I can't believe two weeks have come and gone and my time in the British American Drama Academy's Midsummer at Oxford Program is already halfway through!

I have to start by professing my love for my classmates. Before classes started, the 90 students were divided into six groups of approximately 15. I am in group "Wilson" and I truly adore each of my classmates. I will never forget how lucky I am to be in this class with these beautiful people. We are all so different, coming from different parts of America (and one girl from Canada!), yet we have this amazing camaraderie and spirit of encouragement for one another. I have learned so much from working and growing alongside my classmates. I have had so many laughs with them, especially during our Movement class where we learn "clowning."

We've dug deeper into our courses, gaining better understanding of the scenes we are practicing in Shakespeare and Modern and working on the delivery of sonnets in Voice. Our Movement class is very fun. You never know what to expect when you arrive. We learn confusing songs and games at the beginning of class to warm ourselves up and then do comedic activities that push us out of our comfort zones. This ranges from choreographing group dances (which the dancer in me loves), imitating other group dances, pretending to be insects doing a mating dance, and improvising dramatic situations. It's wild. I always feel like I'm on the show "Who's Line Is It Anyway?" I wish I had some moments from that class on video. My goodness.

The program definitely isn't easy. The class schedule is rigorous- 8 hours of acute focus and emotional exploration, followed by scene studying/rehearsals in the evenings. It is tiring, mentally, emotionally, and physically, but I am grateful to be striving for something that is within me, yet bigger than me in this season. And the sweet thing is, I'm not doing it alone. I am doing it with wonderful people. And I'm at Hogwarts. Whenever I feel discouraged or frustrated, I just remind myself that I'm at Hogwarts and then I feel better. (I'm joking, but really)

Some of our classes are off campus, sometimes a 15-20 minute walk, but I love it! I love walking down High Street in the middle of the day and being amongst the hustle and bustle of the shops and tourists. It breaks the day up to walk out amongst the beautiful city, smell the food, admire the window displays, and maybe slip in a place to grab a coffee or snack. Sometimes I will eat lunch off campus if it compliments my schedule.

On Wednesday, we had a master class with actor and Yale School of Drama teacher, Peter Francis James. We went through Sonnet 130, 129, and a Prospero monologue from "The Tempest" to gain better understanding of their meanings, rhythm, and sound. He was such a the delight, very funny and captivating with a lot of practical advice about Shakespeare acting that can be applied to all acting.

“We are random acts in the universe or we are stories. I don’t believe in one or the other, but I think stories or more interesting so I went into storytelling. We are bound together by stories. ”

— Peter Francis James

Friday, we had a fun evening of BBQ and croquet on one of the beautiful lawns at Magdalen. My group naturally drifted together, because we love each other that much. I may or may not have had a mini photoshoot among the gorgeous English flowerbeds with some of my wonderful new girlfriends. :)) (click on photos to scroll)

Saturday was magical! We took two buses to Stratford, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. The sun shined a spotlight on our charming day there. First, I saw Shakespeare's "Cymbeline" performed at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. This is one of Shakespeare's lesser performed plays, but I loved the story. The acting was superb. I especially enjoyed Bethan Cullinane's emotional performance of Innogen. I found the director's approach to be the most interesting part with the unique set design and use of props. Another interesting aspect was the gender swaps of several of the roles- most notably, that Cymbeline was played by a woman (who was a total rockstar by the way). During intermission, my friend and "Wilson" classmate Sarah and I got coffee and ice cream and slipped out by the river that runs through Stratford. It was picturesque with a stone arch bridge, boats and flocks of friendly swans. We may or may not have been late getting back to our seats... (click to scroll- the last photo is a sweet colt we saw on the bus ride in)

After the show, I visited Shakespeare's grave and place of baptism at the beautiful Holy Trinity Church. It cost 3 pounds to see his grave, which felt a little dirty, but who can blame them for charging? He is the king of language. Next to Shakespeare is buried his wife, Anne Hathaway, daughter Suzanna, son-in-law Dr John Hall, and Thomas Nash (first husband of Shakespeare's Grand-daughter Elizabeth). (click to scroll through photos)

Next, I visited Shakespeare's birthplace. It's on a busy street, sandwiched between businesses, which I wasn't expecting; nonetheless, it is a special sight to see. I find it amazing to be so preserved in its antiquity. I was running short on time before the Royal Shakespeare Theatre's performance of "Hamlet" and I still had one desired destination to visit- Anne Hathaway's cottage. So, I did what any girl would do, I hunted down a taxi and visited the beautiful cottage of Shakespeare's wife. Although it was closed for the day, I still got to admire it's beauty from outside the gate. Her front yard is one big flower bed (which is how every front yard should be in my book.) For some reason, I have often searched this cottage online and fancied seeing it. There is something so lovely about the idea to me- "Anne Hathaway's cottage." Bucket list check mark. I hope to return to Stratford one day and tour the cottage.

My taxi driver was so sweet- he waited on me to take photos at the cottage with my friend Kelsey and even took us to the lesser-known, more beautiful side of Shakespeare's birthplace on our way back. The side many tourists see is actually the kitchen entrance. He showed us the unmarked, front entrance of his house, which can be seen through a gate. It was lovely. I noticed that the flower pots even had Shakespeare's initials on them in gold. (click to scroll- first photo- Shakespeare's birthplace. second & third photo- Anne Hathaway's cottage- final photos are the lesser known side of Shakespeare's birthplace)

After visiting the cottage, I made a dash for some yummo fish and chips, before seeing Shakespeare's "Hamlet" at the Royal Shakespeare Company with everyone in the BADA program. The tickets were included in our tuition, and somehow, I got one front and center in the thrust-style theatre (a much different perspective than my upper level seats for "Cymbeline"). It's hard for me to even begin to describe just how much I enjoyed the performance and how moved I was by it. The lead actor, Paapa Essiedu was riveting. I don't think anyone left that theatre without feeling the pain, venom, wit, and heartbeat of Hamlet that he lived on that stage. I think we all felt like we knew Hamlet and we loved him amidst his madness and despair. I'm certain I witnessed the work of a true, great artist, and it's inspiring because he is young.

Although it is a tragedy, the play was very vibrant, set in an African culture, with a lot of bright colors, loud prints, and fun drum music and dancing. The RSC is very diverse with actors of many different races, which I and the other students really appreciated. The company gave a great sense of unity, making it feel as if the world of the play was real, that they really were family or best friends and the circumstances were dire. The humanity they brought to the story, believe it or not, made it possible for the audience to find humor in the madness of it all. Who knew "Hamlet" was part comedy? I am honored to have been a part of that audience and am still thinking about the story because the production was that captivating and mystifying. I had never seen "Hamlet" before, and I don't know if I will ever want to see another live rendition of it, because I think it will best exist in my mind as it was at the RSC.

Front and center for "Hamlet" with my friends Sarah and Hershel.

I spent the bus ride back drunk on Shakespeare's words with a bag of poetic souveinors. 'Twas a full and enriching day indeed.

Sunday, we were privileged to have a master class with two actors from the Royal Shakespeare Company: Bethan Cullinane who played Innogen in "Cymbeline" and Guildenstern in "Hamlet," and James Cooney who played Arviragus in "Cymbeline" and Rosencrantz in "Hamlet." It was so nice to hear practical advice from young professional actors about how they approach their work and handle such a rigorous schedule. I was amazed to learn that they only work on each show 8-9 weeks, with overlap of work for another show, making it really only 5-6 weeks to prepare each show; and they go to rehearsals during the day before performances. They usually balance two parts with an understudy part as well. WOW. I really enjoyed their performances and am grateful to have had the opportunity to gain candid insight from them. I think it's amazing that BADA takes its students to Stratford to experience Shakespeare's world, see a play, and THEN offers a Q&A with actors from the play. I am counting my blessings.

After the master class, I got dinner at "The Eagle and Child" pub where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien used to hang out and write together. This was definitely on my list of places I wanted to visit in Oxford. I had a delicious BBQ chicken entree and the MOST WONDERFUL dessert ever- salted caramel proliferates. They were these heavenly cream puffs covered in a caramel/chocolate coating, drizzled in a caramel/chocolate sauce and served with a scoop of ice cream. YUM. Literally the best dessert I have had for as long as I can remember.

So you might be wondering if I have any more woes as an American girl in a British world. Here are a few to hopefully make you laugh.

1. I still haven't learned all of the coins and their values. I unashamedly ask every cashier to help me. I need to work on this. One of my classmates told me that they have their values written on them which made me feel even more (un)ashamed of my agile adaptability to a foreign country.

2. I went for a walk and saw a spider the size of my hand. I played it cool though.

3. I went rowing in the stream that runs beside Magdalen College and did not do my former 4-H camp counselors proud. This experience spanned from getting wedged between a tree trunk and the bank, to causing traffic problems. The white wine did not help my efforts. Next time I think I'll try punting and be the person who doesn't have to punt.

4. Mochas here are not as sweet as the ones I'm used to getting from Starbucks or McDonald's, although they are better quality. (Wow, I sound like such an American.) I just ask for sugar.

5. Since we are already discussing my sugar problem, I am currently addicted to chocolate covered biscuits (thin cookies). They are a thing over here and I'm a big fan. I will probably be taking a suitcase of them home with me. I'm not sure why these aren't a thing in America, because they should be.

As a token of self-reinforcement: I am getting more confident about crossing the road. (Knock on wood) And by confident I mean, I don't sprint across the street now. It's a brisk jog.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my experience. Only two more weeks of classes and then two more weeks of European adventure. I wouldn't mind if this program lasted for a year. One can wish.

Xx. Cheers.