Before studying abroad, my advisor gave me one important tip when taking classes: "Take a class that would not be offered here." I took that to heart, and it made sense -- if I'm studying abroad in London, I will want a specific class that shows the London culture to a T.
So when class registration came up, that's exactly what I did. I signed up for a theatre class (my first theatre class ever, by the way) called The London Stage in Text and Performance. The class was to be set up as a two parter: we read various texts of London productions and then we go out into the city and watch said productions.
It sounded like the perfect option for what my advisor told me to consider. What other class am I going to be able to see 5 plays and get to talk to them in a large group? It sounded like a London dream. While I haven't been the most involved in theatre, I always have loved going to watch it. I saw all of my high school productions with my mommom and sister, and I really wanted to witness London in its true artistic form.
And boy, did I! This class has really made my London experience all the more spectacular! My whole mantra for study abroad was "Do Something New Everyday", and this class has allowed me to fulfill that even more by going to see the plays every couple of weeks. I saw The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, This House, Escaped Alone, Love Labour's Lost, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Add in Wicked from January Orientation and the Arcadia excursion, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, that I saw, and I've been to 7 productions in just these past 3 months alone! That's more than I ever would get back in Glenside.
I ultimately owe it to this amazing class for letting me branch out and experience theatre in a brand new way. I learned more about the techniques that really go into productions, and how the script and performance can truly be different when it all comes down to it that night. While my London program had limited options for courses, I am so happy that this course was offered. My study abroad experience would not have been as enhanced as it's been without it.
So if anyone is thinking about study abroad, definitely try a new class that you would never get back at your home institution. I did, and it made my experience all the more theatrical.
