Look for the Light

A lot has happened in the last few weeks. Its funny how I find myself drifting from facebook and have almost come to resent it at times. Its as if I am seeing its full triviality for the first time. Obviously there is good things about social networking and damned be the one who rebels against it as they will be labelled ‘Behind the times’ or purely ignorant. I still find myself playing the sims social and feeling revolted with myself for committing even the precious few amounts of energy that I do into it when I could be outside, or reading a book, or writing or dancing or walking.

I have been doing a lot of travelling and a lot of seeing in the last couple of weeks. I went up to London for my first time two weeks ago. I went up alone largely due to the fact that I had wasted an inordinate amount of time waiting for someone else to come with me so that I wouldn’t be alone. However most times I tried to organise such outings things always came up. So I decided that I would go up, by myself and do all the things that I wanted to do. I went on Couchsurfing.com and found a person who sounded cool and un-psychotic to meet and crash with for two evenings so that I could spend a good three days exploring the city.  

One of the other reason why I went up to London was for an audition.  I had read that Fourth Monkey Theatre company were auditioning people for a year long training programme.  They seemed like a company I would be really interested in so I signed up.  The audition took place in Camden (a great and funky are of London) in the Etcetera Theatre above the Oxford Arms.  While I was changing in the ladies room I accidentally bumped the trash can on which my nice shoes were sitting and then one of my shoes fell into the toilet that I hadn’t flushed yet.  So after violently scrubbing my shoe and checking that it didn’t smell like urine I went and did my audition with one squishy shoe.  But they liked me enough that they asked if I would come back to do a recall audition in 2 weeks time.  For anyone curious the monologues I did were the clock from the phantom tollbooth and sonnet 94 by Shakespeare.

The rest of the time I spent being super tourist.  I saw so much and did so much and I think I was able to do it all largely to the fact that I was on my own. I have to admit it felt pretty liberating and lonesome at the same time. In part I tromped through alone proud and alone as if to say to myself, “See I can do this all by myself and I can still have a great time!” This is not to say that I was at all lack for company. Mo, the guy I stayed with was very personable and invited me out on my first night to tag along with some of his friends for a birthday party in London Soho. I am happy that I have a new friend in the London area and I hope that I can return the favour to Mo someday and let him crash with me on his travels.

My Dad and Sandy came to visit for a week which was really nice.  We went to Plymouth on Fathers day and took a nice boat ride around the Plymouth sound and then went to a great greek restaurant and then finished off the day by doing a tour of the Plymouth Gin distillery.  It was a great week an all despite that two days before they left I was stuck down by my first ever instance of food poisoning.  But despite that I feel that I showed them the best of the southwest that we could feasibly get to.

The day after Dad and Sandy left I was on my way to the Barnstaple Fringe Festival to volunteer and to meet up with the actors/dancers of the show Luna by Prettygoodgirl dance theatre.  My supervisor at Attik dance had suggested I contact Louise (the artistic director) when I told him what my dissertation was on.  I got in contact with her and then was able to see the show at the Barnstaple Fringe as well as get to spend some time with her and the actor playing Luna named Andy.  They were so wonderful and were able to answer a lot of questions which I will be able to use in my dissertation work.  If you want to check out what they do and what Luna was about go to their website at http://www.prettygoodgirl.com/ 

Besides seeing Luna I saw many other wonderful shows and met many wonderful new people.  In particular the show The Blizzard was particularly good.  It was one man show by Nigel Billing (a guy who looks a lot like Daniel Day Lewis).  It was a maritime tale of three Newquay (pronounced New-key) men and their life at sea, transporting Culm to Ireland and the west country. Fact combined with fiction to give a glimpse in to what life must of been like for folk back in the late 19th century.  

At the end of the night I was able to watch the show Trouble and Strife.  It was a 3 part dance piece focusing on different themes of women.  One of the instructors with Attik Dance, a woman named Sarah was performing in the third piece about mothers and daughters.  That piece was my favorite, it was really beautiful and made me think a lot about my own mom.  Sarah was even kind enough to give me a lift back to Exeter on her way through to Kingsbridge.

The next day I hopped on the train back up to London to do my recall audition for Fourth Monkey.  I spent the night at the Great Eastern hostel in the docklands area of London.  It was nice enough and I was on the top bunk of a three level bunk bed (which I am really happy I didn’t fall out of).  I wanted to be on top of my physical game for my recall so I just chilled out and read the hostel copy of ‘a clash of crowns’ (season 2 of game of thrones).  Met two nice American guys from Arizona doing the obligatory Europe backpacking trip and chatted with them for awhile.  Next morning I got up and headed to Brick Lane to do my recall.

So now i’m filling up the word count and trying to decide if was Liz Airton states as ‘the feminist paradigm of strategic uncertainty’ is a viable theory to connect to my dissertation thesis.

So now i’m filling up the word count and trying to decide if was Liz Airton states as ‘the feminist paradigm of strategic uncertainty’ is a viable theory to connect to my dissertation thesis.

Fourth Monkey has offered me a place in their year long training programme.  However to do this programme would cost 4,000 pounds and might not even be possible because of visa stuff.  Not to mention that I have to make a choice by Sunday and provide a 500 pound deposit.  Rationally and practically it doesn’t seem like I have many options and perhaps my hearts wish that it would work out is slightly overshadowing the reality of things.  I guess it just felt really good to feel accepted after a large cattle call audition (which is a rarity)  If it ends up not being where I go I try to take solace in the fact that I achieved the offer, even if I can’t accept it, even though I really wish I could and that things were easier.  

Paddington Bear ^

Cest la vie I guess.  I am still awaiting news on two internships so many one of those avenues will following through.  But for now it is back to the books with the goal of getting a full draft of chapter 1 completed and sent to my professor.  Only 2000 more words to go.  July will be for chapter two and a good chunk of that time I will be back visiting in Olympia!  I will actually have a phone this time so I will be easily reachable.  I really look forward to seeing everyone although I warn you all if you ask me about what I’m doing I will talk your ear off about gender and performance and feminist paradigms of research theory and practice.  But until then…