My life across the pond...: June 14th

June 14th - 20th

TWO WEEKS...

Sunday

I laid in the sun in the park today doing some reading (Oh, Fitzmaurice work, you will become my best friend in time). I fell asleep in the sun, so I got a bit raccoon-eyed, and almost missed my massage. This massage is last one I can feasibly get before I leave, and it was done by the director of the spa, who has magic hands. She told me I'm way too tense for a 23-year old. Haha. Then I came home and packed some more and did a lot of work on my phonetic breakdown for the Accent Presentation. What a bitch. I finished it and burned the audio onto a CD. Got to bed pretty late.

Monday

Went in early to print out my paperwork to hand in then went to Alexander Technique. I love this class. I was disappointed to hear we'd only have a few sessions this term because it is SO valuable.

Alexander Technique with Natacha.

CICELY BERRY.

She literally stood in the middle of the room during the exercises scowling like that. She's so intense.

Me and Kate trying to process the exercises.

More text exercises. We did Shakespeare the whole day.

Kate and Tara. Niamh and Daniele taking direction from Cis.

Lizzie and Jeff. Colin, Alex, and if this pic doesn't show what a musical theatre Queen Chris, I don't know what does.

Observing and taking mad notes.

A few more exercises.

Cis! Voice & The Actor was the first voice book I ever read! She's a legend!

Nia and Tara. Alex, Chris and Thomas.

Shona, Lu, Niamh. Daniele.

Colin, Shona, Lu.

Take 1. MAVS & Cicely Berry.

Take 2. Back row (left to right): Nia, Jeff, Thomas, Lu, Niamh, Lizzie, Tara, Kate, Corin

Front row: Chris, Mel, Daniele, Cis Berry, Shona, Colin, me, Alex

Two weeks away!

Tuesday

We had Text with Alex in the morning and then an IPP session, followed by tutorials.

Text exercises with Alex - working on Mamet's play Oleanna

Doing a scene from Oleanna (Mamet). My classmates are trying their hardest to put on their American accents....adorable

Corin actually does a pretty great American accent.

My tutorial with Katerina, which went well, despite the fact that I told her I was changing the topic of my dissertation back to anxiety from text. Then I came home and had a bite to eat before boxing with Kate in Fulham Broadway. Headed out, kicked some ass, came home. A great session. We got some footage too:

Me and the incredible instructor Rachel. She made us do pushups in between each circuit rather than 100 at one time; that's what she's yelling for us to do after I do the last combo with her. I LOVE this class and will miss it when I have to come home.

Wednesday

I went to the park to lay in the sun. It's been sunny everyday until about 4pm and then it's down pouring so I figured I'd take advantage of the sun while it was there. Then I had to go to school to meet with the Alumni woman Zoe to show her what I had so far with the Alumni DVD. She loved it and was very happy. I mentioned needing to get paid (all of the £50 they owe me for working 10 hours on it....ugh) and if I'd only realized what a bitch it was going to be to deal with HR I would've never agreed to do this project. I spent a good hour between HR and phoning Job Centre to see if I could get a temporary National Insurance number. Those bastards wasted half my day with this stupid financial bullshit when I could've been actually getting some work done.

Then I went to Tech Services to splice the DVDs of the first two practical presentations from this term: EVP 1 and EVP 2. The clips were astounding. I couldn't believe how different I sounded and looked and acted...it was a big shock to my system. After about an hour with them I came home and relaxed. I met Kate later on at Fatoush (!!!) for a nice dinner and a long, long chat about life and the course. We had such a great time together. We laughed until we were crying. She got offered a part time position at the school she's been doing her teaching placement at: Guilford School of Acting (GSA)! I got home really late because we chatted for so long, but I fell asleep so easy :)

Thursday

We had RMO with Tara which was more like a problem-solving session for dissertation questions (i.e. how to set up a case study, what's an appropriate research method for x, blah blah blah). Again, she supported my stage fright/anxiety idea and helped me plan out how to set up preliminary investigation and then a case study, hopefully at CCSU. Instead of having a lunch break I dealt with HR again and then went to Alexander technique (our last official class) before the term ends. Next week we've got a seminar with Katerina about professional development/end of term stuff and then we're teaching our accents. That's all that's on the schedule for next week. Next Saturday is the Alumni Event. Then Monday we have our final seminar and our final tutorials with Katerina, Tara and Bex. Tuesday is my presentation followed by a wonderful MAVS party. Wednesday I fly out from Gatwick to Philly, then Philly to Providence.

Friday

More park for the sun until the skies started to get overcast. Then home to do work. I got on such a roll with the final project that I decided to stay home instead of go see a lecture by Simon Callow at the National Theatre. I got a lot done and was quite proud of myself at the end of the day. I got some exciting news that I don't want to jinx by posting here. Will keep you posted though. Turned that news over in my head all day.

Saturday

I had stayed up late doing work like a mad woman and then slept in on Saturday morning. I deserved it damn it. Then I did laundry (for the last time!) and went to Kate's to do some IPP work. I showed her how to use Power Point and we did a little work. Then she made us some food (lentil & tomato soup with crackers, chutney and hummus). We headed out to see a show at this Fringe theatre in Kennington. She had a friend named Maria de Lima in it and although the show was bad, we still had a decent time. We stayed after and hung out with Maria til late. Then home around 1am to chat to Tim on Skype and then get to bed. Hair cut tomorrow!