Finished with week 1.  It encompassed an incredible Masterclass from Julian Glover on Julius Caesar on the Quad.  It was about mob mentality as Brutus and Antony sway the crowd in different directions after Caesar’s death, and it ended up with 106 people running/screaming across the quad and beating the shit out of the smallest girl at BADA playing Cinna the Poet.  It was awesome.

I had the first of four Masterclasses with John Barton and we worked on my sonnet.  Now I have to learn a new one for next Thursday.  In my Modern class we are doing all of Act 3 of Three Sisters - I’m playing Chebutykin and Andrey; and I’m playing Lopahkin in Act 1 and half of Act 2 of The Cherry Orchard.  On top of my Iago monologue and new sonnet, there is soooo much memorizing to do.  I’m also in the process of searching for new contemporary pieces.  I had Audition Techniques today and the tutor liked my Miss Julie monologue but said I played it too American, which is very true.  She liked it but said I shouldn’t use it as my primary piece - very valid.  She recommended Chance Wayne from Tennessee Williams’ “Sweet Bird of Youth” but I looked it up at Blackwell’s (the bookstore) and the character is way too old for me.  But I found a great monologue for another character that I really liked so I will probably look back into that.

My favorite class is definitely Shakespeare - I am in love with my tutor - We’ve been doing mini-scenes in class and group monologue work.  There is an incredible speech by Caliban from “The Tempest” which I am obsessed with and may use that to replace my usual Benedick monologue, which I’m not sure I’ve ever been doing correctly.

We are going to Startford upon Avon tomorrow to see the RSC’s production of “The Winter’s Tale”….We’ll have all day in Startford before seeing the evening performance.  Then I think I’m heading into London next Saturday with a group to sightsee, see a show, and check out the nightlife.

I just started getting sick which is annoying - my throat is really hurting me today and I’m stuffed up - which is funny cause I’ve been in perfect health since I got here.

Also, my friends here have discovered my blog so I can’t trash talk them……but I’m watching you Hannah