Hey everybody,
Two weeks into London and lots to tell.
RADA (The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) is a really cool, professional studio. They've split our group of sixteen actors into two groups of eight, so we're getting a lot of personal attention. Recently, I've been learning how to wield a five pound broadsword and make it look like I'm fighting without actually harming anyone. So far, successful. I've been cast as the Dauphin in a scene where I fight Joan of Arc and get my ass kicked. We started choreographing today.
I also had my Elizabethan dance class in the afternoon where we've been learning how to do courtly "basso" dancing, reverence bowing, and showing our calf muscles (apparently Queen Elizabeth's suitors actually practiced dancing on tip-toe so they could show off their legs).
Walking around London is, in some ways, more of an adventure than walking around in New York. It's hard to keep the jaywalking habit while still remembering which way to look. Also, the streets don't run on a grid at all, so for the first couple of days, my roommate and I got lost trying to take "shortcuts" back to the apartment.
My roommate Phil and I joined the NYU in London football squad and played our first game Tuesday night. We lost 16-4, but both of us scored a goal. It was a clear demonstration of British soccer superiority. We will improve.
Tomorrow, I meet my RADA buddy who's a student from England studying five days a week at RADA.
Will write soon.
-Doug
Nice, Buzz. Sounds like you're having a great time. You may not know this, but I actually wooed Leslie by showing off my calf muscles and dancing on my tiptoes.
ReplyDeleteHi Doug,
ReplyDeleteKeep looking both ways. That's elementary (school) stuff. I remember the dauphin saying, "Oh, another lecture, thank you." I used that line a lot with my parents, when I was in high school. I think that's the right play. Keep posting. I'm thinking of starting my own blog, with updates about my trips to Walgreens and Stop n' Shop. Slightly less exotic than my nephew and niece.
Hey Doug,
ReplyDeleteWe heard that London is snowed in. You must have thought you were leaving that behind in NYC. Football in the snow should be interesting. At least you'll have an excuse if you take a big loss again. It sounds like you are making the most of this trip! We're looking forward to keeping track of your experience through the blog. J & J