Nine theatre students from WCC participated in a two-week study abroad experience in the United Kingdom (U.K.) this summer focused on Shakespeare. Led by Windward theatre faculty Nicolas Logue and Taurie Kinoshita, every day was filled with workshops and hands-on training by some of the best theatre instructors in the world.
The students honed their skills in voice work and movement, attended lectures and seminars on Shakespeare and toured Shakespeare’s gardens.
“ … the piece de resistance of the day was an exhibition of an absolute treasure trove of goodies from the Shakespeare Archives, including a first folio, a quarto of Titus Andronicus, some hilarious stage manager reports from an old production of Titus Andronicus and other assorted ancient text of note,“ Nick Logue said.
The group also had the opportunity to sample British food and entertainment, including a production of Salome by the Royal National Theatre which Logue described as “mind-blowingly good.” For performances of Antony and Cleopatra and Titus Andronicus, the students participated in inspiring question and answer sessions with the actors from the production on the following mornings.
The study abroad trip was especially memorable for student Brandon DiPaola who auditioned for and was accepted into The East 15 Acting School, one of the top conservatories in the U.K. He will attend the school next fall.
“… the week at East 15 gave me insight to my daily schedule at the school, and it’s all and more than I could have hoped for,” DiPaola said of the opportunity. “Nine-plus hour (work) days, five days a week, all dedicated to advancement of my craft.”
Other students took away much more than a trip overseas as well.
“Being able to experience a culture that is different to our own will always be useful,” Chase Jusseaume said. “It can help prepare you when traveling to other places by lowering the culture shock as well as let you see first-hand that not everything is the same. Everywhere is different.”
Michael Wall also commented on how staying in a largely Muslim area just outside of Central London was incredibly fascinating–a culture vastly different than his own.
“I will never fully be able to put into words how this trip was eye-opening to me,” he said. “The learning experience from it was and is so invaluable that it just had me wanting more.”
For more information on study abroad programs through WCC, visit the WCC study abroad center in Hale Mānaleo 108, open Mondays and Thursdays 1-3 p.m.
by Darryl Kaneyuki, Special to Ka ‘Ohana
