I Am England

For my internship at the egg, I was the Producer's Assistant for the Young People's Theatre production of I Am England, a play written by David Lane with contributions from the director and cast. It was a year-long process and was based off of Shakespeare's Coriolanus. It's a really great piece of theatre and I'm glad that I was able to be a part of it!

With an internship comes a dissertation. For my dissertation I decided to compare and contrast Coriolanus to I Am England. I had not previously heard of this Shakespeare play, one of his Roman ones, and skimmed through to get the gist of it. For a quick synopsis, the main character Coriolanus returns from war to a hero's welcome, runs for consul but is undermined by the common people who have been thrust into a state of chaos as a result of the war. He is eventually exiled, goes to the enemy whom he was fighting against, and ends up being assassinated. Obviously it's more complex than that and I recommend you give it a read. 

The writing team took this and transformed the story to make it their own. From the Theatre Royal's website:

Bankrupt, isolated and in a state of collapse, a once-proud nation falls apart at the seams. Nostalgic for empire and thirsty for revenge, a small town politician presents a hero to the masses: a poster-boy for conscription.

The future of the nation hangs in the balance, but at a time of intense change those in power must confront the truth of who they are - and who they might become.

Inspired by Shakespeare’s Coriolanus, I Am England offers a unique perspective on political power, authoritarianism and social justice from the generation whose stories are yet to be written.

It truly was a fantastic, moving play that made me think about what it means to be working on a production that comments on political, social, and cultural issues. It was really interesting and I will definitely take what I learned from it in my next involvement with theatre. 

My primary responsibility was to create the program, a crazy process in an of itself. I had to collaborate with all members of the cast and creative team to collect biographies, thanks, and any other information for the program. After about five intense weeks, I managed to get it all together the night before opening.  I'm really glad to have something concrete to hold onto and show for my efforts at the egg. 

Side note: one of the best things that happened during my internship was the opportunity to take press pictures for I Am England! Check out the ones they used below!

Characters Ria and Marc

 Also: ATTENTION THESPIANS! I shall be writing a post about my recent trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon and seeing not one, but THREE plays put on by the Royal Shakespeare Company! Be excited - I know I am!

If you have any questions about my internship at the egg or about I Am England, leave a comment or formspring me! 
Katelyn :)

Horseback Riding! (And the Death of the Camera)

One of my most favorite things I've done abroad is go horseback riding! The last time I went riding was probably about 10 years ago and I've been wanting to do it since. 

ASE has a folder of places and things to do for a day or weekend trip and I saw one for Wellow Trekking Centre in Wellow, just a 15-20 minute taxi ride from my house. 

My friends Eleanor, Kathryn, Meghan, and I got up one Sunday morning to head to the centre. It was a gorgeous day and we were all excited!

We got there, got fitted for shoes and helmets, and met our horses. Katie was my horse - and she liked to go fast. We had a leisurely walk and stepped it up to trot. Katie just wanted to trot ALL DAY! I would've been fine with that if my camera would have survived. The culprit? Trotting. I think it turned on in my pocket whilst we were trotting and then the lens got screwed up. I didn't freak out because there was nothing I could do about it right then and I knew we were going home in a few weeks and most of the things I wanted to document have already been documented. 

Anywho, it was a fantastic day and I would gladly do it again! The only thing about not being familiar with riding horses on a regular basis is that your body is SORE for the next few days. You use muscles you didn't even know you had!
 

Action shot!

The pathway we rode on

SO GORGEOUS

Kathryn, Eleanor, Meg, and I!

 Hope you enjoyed my adventure horseback riding!
Katelyn :)

The Unexpected Wonderful Occurrences of Studying Abroad: Imagine Dragons Concert!

A few weeks ago my friends and I trekked to Oxford to see Imagine Dragons in concert! It was only 7 pounds - aka a steal! We got to the place just as the doors were opening and we were in a good place in line, right behind a pair of girls wearing dragon onesies! 
The venue was very small and intimate which the lead singer (Dan Reynolds) commented saying they love playing venues that they can see everyone's faces. It was AWESOME! One of the best concerts I've ever been to. The Escapists opened for Imagine Dragons and they were pretty neat. The lead singer told us that one of the songs was written about aliens...interesting concept. 

It was finally time for Imagine Dragons to come on and MY GOD. You could feel the floor rattle with the amount of people jumping up and down and the INCREDIBLE percussion of the band. They played a bunch of my favorite songs but alas did not play Working Man aka my jam. Still, they were PHENOMENAL. Dan even ended up coming into the audience - crazy!

We went to get t-shirts and the guitarist (Wayne Sermon) came over to sign autographs! Luckily I had my study abroad journal with me so I grabbed it out and talked to him about being abroad and seeing concerts. It was so awesome! 

Wayne Sermon!

Afterwards we went to The Kings Arms Pub, the pub with the highest IQ in Oxford. We had a great time and caught the 12:07 train back to Bath. Our adventure had come full circle and it continues to be one of the highlights of my time abroad!

Numbers

Here's the facts:

1. Been in Bath for 83 days.

2. US bound in 27 days. 

3. 3 papers to write before that - 10,000 words

4. 1 presentation

5. 3 finals

 6. 1 trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon

Hence ergo therefore why I shan't be posting that much AT LEAST until the papers are done. So much to do, so little time. 

Things to look forward to: 
- Finally blogging about midsemester break
- IMAGINE DRAGONS CONCERT!
- Horseback riding (and the death of the camera)
- I Am England Production
- A Visit from a SHA girl!

Again, the mantra of my next few weeks: SO MUCH TO DO, SO LITTLE TIME. 

Sending my love to the states!
Katelyn :) 

The Unexpected Wonderful Occurrences of Studying Abroadtures Abroad: Bath Rugby Game!

This weekend I was rereading the bulletin that gets sent out from ASE every week keeping us posted on activities around Bath that we can participate in. I spotted that there was a FREE rugby game on November 5th (Guy Fawkes' Day!) and decided to go. It would be on my Bath bucket list if I had one.
Anywho, my friends and I signed up to go, met up with my internship advisor Andrew Butterworth (the best!) and about half of our program and walked down the street to the rugby pitch. 

Bath Rugby 'A' (Blue) was playing against the London Harlequins "A' team. Don't ask me what that means but it was quite impressive. It was my first time watching a rugby game and I'll definitely go to some rugby matches at Saint Mike's! It soon became easy to follow and the audience definitely got into it.

The final score: Bath wins!

Amelia, Hannah, Meghan, Eleanor, and me!

I had a great time - and the BEST HOT DOG. No sporting event is complete without concession stand food. So glad I broke out multiple layers and my new winter headband because it was SO COLD! You could see the players' breath like it was steam! 

If given the chance, I'd go again! (Free is the best price haha)

Hope you're warm in your neck of the woods!
Katelyn :)


PS - Bath got like 10 minutes of snow the other day...check out the view from my window! Sad to say, it was all gone a few hours later thanks to the following rain and sun. Gotta love England!

Missing Saint Mike's

Being abroad makes you realize the things you miss about being home both at SMC and CT.

5. Having all the buildings within a 5 minute walk - especially with such nice green spaces and the changing leaves.
4. Brunch omelets in Alliot.
3. Being able to see homework on eCollege instead of looking at/for my syllabi.
2. All the activities I do - VITA, Celtic Knights, Drama Club, working at the Helpdesk...
1. My friends and family! 

Got a card from VITA in the mail! So thoughtful :)

This week has brought on an overwhelming feeling of homesickness after saying goodbye to my mom and friends Jenn and KK after we traveled around England and Ireland for my mid-semester break (which I'll chronicle later). It was awesome to see them and I've missed them so much!

Upon my return from break I had to focus on registering for classes. After many e-mails back and forth to my advisors, I finalized my schedule. I found out when classes were posted on Knightvision that many of the history courses I wanted to take were during my theatre courses. I could not take the theatre courses because they're only offered every few semesters. 

Because of that, I had to let go of the hope of being a Religious Studies minor. I know I know boo-hoo being a double major/double minor but I'm interested in so many things! 

All in all, here is my final schedule:

Monday, Wednesday: 
TH-302 Moliere to Modern Drama 1:30-3:05 PM
HI-393 Historian's Craft: Theory and Method 3:15-4:50 PM

Tuesday, Thursday:
TH-209 Stagecrafts 11:30-1:05 PM 

Tuesday:
HI-395 Deviant Women 1:15-4:25 PM

"Everyday" 
TH-273 Production Practicum: Stage Management 
 - Stage managing the Spring production woohoo!


In other news, I got accepted to go on a MOVE Extended Service Trip to Kentucky in March! I'm excited to get back to campus and start new things - don't get me wrong I'm loving Bath but I will definitely cherish being home.

Hope everything is well in your neck of the woods!
Katelyn :)

The Unexpected Wonderful Occurrences of Studying Abroad: Contiki Youtube Meet-up!

So I realized I meant to blog about this way earlier, but better late than never!

I found out that Michael Aranda, Charlie McDonnell, and other YouTubers were going to be visiting London on October 14th I was not going to pass up the opportunity. Luckily for me my friends Amy and Kathryn where also interested in this adventure so we planned a day in London just for the occasion!

 

Check out the Contiki Video Recap of the Day!

 

It involved getting up early to catch a bus from Bath Spa to Swindon train station to catch a train from there to London Paddington. We then had to navigate the elusive Underground system and made it to the Acklam Village Market just in time before the crowd made it to about 3,000 people. CRAZY. 

We waited for about 2.5 hours before making it to the front of the line where we chose to go in the line to meet Michael and Charlie. The anticipation kept building as we inched closer and closer to the meet and greet lines. 

Finally at the front!

Before I knew it, I was standing in front of Michael Aranda and I was in awe. He was so friendly and maintained a bit of conversation with the three of us - even recommending us to ShakeAway Bath (which was DELICIOUS!). One thing I'll never forget was that I asked him what was the best part of the experience so far, which he took as meaning life experience and said, Love. He was so sincere about it and I said that he needed to stop being so adorable. And then I snorted. In typical Katelyn fashion. Hey - you only get the chance once to make a first impression right? Haha. 

Ridiculously Photogenic Michael Aranda

We then talked to Bryarly who was ADORABLE. We'd totally be friends in real life. I think it was easier to talk to her versus Charlie and Michael because granted I'd seen some of her videos but have been following Charlie and Michael for longer. 

Finally, meeting Charlie. He was quite subdued, being the introvert that he is and considering he doesn't like large crowds.  Still, it was great to talk to him.

You've had the almost imponderable joy of meeting charlieissocoollike which makes you like, cool!

Overall, the experience was great! My expectations were a little high so I was a little disheartened when they weren't totally fulfilled but what can you do?

The rest of the day we spent wandering around London and having photoshoots all over the place. Definitely one for the books!

Kathryn, Amy, and I at Buckingham Palace!

Hope everyone in the Northeast back home stays safe during Hurricane Sandy! 
Katelyn :)

Prior Park: We're a Family

Our housing allocation is determined by our program ASE in houses or flats around Bath. With 40+ students in the program, the staff have the task of matching fellow students with each other based on schedules, roommate preferences, and other things. I am privileged to live with my friends Eleanor from SMC, Abby, Hannah, Megan, Andrew, and Gabe! We all get along really well so much that we've become a family at Prior Park. We even have a few furry friends that visit!

Gabe, Eleanor, Me, Abby, Meghan, and Hannah! (missing: Andrew)

Trying to hypnotise cat #1

Cat #2 is really friendly!

We've had outings with pictures, family dinners, and movie nights - we couldn't ask for a better house! Can't wait for more adventures with my friends :)

Keep on the look out for more updates!
Sending all my love to my family at home and SMC, 
Katelyn :)

Ashmolean: An Art and Archaelogist Lover's Dream

Continuing with Being a UNIV Student for a Week: Part Three! This week in Oxford we had the option to go to the Ashmolean Museum of Art & Archaeology - filled with four floors of art and artifacts ranging from Ancient Rome, Egypt, Byzantium, and more. 

Here are some of my favorite pieces from the massive collection - I spent two hours there but could've spent so much more! 

Demonstrating the wear and tear of touch.

The Messiah Stradivarius - never been played in it's 300 years of existence!

The most adorable painting of a dog that I can't remember the name or painter...FAIL.

The Annunciation - saw a pic from my Medieval Europe class!

Turner's Oxford High Street - where I was staying for the week

I have loads and loads of more pictures - I'm just finding out a way to make them accessible to my readers! If you're interested in more, leave a comment so I know my efforts won't go to waste :)

Thanks for keeping up with all the parts! Check out one and two and keep posted for the fourth and final segment of my trip to Oxford. 
Wishing you the very best, 
Katelyn :)

Being a UNIV Student for a Week: Part 2

I'm picking up where Part One left off on Monday - first day of classes in Oxford and a tour of the Library. The UNIV library is actually quite small but full of character. I even got to take out a few books for class - I wish I could've taken out books for pleasure reading. I made many a trip there for reading purposes.

So many books!

Being studious in UNIV.

My friend Abby the thinker.

Later on we went to a talk by tutor Dr. Leslie Mitchell who is teaching Modern British Political History called "Bloody Oxford". A bit similar to the talk we had on Saturday, but very entertaining. He made it sound like story-telling and I wish I was in one of his classes! I love when a professor makes it fun to learn so it doesn't actually seem like you're learning. 


Tuesday was shopping, class, and pub crawl! We made it to four pubs: The Lamb and Flag, White Horse, The King's Arms, and The Turf Tavern. The Lamb and Flag was my favorite ambiance wise because it looked like a classy den set-up with wood accents. I also attempted a local ale or beer at each location - I wanted to make it unique!

 

A fun night was had by all!

On Wednesday I presented for my Women, Society, and Culture of the 18th century on writers' opinions on women's education. Unfortunately right after my presentation, I became sick and was confined to my bed for the rest of the day. This meant I had to miss the tour of Christ Church where the grand staircase that was in Harry Potter! Sad face. I did get a picture of the courtyard on Sunday going to the Anglican service though!

Does this courtyard look familiar?

This is only part two of the adventure! Be sure to check back for sequels :)

Katelyn

Being a UNIV Student for a Week: Part 1

Oh hello UNIV!

I've just returned to Bath after a week long excursion to Oxford with my program. We were able to stay and study at University College for the week and it felt pretty special. Not many can say that they've studied there but now I can! Of course I had to load up on UNIV apparel and souvenirs for my friends and family...maybe a little too much...

Anywho - we arrived on Saturday to move into our singles - a change from doubles in our home on Prior Park - which I realize I need to create a blog post about! Before I leave I promise. 

My single: Complete with a sink, mini-fridge and window seat!

We had a talk from tutor Dr. Mike Nicholson, a fellow and praelector in Russian at Oxford. He teaches Ghosts and the Gothic for ASE and had quite a lot to share about the history of the college. It was fascinating to learn about the place we were staying and it's major historical events. 

Later that evening we had the option to go down to the UNIV bar and have a disco! That basically meant we could socialize with one another with a DJ and bar - the drinks were cheaper than most places around so it helped our money go further.

Sunday we had the option of going to a Anglican service in the Christ Church Cathedral. It was interesting because I'd never been to another religious service other than Mass at Saint Mike's or my home parish. We went to the Morning Prayer service where it consisted of specific prayers and lessons (or readings) sung by the boys' choir or the ministers. Some parts were easy to follow because parts of the Anglican Church are similar to the Catholic Church. I won't give you a history lesson, but check out this website for more info.

Another event we went to on Sunday was PUNTING! If you think of gondolas in Venice, that's basically what punting is. We had the option to do it ourselves. While I didn't partake, I took LOADS of pictures: here are just a few. Luckily, no one in our group became members of the Mermaid Club! 

Trying to act like we know what we're doing...

Getting up close and personal with the ducks

This is only part one of my adventure in Oxford, and there will shortly be more posts to sum up the week! Keep looking for those.

Hope everything is well in your neck of the woods!
Katelyn :)

It's the Bath Water!

My first week in Bath has come and gone. After some crazy travels, I have moved into my house on Prior Park with 6 other housemates. We took on a week of orientation about academics, activities, and Bath culture and shopping. We've been on a lot tours around the area and I'm getting used to the city and all that's in it. It reminds me a lot of Burlington actually! Just a tad bigger and busier.

 

ASE Headquarters - Nelson House

A view of Prior Park from the top of Bath Abbey

Bath Abbey at night

Prior Park in front of Stonehenge!

Salisbury Cathedral

Lacock Abbey - look familiar?

These have so far been my adventures in Bath - my classes started this week and my internship as well. We'll see how the semester goes...fingers crossed! 
Keep an eye on my blog for updates from across the pond.
Sending well-wishes to my parents on their anniversary, 
Katelyn :)