Carolina Baker,UG’05
Attending the London Theatre program was a great experience because we were exposed to different types of theatre and an amazing culture. It was very interesting to see how different cultures chose to perform famous plays. Not only did we have the opportunity to see the English perform plays on Latin America, Tejas Verdes, but we also saw Icelanders perform Romeo and Juliet a la acrobat. We also visited Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford upon Avon, where we saw Two Gentleman of Verona performed in a 1920s setting. Add to these experiences, a visit to the Royal National Theatre to see Cirque Du Soleil, and West end productions like Woman in White and By the Bog of Cats, and you have fully immersed yourself in the best theatre experience in its city of origin.
Furthermore, even though most of us ended up in ruins, with the dollar so low compared to the British pound, London’s culture was eye opening in certain important respects. Economically, we got to experience first hand what such a big deficit can do to the dollar abroad, and it wasn’t pretty. Having to pay $100.00 for a manicure is an experience that most girls would love to forget. However, London’s museums were a free perk that made us forget what an expensive city we were residing in. Visiting the Tate modern and the National Gallery exposed us to Europe’s rich history, and increased our cultural knowledge. The palace tours were intellectually enticing; visiting Henry VIII’s quarters in the Hampton court palace shed some light as to why he did have six wives, and decided to kill two of them. Additionally, having the opportunity to visit friendly Scotland up north on our days off contributed to our wonderful experience in the UK. For those planning on going to London next winter, just remember to check the weather up in Scotland before you go, as everything was closed the day that we decided to visit!
Lastly, our final project made us realize that learning lines, and working with others in theatre is as team dependent and complicated as our business projects at Babson. Not only did we have a blast performing in front of our fellow Babsonites, but we also acquired a newfound respect for the people that choose to go into acting as a career. It was well worth the ride, the money, and the jetlag.
