Small island countries to a country with small islands...

In July, I was lucky enough to attend a one week acting workshop in Athens, Greece at the Theatre of Changes http://www.theater-of-changes.com/. Yes, it felt very poetic and was quite a rush to be studying acting in the birthplace of Western theatre--a strange combination of excitement and awe to begin with. I didn't know whether or not to jump up and down or be reverently still as I gazed at the Acropolis...I opted for walking to class and following class instructions--which included, btw, jumping up and down while in 'sats' (a Norwegian term meaning 'the energy that can be suspended' or 'impulse and counterimpulse' according to http://academic.evergreen.edu/curricular/fopa/theatre/texts/barba.htm and holding myself completely still in a meditation. It also included standing on my head and weaving myself physically around my classmates with my eyes closed, making all kinds of primal noises and singing my name in chorus...ah, actor training!! Seriously, the experience was excellent--brilliant, even. We were at the school from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. everyday with three three-hour classes and performances by our instructors every evening. Our instructors were from everywhere--Russia, Iceland, Turkey, the US, Chile, Italy, Poland, Ireland, Rumania,...and of course, Greece. In my group, while the magority were Greek, we had participants from Argentina, Israel, Taiwan and the US. The group dynamics were friendly but focused and everyday I was amazed by the work that came out of us all. As a teacher, I've always known that everyone has inner creativity and intelligence--it was just so awesome to be in a room where everyone was tapping into themselves simultaneously to fully bring it out, work it and connect it. Magical, people, I tell you it was MAGICAL!! (Ok, ok, I'll stop.) My natural impulse now is to write a lengthy epistle on each group member but I think not only would you all shoot me, they probably would as well. Speaking of shooting, suffice it to say that if the whole world would do this kind of training, we'd all respect and enjoy each other so much more...(now my political agenda is out!).

Speaking of politics and drama, I am hoping to return to Athens in mid-September after I finish teaching in the language program here at Royal Holloway. The tentative plan is to collaborate with Mariana and Korinna on some street performance. While we aren't working with any political themes at the moment, if you are in the camp that believes all theatre is political (as some theorists do), then you can understand my interest in Street Theatre as an Applied Drama practitioner-in-training ...Street Theatre is basically free with the actor/s having to rely on her/his performance to inspire donations; it is open to anyone who has the nerve or a passion to do it, regardless of training or experience; it can be universal (in the case of music and mime), it is community-based in that performances are held in public spaces, etc...of course, the legalities of actually getting permission to perform in some public space can be a bit tricky, but on the whole, it is probably the least elitest theatre form you can find. Having never done it before, I'm sure I'll be learning a lot...like how to ignore 13 and 14 year old hecklers!!

(A quick note to the Perry side of the family...interestingly enough, one of the girls I will be working with is half Croatian--go figure! A connection meant to happen?!)

As for Greece...it's hard to describe Greece on its own without getting stuck in the stereo-type images...'the awesome historical ruins', or 'beautiful island beaches with clear water perfect for swimming', or 'fabulous souvalaki, greek salads with feta cheese and ouzo' or 'the glistening white-washed houses accented with intense sky and sea blues', or 'relaxing in outdoor cafes drinking frappe and watching the passersby' or 'being charmed by live Greek music and dancing while having dinner in an old taverna'...all of which are TRUE, with each exerience being a mini-vacation in itself!

Most of what I experienced of Greece was in and around Athens, with a couple days on the island of Paros http://www.parosweb.gr/. I spent half of my time with my Greek friends from Royal Holloway and the other half was with people I met from my course and even on the train! Greeks are very friendly, gracious and FUN people, and somehow I think it makes everyone want to be the same!!!

The highlights? Seeing a performance of Aeschylus's Persians at Epidaurus , the oldest known theatre in Greece http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21104n/e211dn02.html; sitting in the open cafes in Plaka and Monastiraki http://www.greekislands.com/athens/monplaka.htm during the days and nights chatting with friends; having an early dinner in a small taverna below street level in Athens where customers pulled out instruments and started playing traditional music and people started doing traditional dances; watching the sunset over Athens from the Acropolis; swimming in the Aegean Sea and the Saronic Gulf; buying breakfast at a small bakery early in the morning after staying out all night on the beach just to watch the sunrise, eating fried haloumi(hard, salty cheese) and other wonderful Greek foods; a personal historical tour of the burial mound at Marathon http://www.athensmarathon.com/marathon/history.html and Lykavittos Hill, just to name a few!

This was one of the best, if not the best, vacation I've had. The giddiness still lingers...I think I am in love with another country. Oh, great...what am I supposed to do now?

Hello. Oh, it's you.

I'm afraid all of my reflective and creative thoughts have been replaced by analytical essay writing and flamenco learning as of late...

Winter term flew by with classes such as British Theatre History post 1945 and Performance Spaces. British Theatre History was particularly noteworthy for me in that I had a lot of 'AH HA! So that's what it's all about' moments with regard to the layers and layers AND LAYERS of the British psyche. Whoa!! Makes us Californians look positively SIMPLE!!(Please, no comments from the vast majority of you!) Of noteworthy significance for those interested in the trends of modern British theatre, check out In Yer Face theatre at http://www.inyerface-theatre.com/what.html. 'In Yer Face' is a genre which is driven by shock-value. That there is 'layers and layers' of depth philosophy and intense sensitivity of perspective in plays with homosexual rape and infant cannibalism is indeed TRUE. However, I'm a little dubious of the distancing effect one must go through in order to take these plays on board and get past it all. It is great having a guide, a 'sensei' or teacher to draw these things out in a 2 hour class...but if that isn't there...??? Hummmm....in yer face, in yer head, in yer nightmares. But there you go!



On the other hand, Performance Spaces was a class that brought me closer to home! As essays here are often due after a holiday period, I had time to go back to California in April and see a couple of homegrown productions. After years of growing up in Riverside, I finally went to the Mr. Rubidoux Easter Sunrise Service in the middle of downtown. That was really interesting, especially perceiving it within a 'performance space' frame. But far more interesting was The Ramona Pageant staged in a hillside amphitheatre. Did you know that The Romona Pageant is the longest running outdoor play of its kind in the US? And a very interesting, if not romanticised, presentation of racial tensions between the Indians, Mexicans and white Americans in the late 1800s. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ramona_Pageant

This term we have no classes--only projects, rehearsals and dissertation prep. In addition to preparing for my 2-day inter-faith project at the end of the month, I'm also taking part in two other projects. One of my fellow 'applied drama' friends, the wonderful Myrcini, has created a series of workshops and a performance for 10 year-olds introducing them to fine art paintings. We are having a ball and it is a charming play. I'm also playing a few small roles in Yerma , a Lorca play which has a flamenco theme...so that's right, I'm having to learn some basic flamenco moves along with some other girls so as to sashay around stage. Hummmm...

I'm going to end with a really sweet and romantic note. I read this last week in one of the daily papers which was laying on the seat next to me in the train. An English actress, who had apparently been known for holding her ground and defending her singleness while waiting for the right one, did find him. She said that when she finally met him, it was a quiet thing. She said something to the effect of--I looked into his eyes and there was a mutual recognition of 'Hello. Oh, it's you.'

p/s: Oh, I did manage to see The Sultan's Elephant in London!http://www.thesultanselephant.com/gallery/gallery.php