every hour. Next stop Prague Airport. There is a ton more to see in Prague. One could spend weeks in that city but alas, we had to go. I was in Prague in ’98 on a quick tour so this was a nice refresher. One day I would like to get back to that ancient center of Bohemia and investigate it in greater depth. But for now I have to prepare for The Globe!
We arrived in London on Saturday night and stayed with Remi’s friends Claire and Ben. Remi knows some of the most gracious and hospitable people on the planet! We were absolutely blessed on our journey! Sunday morning we jumped on a train to Glasgow and arrived yesterday evening. I have spent today resting and running a few errands. One must have a few groceries after all. AND we finally got our scene assignments for The Globe! I will be working on The Winter’s Tale. Hermione (that’s me) is accused by her husband, The King of Sicily, of being unfaithful and carrying the child of his best friend. She is sent to prison where she gives birth to a little girl who is taken away and left on a beach to die. As you can see, this is one of Shakespeare’s light and fluffy plays. There is hope though; the baby is found and raised by a shepherd. Will father and daughter be reunited? Will the insanely jealous king come to his senses? Will Hermione and her daughter need years of therapy to recover from all this? Tune in next week and find out more! Or you could just read the play yourself.
Let me end this tremendously long entry. I try to keep them reasonable, really I do, but when you cram so much of Europe into a couple a weeks it’s difficult to keep it brief! I still have to sort out the photos. As you can imagine, there are hundreds. I’ll try to get them posted soon!
Be safe my friends!!
-m
So what happened in my last week on the continent you ask? Well last Monday evening we jumped on a bus and traveled three hours to Wroclaw, Poland. Mind you this is after we arrived back at Remi’s house from Vienna at about 1am that morning! But off we went to Wroclaw. We crashed at Remi’s cousin’s house on Monday night. His cousin David was working three hours away at his newly established restaurant in a skiing village so we didn’t get to visit with him but his wife Magda was there and extended the warmest hospitality to us, the weary travelers. Also on hand were David and Magda’s young children, Paulina and Kuba. Paulina was a barrel of fun. She is a high energy, cute as a button, four year old. We quickly discovered we didn’t need a common language to communicate and have a great time. And Kuba is an adorable little man. He’s only a few months old so we didn’t talk too much. He needed his beauty sleep. On Tuesday, after Magda fed all four of us a grand breakfast, Remi and I were off to the big city. Wroclaw is the fourth largest city in Poland. Once in town we met up with more of Remi’s family. Remi’s cousin Gosia and her daughter Magda (yes another Magda and they’ll be a third before the day’s end) were incredibly generous and agreed to be our tour guides for the day. Wroclaw has some marvelous sights and one really needs a good week to take everything in but we only had a day so we did what we could; and let me tell you, that was a heck of a lot! First up, City Hall. Construction on this amazing structure started in the 13th century and lasted over 250 years ending in the 16th century! Does the Union know about this? Because those guys are due some serious overtime! Next up was Hansel and Gretel. That’s the name for two tenement houses joined together by an arch. Behind Hansel and Gretel is St. Elizabeth’s Church. Afterwards we stopped by Jatki. Jatki was a medieval meat market. Today the stalls that once belonged to the various butchers now house the works of local artists. The animals sacrificed here many moons ago are remembered in the form of life size bronze statues of a pig, piglet, goat, goose, duck, rooster and rabbit. Next we passed the colorful tenement houses of Market Square on our way to St. Mary Magdalene’s Church. Here we climbed up into the church’s tower and out onto a bridge that links to another tower. Up above the whole town we had the most magnificent views of the city. After our “stair master” routine we decided to break for lunch. We went to a nearby restaurant called Pyramid. It had exotic Egyptian décor but nothing Egyptian on the menu. I had pizza. After lunch we were off again, this time we passed The University. This institution of higher education was built between 1728 and 1741 and dons the Baroque fashion. Almost simultaneously we passed Market Hall. Market Hall is a giant indoor market that was built in the early 1900s and is still in business with its tenants renting stalls and selling various types produce and foliage. It was built on the remains of the former Arsenal and cannonballs are still lodged in the walls. We then crossed over Tumski Bridge; one of the 112 bridges Wroclaw has to claim; and onto the peninsula of Ostrow Tumski. This part of Wroclaw is home to several churches, seminaries, monasteries and convents. The star attraction here is The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. This Gothic masterpiece boasts two spires reaching up to the heavens, numerous sculptures, paintings and stained glass windows. It is something to behold! On our way to the next site we popped into the elaborate University Church. This was one of the few Baroque style churches I saw on my trip. It is just as ornamental as the Gothic ones we saw but it has a different feel and is lighter in color but equally amazing. Our final stop on the tour was the Panorama of the Battle of Raclawice. This is a monumental painting by J. Styka, W. Kossak and L. Boller that is housed in a rotunda built in 1967. The painting however was completed in Lvov in 1894 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Kosciuszko Uprising. For those of you lacking in Polish history (that includes me) Wikipedia explains: “The Kościuszko Uprising was an uprising led by Tadeusz Kościuszko in Poland and Lithuania in 1794. It was a failed attempt to liberate Poland and Lithuania of Russian influence after the Second Partition of Poland (1793) and the creation of the Confederation of Targowica.” Got it? There will be a test. So this panorama is a big painting in the round. I’d never seen anything like it before. So that concluded our tour. We parted ways with Gosia and Magda and went to a café off of Salt Square. You guessed it, back in the day they sold salt and salted fish in that square. Now a few florists occupy the space. At the café we rested up and had some refreshments. Remi’s school chums, Ada and Magda (yes, the aforementioned third Magda of the day) met up with us for awhile. Then it was time to travel the three hours back to Remi’s home in Kudowa, so on the bus we went.
Wednesday was New Year’s Eve. Remi and I were pretty knackered after so much touring so we took it easy for the celebrations. We stayed home. New Year’s Eve, as it turns out, is also my Name Day. Again let me refer to Wikipedia: “A Name Day is a tradition in many countries in Europe and Latin America of celebrating on a particular day of the year associated with the one's given name. The custom originated with the Catholic and Orthodox calendar of saints, where believers, named after a particular saint, would celebrate that saint's feast day. In many countries, however, there is no longer any explicit connection to Christianity.” So this is similar to a Birthday. People sing to you and give you presents. In the morning on Wednesday I was fooling around on the computer when the doorbell rang. The next thing I knew there was a chorus or four people singing to me in Polish. I had met all of these charming individuals before during my stay and here they were singing to me and presenting me with a gift. I was overwhelmed! How sweet is that! They gave me a figurine of an angel wrapped in cellophane and decorated with fresh flowers. It was lovely! Later that night Remi, his mother and his mother’s friend, Ella (who was over to count down and celebrate with us) sang to me again and bestowed more gifts on to my undeserving self! This time I received a beautiful silver and amber charm (amber is a big thing in Poland). The tradition of name day is such a delight and made my New Year’s Eve even more special. We watched the Polish version of the Dick Clark special, did the count down, made some toasts and viewed the fireworks out of the window. I only lasted another hour and then I had to go to bed. It was a very warm and comfortable way to ring in the New Year. I don’t know that I could have handled anything too wild and crazy!
The remaining two days were pretty low key. We stayed in town and rested up for more traveling on Saturday. Saturday took us to Prague. We didn’t have too long in this magnificent city because we had to catch a plane back to London but we did spend some time at Prague Castle. This is the current seat of the President of the Czech Republic. We arrived just in time to witness the changing of the guard at the main gate. This, of course, was a formal display but I did catch a few snickers from the guys in uniform as they were going through their choreography. I’m sure it’s old hat for them and the tourists can be amusing at times. Inside we passed through the First and Second Courtyards where we saw the Chapel of the Holy Cross, the Renaissance Well and the Baroque Kohl Fountain. The Third Courtyard brought us our fist view of St. Vitus Cathedral. This Gothic beauty is the heart of the castle. St. Vitus hosts the Crown Jewels of the Bohemian Kings, The semi-precious stone adorned walls of St. Wenceslas Chapel, the Royal Crypt, a glorious mosaic over The Golden Gate and some of the richest stain glass windows on which I’ve ever laid eyes. It is breathtaking. Next up was Golden Lane; this is a quaint little strip of medieval architecture that has a ton of little shops selling their goods to the tourists. Also in this section is the entry point for some of the displays available for viewing in this section of the castle. Just walking up the steep, narrow, dark, spiraling stone stairs transports you back in time. Above the shops I walked down the dim and chilly halls and examined the displays of medieval weaponry and armor. Let me tell you, I would not want to meet my end at the blow of some of those very scary looking instruments. Wow. Also on display was some of the courtly dress of the time. That was a little less intimidating but some of those dresses did look complicated. No wonder the ladies needed so many servants to help them! I, in my easy sportswear, climbed down out of the tower and made my way back to Remi whom I had left relaxing in a nearby chair. It was almost time to make our way to the airport but first a quick look at Loreta. Loreta is a lovely Baroque church that dominates Hradcany Square. Loreta is famous for its unique chimes that play every hour. Next stop Prague Airport. There is a ton more to see in Prague. One could spend weeks in that city but alas, we had to go. I was in Prague in ’98 on a quick tour so this was a nice refresher. One day I would like to get back to that ancient center of Bohemia and investigate it in greater depth. But for now I have to prepare for The Globe!
We arrived in London on Saturday night and stayed with Remi’s friends Claire and Ben. Remi knows some of the most gracious and hospitable people on the planet! We were absolutely blessed on our journey! Sunday morning we jumped on a train to Glasgow and arrived yesterday evening. I have spent today resting and running a few errands. One must have a few groceries after all. AND we finally got our scene assignments for The Globe! I will be working on The Winter’s Tale. Hermione (that’s me) is accused by her husband, The King of Sicily, of being unfaithful and carrying the child of his best friend. She is sent to prison where she gives birth to a little girl who is taken away and left on a beach to die. As you can see, this is one of Shakespeare’s light and fluffy plays. There is hope though; the baby is found and raised by a shepherd. Will father and daughter be reunited? Will the insanely jealous king come to his senses? Will Hermione and her daughter need years of therapy to recover from all this? Tune in next week and find out more! Or you could just read the play yourself.
Let me end this tremendously long entry. I try to keep them reasonable, really I do, but when you cram so much of Europe into a couple a weeks it’s difficult to keep it brief! I still have to sort out the photos. As you can imagine, there are hundreds. I’ll try to get them posted soon!
Be safe my friends!!
-m
Monday, December 29, 2008
Polish Christmas and a Trip to Vienna
Ok so there is a fish in the bathtub. It's true and pretty funny!
On Tuesday, December 23 Remi's father, Remi and I went to the fish farm to collect Christmas dinner. There was a holding reservoir with easy targets for the guys with the nets and there was a pond. We actually fished in the pond and scored a lovely trout. From the reservoir the fish guy netted us six more fish. Carp and trout were the pesci of choice. Most of them flopped around as they waited to face their fate in a room where a lady with a big knife did the deed. One carp was left intact and chilled in a bag until we got it to Remi's Grandmother's house where he was put into the bathtub to live out his remaining few days. Grandma stays with Remi's parents most of the time so nobody's grooming and hygiene routine will be disrupted by the fish's residence in her tub. Normally the fish would have been axed and eaten by now but we have had plenty with out his sacrifice so he's still swimming around in there. I have to say as a vegetarian I was/am a bit squeamish about the process. But I respect their traditions and their dietary choices just as I expect people to respect mine. So we shall see when the fish will be called to the table. Perhaps for New Year's dinner...
The family gathered on Christmas Eve for dinner and the exchanging of presents. Presents and the big dinner happen the day before Christmas in Poland. The meal starts with a chorus style grace and then everyone takes a wafer. The wafers are very thin, similar to a Communion wafer. Then every one goes around and wishes each other well in the new year and shares their wafers. Then to the food. A procession of soups start the meal. Beet soup with mushroom dumplings, fruit soup made of dried fruits and served with rice, then mushroom soup served with bread stuffed with sauerkraut and mushrooms. Of course the famous fish makes an appearance and a couple of salads one with fish and one that is a kind of potato salad with carrots and corn involved. Very tasty!
After dinner the exchanging of presents commences. Santa Claus doesn't come on Christmas Eve in Poland. Santa comes earlier on in December on St Nicolas Day, December 6th. Sometimes he comes secretly in the night but more often he comes to the children in person. Presents are not left under the tree, they are handed out to the deserving children. Warnings to the naughty kids do not come in the form of a lump of coal but rather all children get a birch branch attached to a bag of candy and a warning that if they are not good next year it will be just the birch branch and no other treats and parents may take to using the birch branch to enforce a little discipline! So Polish kids: be good!
Family and friends are very important in Poland. People visit with each other during the 24th, 25th and Boxing Day the 26th of December. I can't tell you how many people I have met. All kinds of relations and loved ones have visited and called and we have gone knocking on a few doors ourselves. I need a directory with photos please!!
Christmas day was pretty low key. Visits with family and friends continue. We went to mass in the evening. First we stopped by the church graveyard. Here we weaved our way through closely plotted graves. The graves have a raised platform made of stone as well as a headstone. These platforms play host to a sea of stunning lanterns. Nearly every grave had one or two lanterns of colored glass glowing in the winter night. It was an amazing sight. We stopped by Remi's Grandfather's grave and lit a Christmas tree shaped lantern made of green glass and left it there for him. Then off we went into the little church. The chapel is beautiful with scenes from the Bible painted on the ceiling and an ornate altar at the head. Remi and I stood at the back and listen to the Roman Catholic mass given in Polish. Then back home to rest up for more visitors!
That pretty much wraps Christmas.
I got to see a few sights in Remi's home town of Kudowa Zdroj and nearby Czermna. He took me to see their famous moving nativity scene. This mind blowing piece of art is up all year round and was hand carved and installed in the artist's home where his decedents still live. This nativity is a wall to wall display of a town and its people. Some figures are doing their chores and some are making their way to Bethlehem (and back in time) to pay their respects to Baby Jesus in the manger. Shepherds are moving sheep, a friar is pulling a bell, a girl is getting water and Jesus is rocking in his cradle. This same craftsman also hand made a pipe organ which is also on display. After this we stopped by the Chapel of Skulls. Construction on the chapel started in 1776 and finished in 1804. It contains more than 30 thousand human bones and skulls that belonged to victims of local wars and plague epidemics. These skulls hang from the ceiling and line the walls of this chapel and there are more under the floor. I have never seen anything like it.Wow!
Yesterday we went to Vienna. We drove down to the Czech Republic/Austrian border on Saturday and stayed at a hostel on the Czech (much cheaper) side. The hostel was awesome. The man running it could have been a poster boy for the Czech tourist board. He had a shaggy beard and wore a vest and hat and welcomed us with shots of I don't know what, some kind of alcohol. We went out to dinner and I had a typical Czech meal of fried cheese and tartar sauce. It was really good! Sunday morning we went in to Austria and on to Vienna. Vienna was gorgeous. The architecture is brilliant and although it has been around a while something about it is fresh and crisp. Perhaps it is the colors. Most buildings are light; white or pastels. And the detail on many of the buildings is phenomenal. We started at St Stephen's Cathedral where mass was in progress but we were able to go in and stand at the back. We saw the Ankerhur Clock do its procession of figurines at noon. We stopped by Hofburg or The Imperial Palace, visited Mozart's monument in Burggarten, swung by the museums, the parliament building, city hall, Votive Church, Schonburnn and finished at the Prater. It was one full day! After all that we got in the car and drove the five hours it took to get back to Remi's house in Poland. I will have photos to post as soon as I get back to Glasgow.
That's more than enough for now. I'll fill you in with more adventures next week.
Happy New Year everybody!!
-m
On Tuesday, December 23 Remi's father, Remi and I went to the fish farm to collect Christmas dinner. There was a holding reservoir with easy targets for the guys with the nets and there was a pond. We actually fished in the pond and scored a lovely trout. From the reservoir the fish guy netted us six more fish. Carp and trout were the pesci of choice. Most of them flopped around as they waited to face their fate in a room where a lady with a big knife did the deed. One carp was left intact and chilled in a bag until we got it to Remi's Grandmother's house where he was put into the bathtub to live out his remaining few days. Grandma stays with Remi's parents most of the time so nobody's grooming and hygiene routine will be disrupted by the fish's residence in her tub. Normally the fish would have been axed and eaten by now but we have had plenty with out his sacrifice so he's still swimming around in there. I have to say as a vegetarian I was/am a bit squeamish about the process. But I respect their traditions and their dietary choices just as I expect people to respect mine. So we shall see when the fish will be called to the table. Perhaps for New Year's dinner...
The family gathered on Christmas Eve for dinner and the exchanging of presents. Presents and the big dinner happen the day before Christmas in Poland. The meal starts with a chorus style grace and then everyone takes a wafer. The wafers are very thin, similar to a Communion wafer. Then every one goes around and wishes each other well in the new year and shares their wafers. Then to the food. A procession of soups start the meal. Beet soup with mushroom dumplings, fruit soup made of dried fruits and served with rice, then mushroom soup served with bread stuffed with sauerkraut and mushrooms. Of course the famous fish makes an appearance and a couple of salads one with fish and one that is a kind of potato salad with carrots and corn involved. Very tasty!
After dinner the exchanging of presents commences. Santa Claus doesn't come on Christmas Eve in Poland. Santa comes earlier on in December on St Nicolas Day, December 6th. Sometimes he comes secretly in the night but more often he comes to the children in person. Presents are not left under the tree, they are handed out to the deserving children. Warnings to the naughty kids do not come in the form of a lump of coal but rather all children get a birch branch attached to a bag of candy and a warning that if they are not good next year it will be just the birch branch and no other treats and parents may take to using the birch branch to enforce a little discipline! So Polish kids: be good!
Family and friends are very important in Poland. People visit with each other during the 24th, 25th and Boxing Day the 26th of December. I can't tell you how many people I have met. All kinds of relations and loved ones have visited and called and we have gone knocking on a few doors ourselves. I need a directory with photos please!!
Christmas day was pretty low key. Visits with family and friends continue. We went to mass in the evening. First we stopped by the church graveyard. Here we weaved our way through closely plotted graves. The graves have a raised platform made of stone as well as a headstone. These platforms play host to a sea of stunning lanterns. Nearly every grave had one or two lanterns of colored glass glowing in the winter night. It was an amazing sight. We stopped by Remi's Grandfather's grave and lit a Christmas tree shaped lantern made of green glass and left it there for him. Then off we went into the little church. The chapel is beautiful with scenes from the Bible painted on the ceiling and an ornate altar at the head. Remi and I stood at the back and listen to the Roman Catholic mass given in Polish. Then back home to rest up for more visitors!
That pretty much wraps Christmas.
I got to see a few sights in Remi's home town of Kudowa Zdroj and nearby Czermna. He took me to see their famous moving nativity scene. This mind blowing piece of art is up all year round and was hand carved and installed in the artist's home where his decedents still live. This nativity is a wall to wall display of a town and its people. Some figures are doing their chores and some are making their way to Bethlehem (and back in time) to pay their respects to Baby Jesus in the manger. Shepherds are moving sheep, a friar is pulling a bell, a girl is getting water and Jesus is rocking in his cradle. This same craftsman also hand made a pipe organ which is also on display. After this we stopped by the Chapel of Skulls. Construction on the chapel started in 1776 and finished in 1804. It contains more than 30 thousand human bones and skulls that belonged to victims of local wars and plague epidemics. These skulls hang from the ceiling and line the walls of this chapel and there are more under the floor. I have never seen anything like it.Wow!
Yesterday we went to Vienna. We drove down to the Czech Republic/Austrian border on Saturday and stayed at a hostel on the Czech (much cheaper) side. The hostel was awesome. The man running it could have been a poster boy for the Czech tourist board. He had a shaggy beard and wore a vest and hat and welcomed us with shots of I don't know what, some kind of alcohol. We went out to dinner and I had a typical Czech meal of fried cheese and tartar sauce. It was really good! Sunday morning we went in to Austria and on to Vienna. Vienna was gorgeous. The architecture is brilliant and although it has been around a while something about it is fresh and crisp. Perhaps it is the colors. Most buildings are light; white or pastels. And the detail on many of the buildings is phenomenal. We started at St Stephen's Cathedral where mass was in progress but we were able to go in and stand at the back. We saw the Ankerhur Clock do its procession of figurines at noon. We stopped by Hofburg or The Imperial Palace, visited Mozart's monument in Burggarten, swung by the museums, the parliament building, city hall, Votive Church, Schonburnn and finished at the Prater. It was one full day! After all that we got in the car and drove the five hours it took to get back to Remi's house in Poland. I will have photos to post as soon as I get back to Glasgow.
That's more than enough for now. I'll fill you in with more adventures next week.
Happy New Year everybody!!
-m
Monday, December 22, 2008
Wrapping William and Planes to Poland
Well, this past week was a whirlwind of activity as we closed up shop and headed into the Holidays. Monday and Tuesday were again spent with the amazing Liam Brennan. He continued to coach us through Shakespeare monologues and scenes. Brennan has a wealth of experience playing these classics. Amongst a slew of other credits, he has done Macbeth six times and thrice played Mac-ers himself! That's a lot of blood!! For me, with my very limited Shakespeare experience, I found these sessions with Brennan invaluable and a fantastic preparation for our month at the Globe in January.
End of the term papers were turned in, one on one meetings with faculty members were held and I even managed to get to a Christmas concert. And then came Saturday...
Saturday. D-Day. Departure Day. Actually, our flight to Milan didn't leave until the wee hours of Sunday morning but our journey started Saturday night. My classmate Remi has graciously invited me to his home in Poland for the Holidays. And naturally, to get to Poland from Scotland one has to go through Italy. Really, it was just the cheapest route and hey, a day in Milan, that's cool! So the last train to the airport left Glasgow's city center at 11:30pm. We could have called a cab at 3am to take us but why spend the money when we could make it an all night party at the airport? So we went to the ballet. Sleeping Beauty. It was lovely and we had time to kill so why not catch a ballet? Then off we went. The airport we flew from was a smaller airport and when we got there nothing was open. All the cafes and shops were closed. But we were not the only ones crashing for the night. Many a Holiday traveler had the same idea. We tried to sleep a little but it wasn't easy and it was freezing in there! But no worries, morning came and we were soon boarding the plane to Italy. The flight was a few hours and we slept most of the way. I did wake up in time to see the majestic Alps looking just like they do on the water bottles. They were a gorgeous view out of the plane window as we descended into Northern Italy. Arrival was a snap and we had a whole day to kill as our flight to Prague didn't leave until later in the evening. So off we went to see the sights of Milan. It was a beautiful day! The sun was shining and Milan was stunning. One of the major attractions of Milan is the Milan Cathedral or in Italian: Duomo di Milano. I have photos but won't be able to post them until I get back to Glasgow. After a day using the only Italian I know "Grazie" we headed back to the airport and were off to Prague in the Czech Republic. This is where Remi's father was to collect us and we would drive the two hours to Poland and Remi's home just over the border. Prague was the only time we ran into a little snag on our trip. It seems my luggage may have decided to stay in Italy. No bag. Bummer. The airline is on the case and hopefully they will get it to me soon. Otherwise it may be a very stinky Christmas. Remi's family is very sweet and so hospitable! They don't speak English and I don't speak Polish so Remi is having to translate but it's going well. And I was very thankful just to be able to sleep in a bed! It is Polish tradition to keep a fish in your bathtub so that it is fresh for Christmas dinner. The fish will be coming tomorrow (Tuesday). I'll let you know...
So that's the scoop my friends. I don't know how often I will be able to blog but I hope to get another one posted next week. We shall see. In the meantime, I hope you are all having a wonderful Holiday season!
Peace, love and light,
-m
End of the term papers were turned in, one on one meetings with faculty members were held and I even managed to get to a Christmas concert. And then came Saturday...
Saturday. D-Day. Departure Day. Actually, our flight to Milan didn't leave until the wee hours of Sunday morning but our journey started Saturday night. My classmate Remi has graciously invited me to his home in Poland for the Holidays. And naturally, to get to Poland from Scotland one has to go through Italy. Really, it was just the cheapest route and hey, a day in Milan, that's cool! So the last train to the airport left Glasgow's city center at 11:30pm. We could have called a cab at 3am to take us but why spend the money when we could make it an all night party at the airport? So we went to the ballet. Sleeping Beauty. It was lovely and we had time to kill so why not catch a ballet? Then off we went. The airport we flew from was a smaller airport and when we got there nothing was open. All the cafes and shops were closed. But we were not the only ones crashing for the night. Many a Holiday traveler had the same idea. We tried to sleep a little but it wasn't easy and it was freezing in there! But no worries, morning came and we were soon boarding the plane to Italy. The flight was a few hours and we slept most of the way. I did wake up in time to see the majestic Alps looking just like they do on the water bottles. They were a gorgeous view out of the plane window as we descended into Northern Italy. Arrival was a snap and we had a whole day to kill as our flight to Prague didn't leave until later in the evening. So off we went to see the sights of Milan. It was a beautiful day! The sun was shining and Milan was stunning. One of the major attractions of Milan is the Milan Cathedral or in Italian: Duomo di Milano. I have photos but won't be able to post them until I get back to Glasgow. After a day using the only Italian I know "Grazie" we headed back to the airport and were off to Prague in the Czech Republic. This is where Remi's father was to collect us and we would drive the two hours to Poland and Remi's home just over the border. Prague was the only time we ran into a little snag on our trip. It seems my luggage may have decided to stay in Italy. No bag. Bummer. The airline is on the case and hopefully they will get it to me soon. Otherwise it may be a very stinky Christmas. Remi's family is very sweet and so hospitable! They don't speak English and I don't speak Polish so Remi is having to translate but it's going well. And I was very thankful just to be able to sleep in a bed! It is Polish tradition to keep a fish in your bathtub so that it is fresh for Christmas dinner. The fish will be coming tomorrow (Tuesday). I'll let you know...
So that's the scoop my friends. I don't know how often I will be able to blog but I hope to get another one posted next week. We shall see. In the meantime, I hope you are all having a wonderful Holiday season!
Peace, love and light,
-m
Sunday, December 14, 2008
The Land the Sun Forgot and Bringing on the Bard
Where is the switch? Hello? Is there a light in here?
No actually, this is Scotland they don’t have light during the winter months.
Well, they do but it is fleeting. These days the sun rises at about 8:45am and sets at 3:45pm. That is one short day folks! About 7 hours. And those 7 hours are when we are inside, in class, at work, etc. I gotta tell you for a girl who grew up in the southern part of the US this is a tough adjustment. I am really missing Mister Sunshine. The good news is the Winter Solstice is fast approaching. Sunday December 21st to be exact. Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year. And after that, more and more light will be coming our way. The flip side of this is the Summer Solstice which this past summer was July 20th. On July 20th Glasgow’s day lasted 16 hours and 43 minutes with the sun not setting until 9:45pm. Wow! That is a long day! But I don’t mind a long day of light.
We are winding up for the semester but there are skills to be honed. On Wednesday we met with the fabulous Liam Brennan. He is a graduate of the RSAMD and has had a successful career as an actor with lots of Shakespeare credits. We started to work with him on Shakespeare monologues and will be continuing under his tutelage this week. I attempted a little Twelfth Night for him. It definitely benefited from his guidance. Big improvement! Well, that’s why I am here. To improve. I’ve had very little Shakespeare experience which was one of the major draws of this course. I get to work on my classics and at The Globe no less!
The Globe administrators were up on Wednesday as well. Liam has performed on The Globe stage many a time. He told us about his experiences and the lovely people running our program spoke to us about what we can expect in January. We will be working a lot on The Globe’s main stage. For those of you who don’t know let me explain: The current Globe is a modern day replica of what scholars think Shakespeare’s Globe would have looked like. The Globe is the theatre where Shakespeare did most of his work. In Elizabethan times theatres were outdoors and open air. They didn’t have electric lighting so they needed the sun in order for their day time dramas to be seen. So what does this mean for me? Well, it means I will be layered up with thermal underwear during my classes. That’s right. Outside acting classes on The Globe stage in January! Burrrr! But it’s totally going to be worth it. It is The GLOBE!! I’m so excited!
A week from today I’m off to Poland for the Holidays. I don’t know what kind of internet access I will have but I will do my best to keep you updated!
Enjoy the Holidays my friends! And in lieu of the light and warmth from the sun we all need to illuminate the season with rays of love from our hearts!
Take care!
-m
No actually, this is Scotland they don’t have light during the winter months.
Well, they do but it is fleeting. These days the sun rises at about 8:45am and sets at 3:45pm. That is one short day folks! About 7 hours. And those 7 hours are when we are inside, in class, at work, etc. I gotta tell you for a girl who grew up in the southern part of the US this is a tough adjustment. I am really missing Mister Sunshine. The good news is the Winter Solstice is fast approaching. Sunday December 21st to be exact. Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year. And after that, more and more light will be coming our way. The flip side of this is the Summer Solstice which this past summer was July 20th. On July 20th Glasgow’s day lasted 16 hours and 43 minutes with the sun not setting until 9:45pm. Wow! That is a long day! But I don’t mind a long day of light.
We are winding up for the semester but there are skills to be honed. On Wednesday we met with the fabulous Liam Brennan. He is a graduate of the RSAMD and has had a successful career as an actor with lots of Shakespeare credits. We started to work with him on Shakespeare monologues and will be continuing under his tutelage this week. I attempted a little Twelfth Night for him. It definitely benefited from his guidance. Big improvement! Well, that’s why I am here. To improve. I’ve had very little Shakespeare experience which was one of the major draws of this course. I get to work on my classics and at The Globe no less!
The Globe administrators were up on Wednesday as well. Liam has performed on The Globe stage many a time. He told us about his experiences and the lovely people running our program spoke to us about what we can expect in January. We will be working a lot on The Globe’s main stage. For those of you who don’t know let me explain: The current Globe is a modern day replica of what scholars think Shakespeare’s Globe would have looked like. The Globe is the theatre where Shakespeare did most of his work. In Elizabethan times theatres were outdoors and open air. They didn’t have electric lighting so they needed the sun in order for their day time dramas to be seen. So what does this mean for me? Well, it means I will be layered up with thermal underwear during my classes. That’s right. Outside acting classes on The Globe stage in January! Burrrr! But it’s totally going to be worth it. It is The GLOBE!! I’m so excited!
A week from today I’m off to Poland for the Holidays. I don’t know what kind of internet access I will have but I will do my best to keep you updated!
Enjoy the Holidays my friends! And in lieu of the light and warmth from the sun we all need to illuminate the season with rays of love from our hearts!
Take care!
-m
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