“This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.” - William Shakespeare,Richard II

Greetings Everyone!!

Today marks the one week anniversary of my start in the Shakespeare Four Week Course at the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA). It also marks TWO weeks since the start of my trip in London. Wow! So, let's do some catching up. Well, first of all, I have to say that I had butterflies like crazy last Monday. I was so unsure of myself and thought "wait, why did I decide to do this again?" Along with, "Oh my goodness, all of these people back in the states believe in me and I can't even muster up the COURAGE to believe in myself?" Geez. I have never been more aware of my noisy thoughts than now.

Still, I've grown strong enough over the last week even to find ways to keep those thoughts in check. I'm elated to say that my experience here thus far has taught me more but I've also been able to utilize all of my training that I've gained in Grad School. It's beautiful to know that my educational pursuits are complimenting one another and so that there is no confusion about dogmas in my mind from one to the next. Anyhow, it feels normal to be back in the world of academia but of course this is much more condensed, seeing as we are slowly approaching only 2.5 weeks of the program. I digress -- I need to live in the moment.

So, back to THIS moment... we got the wonderful opportunity to see Richard II at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on Wednesday. It was miraculous and being The Globe seems surreal. I mean, it is surreal. We'll see one more show there next week, I believe, so I can experience that wonderful space again. I am grateful that I got to see, hear, and be submerged in Shakespeare at the place that it was created for. By the way, groundling life rocks! I know that they're technically not the VIP seats, but they sure felt like it. The play was happening around us, behind us, (LITERALLY within the groundling crowd) the fourth wall was being broken and everything! I left feeling on top of the world and thanks to Dr. Scholl's my feet felt just fine!

This past weekend I did not see any theatre, but my Shakespeare cohort and I (I believe there's about 60 of us in total) are leaving on Wednesday-Friday to stay in Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford-Upon-Avon. We'll be attending workshops and seeing more plays at the Royal Shakespeare Company. I'm ELATED! I will most definitely bring my camera and take plenty of HD photos. ; )

I DID enjoy sight seeing this weekend with my friend Chlo. I love the idea of being able to squeeze in theatre but also take in London Town. I'm not sure what the future holds within the next ten months or so, but upon graduation in May 2016, I will most definitely keep my options open with regards to living here if this is where my artistic pursuits take me. It feels great to live life a bit free. Not because I have the means to, but because I mean to live it. Life, that is. <3

Ciao! I'll be back on Wednesday night to give you all updates on my first day in Stratford-Upon-Avon! <3

Wonderful quote on the bookstore wall at The Black Cultural Archives Museum

Oh wait! How could I forget? I visited a gallery at the Black Cultural Archives Museum in Brixton (it's a neighborhood in London) and I felt so happy and proud. Why? Well, it was great to see that so much African American history directly correlated with that of Black British history. I feel a certain unity in identity here and I think it's a wonderful testament to the fact that a nation can overcome its woes from the past. It's also a testament to the beauty of human differences without dehumanization as a result of our differences. Well, this got me started again because I really began to think about all of this after my stage combat class last week. I began to really think about how our differences are beautiful. Additionally, I thought about how the CLASSIFICATION of those differences as a means to create separate groups or categories of human beings is dangerous. Yes, I had all of these in depth thoughts due to a profound stage combat class. That's the dramatic arts for ya! I often wondered why I've been called to be an artist and if this is even the life for me. Well, but of COURSE it is because nothing else comes close to satisfying my insatiable need to learn and be entertained while doing so.

This stay in London is particularly special because I am being reminded that is okay to be me and all of me. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith to be led to who you are, I am glad I took that long leap across the pond. <3

Ciao again!