Global Greatness

In the past 24 hours, we’ve visited two sites of global (or ‘global’) relevance: firstly, the Globe Theatre, and secondly, the grounds of the 2012 London Olympiad.

Last night we attended an absolutely phenomenal performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream! The Globe was built using the plans for the original theatre, with a few adjustments to adapt to modern fire codes, so when you enter the pit, it feels as though you’ve been transported back to the days of Shakespeare. I really wish that I had been able to take pictures, but the ushers were very strict about the no-phone/video camera/camera policy. We were Groundlings (people who stand closest to the stage in the pit), though, so I had a great view! It was a fabulous modern interpretation, and the updates only enhanced what was already an exceptional atmosphere! The four Young Lovers (Hermia, Lysander, etc.), Theseus and Hippolyta were brought into the 21st century; Theseus became a svelte business man and Hippolyta was his Cruella DeVille-esque Russian bride, while Helena was portrayed in male form as Helenus. Hermia, Lysander, Helenus and Demetrius were all garbed in modern, trendy clothing and described as hipsters, and Hermia and Helenus did a hilarious dance to Beyoncé’s “Put A Ring On It” after Lysander proposed to her! They used

modern songs multiple times during the show, including a particularly well-done performance of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” by Bottom. Puck was a lithe woman who portrayed the whimsical and slightly eerie elf brilliantly – she even crept through the crowd on several occasions, and petted my shoulder as she passed. The casting was outstanding, the music (primarily sitar with quiet accompaniment) was perfect, the set was gorgeous, everything about it was fabulous! I gladly would go again, and would highly recommend it to anyone, regardless of knowledge or appreciation of Shakespeare! It was definitely a highlight of my London experience.

In English Lit class today, we discussed the play at length (it received exemplary reviews from everyone), followed by taking some notes about Margery Kempe and Julian of Norwich, two early female authors who had very interesting ideas about the Holy Trinity, morality, etc. We also started our preparations for our travels to Hampton Court Palace this weekend, for which I am extremely excited!

After class, we walked to the Museum of London and learned about the fascinating history of the city. It had exhibits on everything from Neolithic populations to the Blitz of World War II to the 2012 Olympic Games; I spent a great deal of time in all three of these, and especially enjoyed seeing the life-size prototype for the Olympic Cauldron (see the image on the left). We were inspired by this profound sculpture, and decided to hop on the tube East to

the Olympic Village. Our first stop in the village was the sleek Aquatic Center. While there, we tried to get into the pool for a picture, since both Amira (one of my friends) and I were involved in swimming, but unfortunately, no spectators were allowed due to the UK Paralympics team being in the midst of their high-intensity training time. After that, we explored the stadium and the rest of the grounds; there was even a small carnival going on!

Tomorrow, we’re going to the Royal Greenwich Observatory to see first-hand some of the things and places we’ve learned about in my physics class. Good night, everyone!