Library Computers SUCK

Edited to add: There is another entry below this one, just in case you're not caught up. I posted one later in the day yesterday than I normally do so I didn't want that to throw anyone off. Okay? Okay.
Getting connected to the internet has been an ordeal today. We had a two hour lunch break today so Liz, the Alexes and I went to the library and tried to get online as usual, but today the internet was being so slow. Something was wrong. I was there for almost an hour and managed to connect just long enough to get on two websites. TWO. In an hour. So I didn't bother trying to post this entry there, I just copied it into a Word document, onto my flash drive, and then I saved it. And now I'm being a street urchin outside Dr. C's flat again and posting it here. Better than nothing, but still frustrating. Anyway. Moving on.

Last night we saw Much Ado About Nothing, and it was great. It was set in 1950s Cuba and the actors playing Beatrice and Benedick were really good. The guy playing Benedick was an especially good actor, and he was HOT. Actually, there have been a lot of really attractive guys in these productions. I was all about Octavius Caesar in Antony and Cleopatra the other night (he looked almost exactly like Travis Willingham only hotter, if that’s possible…I realize Kymberli is probably the only person who reads this that actually knows Travis, but that’s okay, she’ll appreciate how hot this guy was). Unfortunately, I don’t think my gaydar works nearly as well in England as it does in the states. There’s just something about young British men and their style and mannerisms that makes them more ambiguous on the whole. I’m pretty sure that both of the guys I’ve been drooling over on stage have been straight, though. I think.
After the play last night we got to take a backstage tour of The Swan and The Royal Shakespeare Theater. The tour was so cool. We got to go backstage where we could see all the costumes, sets, and props for Much Ado and the production of Titus Andronicus we’re seeing tonight. That was interesting, but the very best part was that we got to go onto the stage in both theaters! I walked around on the stage where Patrick Stewart was standing two night ago! (Incidentally, shows running in repertory is crazy and absolutely amazing to me…the stage last night looked completely different from the set that was up for Antony and Cleo the night before and they change it back and forth every day) Being on the stage in the RST was incredibly cool. Just thinking about all the people that have performed on that stage…Laurence Olivier, Judi Dench, pretty much all of the great classical actors of this century…and all of the great directors who have directed in that theater, Peter Brook, Peter Hall, Trevor Nunn…it was amazing. I know I have been saying that a lot lately, but it's true. And the thing is, they’re demolishing the interior of the RST next spring and they’re going to spend the next four years remodelling it completely. When it reopens in 2010 it’s going to be a completely different theatre space. So to get to stand there on the stage and look out on the auditorium before it is all gone forever was a great experience.

Today is another full day. We’ve been super busy this week because on top of all the plays we’re seeing (four in a row this week!) and the classes we go to every day and the library research we’re doing, we have to write critiques for each show we see and we’re supposed to be rehearsing our scenes outside of scheduled rehearsal time as well. I’m just really glad I brought my own laptop with me so I don’t have to use my one hour of library time a day to type my critiques and I can screw around on the internet instead, just like I do back home! Anyway, this morning we toured the last of the five Birthplace Trust homes. This one was Nash’s place, the home owned by Shakespeare’s granddaughter Elizabeth and her husband, next door to the ruins of New Place, the house Shakespeare bought and was living in when he died. The best thing about this place was definitely the garden. I’ll admit, a part of me at this point is like, “Oh wow, ANOTHER sixteenth century house and English garden. Haven’t we seen enough of these?” but the garden in this house was the best of the manicured gardens we’ve seen (I still love the wilder garden at Anne Hathaway’s cottage, though). This one had a thing called a knot garden which I would try to describe but there’s no point. Just wait ‘til I get home and can post to Photobucket. I’ve taken close to a hundred pictures so far, most of them of gardens and people holding pints of beer. Ha.

Later on today we have a Renaissance dance class, which I’m super excited about (that’s not sarcasm, I really am very excited about this dance class) and then tonight we’re seeing the Japanese production of Titus Andronicus, which is being hyped like crazy around here so hopefully it lives up to the hype. It’s directed by Ninagawa, who is this basically legendary Japanese director so it should be awesome. I’ll let you all know how it was tomorrow before I go to London or (more likely) later this weekend. But now it’s lunchtime.

P.S.-I feel the need to inform everyone that last night Liz and I were watching the evening news on our fuzzy, fuzzy TV as we got ready to go to the show and Liz suddenly laughed and said, “His name is Sex!” I turned to look at the TV, and across the bottom of the screen it said “Sex Offenders”. It was definitely the title of the story and not the reporters name at all. It made me laugh so hard at the time and now we keep joking about “Our reporter in the field, Sex Offender!” and saying things like “Tell us, how are things looking out there, Sex?” For some reason this never gets old. Also, last night I developed a little move I like to call the Snake Dance. If you’re lucky I might just show it to you when I get back to the states. Oh yes.