Reflections from Home

3 months ago, I was sitting on a plane bound for the U.S. and going over everything I had experienced in London and around Europe for the 3 months prior.  While sleeping did take up the bulk of my journey home, I couldn't help but think about all of the new friends I had made and the wealth of knowledge that came with every class I took, every show I saw, and every city I visited.

     There was also a lot of fear that came along with all the fond memories. Would things be the same with all of my friends back home? Would I be able to keep and stay in contact with the new friends I had made? Would I miss London too much? Could I keep and practice all of the lessons I have learned?

     After being home for 3 months and being able to reflect on all of my experiences while abroad, a lot of my fears have been alleviated. I came back to the same friends that I remembered leaving before the semester.  I've been able to keep in touch with and even see some of the new friends I had made in London. And I have used the lessons I learned to book jobs and better myself as an artist. I do miss London a lot though. It's hard to not yearn for intensive theatre classes from 9-5 every day and the theatre culture that is ingrained into the city but I've managed to keep myself busy with auditions, work, rehearsals, and spending time with the friends that I missed.

     This is way overdue but l want to thank everyone who helped me with the costs of traveling and living in London, as well as all of my travels around Europe.

Thank you to:
The Velasco Family
The Encinas Family
Sarah and Sam Afifi
Laura Abad Santos and Tony Rogers
The Rocco Family
Marilou Reventar
The Echavez Family
Tony Mangle and Alex Mariquit
Jude Tan
Manny Caballero
Cristina Ramos
Erly de Vera
Matthew Maguire and the Fordham Theatre Department
Ellen Newman and the LDA Staff

Most of all I would like to thank the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, who provided the bulk of my funding for my tuition and travels. Without them I truly would not have been able to study abroad and I would like to encourage anyone thinking of studying abroad to visit their website because they are a valuable resource to any student who is thinking of following this path. http://www.iie.org/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program

To those of you planning on studying abroad at the London Dramatic Academy or anywhere else in the world, I hope you found my blog useful, informative, and maybe entertaining at times. If you do go abroad, cherish the time you have there because it will truly change your life.

Thank you all again.

-Daniel

Final Showings

14 weeks have flown by. It seems like it was just days ago that we landed in London and were introduced to each other and to our teachers. To explain to you how much we've grown and learned over the past 3 1/2 months would be impossible. On Wednesday and Thursday, all of our hard work and persistence came to fruition in our showings for our acting and Shakespeare classes.

On Wednesday we came together as a class to put on a quintessentially British Comedy in Mixed Doubles, complete with tea and cake during intermission and a final waltz number to close out our program. The next day, we split into two groups to present Twelfth Night and Measure for Measure/Macbeth in the presence of our teachers and special guest Ben Wishaw. What transpired was a fantastic display of comedic and tragic talent.  There were so many surprises during both performances and we really just brought out the best in each other because of our incredible teachers and the camaraderie we've built together.

Despite all of the people and experiences I've missed in New York this past semester, I would not for one single second give up this experience in London. This program has quite literally changed my life. We are not coming back to New York as the same people. We've changed, grown, and expanded all for the better.

If anybody reading this blog, whether or not you study at Fordham, you should do everything you can to experience this program. It's extremely rigorous, demanding, and exhausting but all completely worth it. You will know by the end of these 14 weeks how much work and dedication it takes to sustain a career in this industry. And if you come to this program not liking Shakespeare, you will walk away from here with a brand new appreciation and outlook on the language and stories that Shakespeare has given us.

In short, get your asses to the London Dramatic Academy.

Cheers,
Danny

Playing with Swords

     Monday's at LDA are definitely our most taxing and physically tiring days of the week. Aside from our Physical Theatre class which Shea talked about last week, all of our physical classes are on monday which leave us physically exhausted come 5pm. But, no matter how tiring it is, I still look forward to our Stage Combat class every week with our instructor Gordon Kemp.
   
     The aim of the course is to understand and apply the principles of safety and performance in regards to unarmed and armed stage combat. Starting with unarmed techniques, we learned how to craft slaps, punches, chokes, and falls and make them appear dangerous to an audience while keeping us completely out of harms way. After a few weeks of that, we moved on to our rapiers. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't immediately become a child as soon as Gordon opened his crate of swords. Images of Jedi, pirates, and ninjas rushed through my head as soon as I picked up my sword.

     What followed was an extensive training program that culminated in a choreographed fight that looks like we're really trying to kill each other. But enough talking. I"ll let you guys be the judge while you watch mine and winter's final duel choreographed by Gordon Kemp.

-Danny

Core Neutrality

     For the first half of our term here at LDA we had weekly physical theatre workshops inspired by the technique of Jacques Lecoq. We found layers of tension states in our bodies, inhabited the four elements and concluded with mask work. Working in neutral mask in particular proved to be extremely revealing and even personally enlightening. Before even seeing the masks our tutor Ally led us through a rigorous warm-up that forced us to take broad movements and internalize them. This made us all vibrate with physical and mental presence throughout our journey into a masked world. Upon Ally's presentation of the masks she split us off into small groups and gave us a set of seemingly simple instructions. She asked us to individually stand up, turn away from the group and put the mask on. After we were masked we were to lie down on the floor, "wake up," exist in a neutral yet present state in the space and then simply lie back down.
   
     I went first in my group and saw the room totally differently through the mask's eyes. Since we were striving for a state of neutrality I found myself keenly aware of every movement in my body. Through my sense of vulnerability in the mask I was also more aware of the sights, sounds and even smells in the room. We were advised to free ourselves of opinions about the process of waking up and the space we were in, stripping everything down to its most essential and basic state. After adjusting to the heightened state the mask gave me I was overwhelmed by a sense of calm that came from existing simply in neutrality.
   
     My group gave me feedback and noted that though they could see some of my typical "Shea" mannerisms I seemed to be in a more open and neutral state. It was fascinating watching my colleagues do the exercise after me, because I had a similar experience watching them. Our first few turns with the masks freed us of many physical habits, though our most engrained mannerisms still appeared at certain points. Ally reminded us that mannerisms aren't necessarily negative though, we just need to be aware of them so we can use them when they serve us and emit them when they aren't doing us any favors.
   
     After working in neutral mask I found that I am much more aware of how I use my body as an individual. Each time I put the mask on I found that I was able to ease deeper into total neutrality and access a profoundly human foundation. It proved to be a intensely resonant experience as an actor and person to travel inside to find a core neutrality.

-Shea

London in the Fall

     With our semester half-way over, I wanted to take some time to push anybody who is on the fence about coming here to further your studies as an actor. The application deadline for Fall 2013 has been extended and instead of trying to block out all your classes for next semester, you should just come here and have that all done for you. The application process is very, very simple. Honestly, you just have to tell Matthew that you're actually interested in coming here and he'll get you set with all the paperwork that needs to be done. And for anyone who is worried about finances, all of your financial aid transfers over since the program is run by Fordham. If you need any additional aid, I strongly recommend applying for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship (https://gilmanapplication.iie.org/) which helped me tremendously. Along with that scholarship, ISAP will let you know of all the others that you can apply for. 

     Also, performance majors don't have to audition for the program since we already auditioned for the Fordham program, so it's really not a whole lot of work.  Coming here in the fall, makes sure that you have all summer to prepare for your incredible study abroad experience and you'll have the chance to go to Munich for Octoberfest, so just do it! Then you get to come back to the US for the holiday season and then enjoy New York in the spring. You really have no reason not to come here. 

     In all seriousness, you all should jump at the chance to do this.  Chanelle, Anna, Shea, Winter, and I have learned and grown so much in the past 7 weeks and we still have 6 more to go. Ask any of them and they will insist that you come study here. If you have ANY questions, don't hesitate to email, facebook message, iMessage or whatever you can do to contact me and I will convince you to come here. Do it!

-Danny

Ease and Efficiency

     Upon my first introduction to Alexander Technique I found the whole concept a little kooky and somewhat pointless, as many theatre techniques can appear at first.  The idea of the Alexander Technique at its core is described as a relaxation technique with aims to live and move with the utmost ease and efficiency.  Sounds great, but what does this have to do with acting? Yeah, the relaxation will help me accept and work through my habits, but how does this directly correlate? I had been to five personalized forty-minute Alexander sessions, each giving me tools to release the tension in my body through the power of thought. Not an easy task. Though these techniques were helpful and did make me feel better and more in control of my tension inducing habits, I had yet to understand how it would help my acting. It is not as if I can think about my head going forward and up while also trying to remember my blocking, saying my lines, and hoping its all manifesting in some sort of truth.
         
     Then, I had a small epiphany. In physical theatre class we began to dip into neutral mask work most famously emphasized in the work of Jacques Lecoq. In this technique one is required to put on a mask in an effort to find a neutral state from which the actor can create. This technique reveals the mind’s effect on the ways in which the body translates emotion. Keeping the face covered, it becomes powerless to aid transmitting emotion to the audience.  In doing an exercise called “The Farewell of all Farewells”, one is given a series of images connected to a physical action. Each action and image is propelled and inspired by breath. Though the face is covered, the body translates an emotional journey.  In doing this exercise, the imagination is key to produce truthful responses.  I went up in front of the class, put on my mask, which is always a bit jarring, then began to release into my breath and imagination.  By then end of my “Farewell” I had gone on an emotional journey through breath and imagination with my body emoting completely and freely. I realized it is this ability to release into the imagination to produce truthful and honest responses from the body that makes the Alexander Technique alive on stage. In further reading articles from my Alexander teachers, Dee, I came across a number of quotes that summed up this idea up perfectly. Funny how these pieces of literature and experiences all align and interconnect right when the mind is ready to truly understand them. Sweet Dee and I have been working on changing the conversation in my mind from one of self-doubt and questioning, to one of positivity and trust.  If Alexander aims to “to free the mind in order to release and develop the flow of the imagination”, the conversation in my mind would be completely engaged in the images of my imagination and the body, controlled by the mind, propelled into imaginative world through physicality. It is not something you always have to work or practice, but something the opening of the imagination naturally results in.  The head, body, and emotions are interrelated rather than compartmentalized. The relaxation of the body allows the actor to concentrate and receive the messages of their imagination, which will mentally and physically transform them. When tension creeps in it is usually due to fear or concern with the end product which shuts off the access to the imagination. When an actor tries to access the imagination in a high-tension state it becomes destructive physically and unsuccessful mentally. “The imagination is the gateway to the feelings”, and the trusting in the simplicity of the imagination through relaxation and ease of movement allows for the actor to readily and effortlessly access both the imagination, emotional center, and body.

     Now that I’ve either thoroughly bored you or weirded you out, I do think Alexander Technique should be part of the Fordham curriculum in some capacity. A master class only gives a small taste of the technique and does not lend us the daily tools one needs to ponder and experience the changes possible through Alexander. The technique directly speaks to Stanislavsky’s ‘creative state’ or the state of ‘I am’ accessible through the imagination. I feel our Stanislavsky based program would benefit its actors greatly if we could have more access to Alexander Technique outside the wildly expensive classes in the city. It has benefited me personally and professionally and I have only have about six classes, for 35 min each. The progress, if one is ready, is quick and though it may not outwardly manifest as readily as one would like, it will mentally. Alexander has worked to slowly change my perspective on acting, specifically in accessing the imagination and I feel privileged to have been able to explore the technique here in London with Sweet Dee.

-Anna

Musings of a Fatty in London

     For those of you that know me well, you know how important good and delicious food is in my life.  To say that I just love eating would be an understatement, so when I heard multiple comments about the food in London not being so great, I was understandably worried. Would I have to eat fish and chips every day? Is the Indian food in London really that great? Could a traditional English breakfast outshine the likes of American breakfasts that I've grown accustomed to? What am I gonna do without regular trips to Burrito Box and Lucky's Burgers? These were some of the questions floating through my mind during the plane ride over here.
 
     I think I've mentioned in previous posts that were staying in the Richmond University dorms here in Kensington, which is no more than a 3 minute walk to LDA. Our location is almost as convenient as living in McMahon in terms of getting to classes. At Richmond, they offer us a meal plan to go along with the cafeteria with either 10 meals a week or 18. My biggest concern with the cafeteria was that it was run by none other than Sodexo (Everyone at Fordham knows why that font change was necessary). It was one of the hardest decisions to make because I didn't want to get stuck with Fordham Sodexo food for another semester especially since I flew 3000 miles away from the Ram Caf in the first place. But with prices in London being so high, I didn't really have much of a choice. Luckily, the people at Richmond offered us a free week of meals to try things out before we purchased a full meal plan.
     For the most part, I can't say that I regret the decision to purchase the smaller meal plan because the variety and quality of the food at this Sodexo establishment soars above what we were used to at Fordham. Here's a couple of the meals that we've had here:

     

     We also have access to a free espresso/coffee machine, unlimited tea, and a salad bar with a huge variety.

    And if you're looking for cheap eats outside of the caf there's a traditional Chinese food restaurant a couple blocks away, numerous places to get Fish and Chips, McDonalds, KFC, and Burger King too. You can also venture out into more central London to find a decent burrito at Chipotle if you're desperate. And yeah, Indian food here really is that great.

So if any of you do end up coming here and need to know places to eat for cheap, you know who you can ask.

-Danny

Learning How to Speak...Advancing the Way We Act

     Studying at the London Dramatic Academy has been absolutely sensational and has taught me so much about my acting and myself. I’ve learned so much already and I am eager to learn more. The focus on voice and dialect has been one of my favorite parts of the program. Our voice teacher Simon Money, has a great way of giving each student personal attention. I know specifically what I need the most work on, and I’m also given ways to work on these things outside of the classroom. And the best part is it is so much fun! Each of us comes into the space happy to be there and we’re excited to see ourselves and our peers improve. I have seen so many improvements in my voice already. My breath capacity is SO much better, and it has only been a month. Being able to communicate clearly is an essential part of making great theater, and the London Dramatic Academy recognizes that.

     It has been really interesting studying the RP dialect. I don’t know what it is, but Americans love British accents (myself included). And what better place is there to study British accents than London? Simon pays close attention to our dialects seeing as we are all very different parts of the United States. He then teaches us the specific differences in pronunciation from our American dialect to a proper British dialect. I would be lying if I said it was easy. The way the British hold the their mouths is different than in America. I’ve learned that an American accent is an east west accent, meaning it requires much more of a horizontal stretch of the mouth. The RP accent, however, is a north south accent making it more vertical. Because of this, we as Americans have to learn exactly where to place the sound in our mouths in order to achieve a believable British accent. It’s really hard work, but Simon is a phenomenal teacher. I have no doubt that we’ll get it it just takes time.

-Winter

One-on-One

My time at the London Dramatic Academy has been extremely rewarding, especially the one on one audition sessions with my tutor, Eunice. Once a week on Tuesday mornings I have a private session with Eunice where we work on audition monologues. We also talk about what is proper audition etiquette, how to present myself, where I direct my focus, and how to be ready to perform in moments instead of minutes.
In my 5 weeks here, Eunice and I have looked at 3 plays and have worked on 4 monologues. We have worked on As You Like It and King Lear by Shakespeare as well as Love for Love by Congreve. These private sessions have already increased my confidence level and overall performance. I am excited to see how much more I will progress!

-Chanelle

Don't Think!

"Don't Think!" This was the mantra that our new Shakespeare instructor, Leo Wringer, kept throwing at us as we tossed around a soccer ball while trying to remember how to say our names backwards and forwards. Needless to say, turning off our brains was much harder than we thought...haha get it? puns...god I'm dumb. Anyway, after this brisk warm up we gathered together in a circle and Leo told us what we should expect from this class and what he expected from us.  The class, he explained, was not about having fun, its about being able to do the work at a much higher level so we don't end up with just a good performance. In his words, its about the plus, the little extra that keeps an audience with you throughout your entire performance and keeps them talking about it even after they leave the theater. It was clear that he was going to push us like we've never been pushed before both physically and emotionally so that we could all get to that point.

After that thrilling, yet terrifying, introduction, it was time for us to introduce ourselves. Our intros consisted of us saying where we're from, how much experience we've had with Shakespeare, and of course, ending with us speaking some Shakespeare text that we've worked on. With Leo calling us out in a random order, we each got up and showed him what we had with him coming in throwing different scenarios and physical motivations at us to get us past our thinking minds to just accept what we were being given. As exhausting as it was, we were all up to the task and eventually got to touch on what Leo was asking of us. This process lasted the full 2 1/2 hours of our first class and continued on the next morning as the other half of us got up to work, each one of us showing the strengths we had in our back pockets and discovering the things that we actually have to work on.

You know when you're stuck in class for 2 1/2+ hours and you're just thinking, when the hell is this thing gonna wrap up? Never crossed my mind for a minute, even when I wasn't personally up working  because when someone else was working, it was still time to learn from what they were bringing to the table and from what Leo was asking of them. Leo is just one of those incredible teachers who you don't realize will push you so hard, because he's got such a warm and welcoming personality and a laugh like a monkey when you're just speaking to him. I can tell that he genuinely wants us to succeed and pick up the tools that he's trying to impart on us so that we can perform Shakespeare with that plus. I can't really speak for the other Shakespeare section because they have a different instructor but I know that the people in my section will come away from this class with more experience and knowledge than we could ever imagine.

-Danny

p.s. We're also gonna be working on Measure for Measure and Macbeth for the term if you were wondering.

Timeless

Our "Space, Place and Text" class at LDA uses the city of London as a tool for showing us the historical contexts of the works we are studying.  We'll be venturing on a number of trips throughout the semester to places like Stratford and Middle Temple to give us a close look at some of the essential spaces in the history of British theatre. This past Friday we went on an early morning excursion south of the river to The Rose Theatre, where Shakespeare's earliest plays were performed.
We left our Kensington dorm building around 7:30 so we could reach the Mansion House tube stop by 8:30 to meet our professor.  Once we reached Mansion House we got some americanos and ventured over the Southwark Bridge.  This was about the time that I realized that when you're crossing the Thames in January its probably a good idea to blow-dry your hair beforehand.  Anyway, despite my freezing head, it was pretty incredible crossing the river and suddenly seeing the replica of Shakespeare's Globe peeking through the slew of modern buildings that now cover Bankside. 
Once we reached South Bank we traveled through an alley or two to find the original Rose Theatre site.  Inside the space we were given a tour and lecture on the history of the Rose and the other theatres of it's time--The Globe, The Swan and The Theatre. 
What stands of the original Rose is the foundation which shows the shape of the stage and interier and exterior walls of the space.  This foundation is covered with dripping water to preserve it.  Red rope lights line the foundation so you can see the dimensions of the space and how intimate it actually was.   It was rather remarkable being in the same space where some of the greatest plays ever written were first performed.  Though the actual building no longer remains, standing in the space where some of Shakespeare's first great characters were inhabited in front of an audience was truly remarkable.
After our tour of the space was over we were given a irrefutable offer.  The tourguide and our professor said we had time for a few of us to do monologues in the space.  I was the first one to hop up, I didn't want to miss this opportunity!  I decided to do one of Margaret's monologues from Henry VI Part II because I had been working on it with my audition tutor and wanted to play with it in the space.  It was such a joyous and memorable experience speaking Margaret's fierce text in the presence of so much history; I had goosebumps the whole time. A number of us went up and performed monologues penned by Mr. Shakespeare some 400 years earlier.  The space was old, the actors were young and the words were completely timeless.

-Shea

Fifteen Press-ups

“Fifteen press-ups, you’re late…C’mon fifteen press-ups until he is here, he is fifteen seconds late!”
Beginning this acting class with push-ups? Who is this woman and why are we doing this for someone who is one fifteen seconds late? Because this was an acting class with Kathy Pogson. Staring at the ground as our sore arms from the movement class the day before attempted to press ourselves up, we realized this would be unlike any class we’ve had before.

“What is Acting?” she asked us. The ten of us sat in a circle and each giving our definition, as we know it. Some said acting was truth. Some used actor’s vocabulary, saying it was the pursuit of an objective. Still others said it was the creating of a character. All of these definitions, though sound, were wrong. Kathy examined each answer following it up with the question: how? How does one be truthful, pursue and objective, or create a character? We didn’t know. Stumped, she reveled after many guesses what her definition of acting was. Her answer was brilliant and simple. I am afraid I cannot share it now, hoping it will become a little secret to unlocking the craft along with my fellow students. After being enlightened to this new definition of acting, we all realized we didn’t actually know anything when it really came down to it.

With both apprehension and excitement we entered our second acting class.  All students were required to bring in either and object or photo of sentimental value and sit in front of the class to talk about it. Before we spoke, however, we were to connect to the object. In my own time I got up to talk. Sitting in front of the class, staring at a picture of my parents at my age, very much in love, I noticed something new. My mother was carrying a leather clutch and my father’s shoes were not brown desert boots as I had thought, but a different entirely unidentifiable type of shoe. I began to speak, not quite aware of what I was saying. I still cannot remember what I said in my explanation of the picture, but it didn’t matter. I had looked at this picture thousands of times, but this time I began to tear up looking at my parents loving embrace. I stopped my explanation, saying “ Wait, what?” trying to figure out why I suddenly got emotional in front of a group of basically strangers.

Walking home from class that day I realized, I miss my parents. The object had allowed me to access this feeling in the thinking of its meaning to me. This object work is a tool for acting, allowing one to access a feeling or emotional space they couldn’t otherwise truthfully create or understand.
I have only had two acting classes and they have already gifted me with unforgettable experiences and tools. Realizing I missed my parents, I am now going to Skype them. Its funny what acting teaches you about yourself. It has the ability to show you things you didn’t even know you felt. Needless to say, I think LDA will be an unforgettable experience and I cannot wait to keep having the time of my life here.

-Anna

An Actor's Discussion

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Pip Carter, who stared as Edward Thomas in the production of The Dark Earth and the Light Sky that we saw last weekend.  For about an hour, he spoke to us about a multitude of subjects like his training at RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), his process of creating a character, and working with famous English director Richard Eyre. It was a very casual conversation with a young working actor who wanted to pass along the knowledge he has gained in the business over the past seven years.  It's important to note that we got this chance to speak with him because of Ellen Newman, the director of the LDA program, who was a vocal coach at RADA for many years and actually taught Pip when he went to school there.

At the end of our discussion, Pip recited one of Edward Thomas' poems about his walks with Robert Frost which I thought I'd share as well:

"The sun used to shine"

The sun used to shine while we two walked
Slowly together, paused and started
Again, and sometimes mused, sometimes talked
As either pleased, and cheerfully parted

Each night. We never disagreed
Which gate to rest on. The to be
And the late past we gave small heed.
We turned from men or poetry

To rumours of the war remote
Only till both stood disinclined
For aught but the yellow flavorous coat
Of an apple wasps had undermined,

Or a sentry of dark betonies,
the stateliest of small flowers on earth,
At the forest verge; or crocuses
Pale purple as if they had their birth

In sunless Hades fields.  The war
Came back to mind with the moonrise
Which soldiers in the east afar
Beheld then.  Nevertheless, our eyes

Could as well imagine the Crusades
Or Caesar's battles.  Everything
To faintness like those rumours fades-
Like the brook's water glittering

Under the moonlight--Like those walks
Now--like us two that took them, and
The fallen apples, all the talks
And silences--like memory's sand

When the tide covers it late or soon,
And other ment through other flowers
In those fields under the same moon
Go talking and have easy hours.

-Danny

WEEK 1

We've only been here a week but man has it been a busy one. After we all landed we took a day to get settled and unpacked, then checked out a couple of the local pubs in the High Street Kensington area. The next day we trekked through London to check out the London Eye and hike through the mud in the absolutely beautiful Hampstead Heath, finishing the day with tea and cake of course. Thursday consisted of more touring around Kensington Gardens to see Kensington Palace, The Royal Albert Hall, The Natural History Museum, and the Victoria & Albert Museum where we saw some amazing costumes and set models on display. Friday was mainly just orientation and meeting our wonderful new professors, but we did conclude the night with a trip to Picadilly Circus to celebrate our first week at this 3 story pub. Finally on Saturday we had our first plunge into British theatre with a viewing of a new play called The Dark Earth and the Light Sky by Nick Dear, that told the tragic story of the poet Edward Thomas and his friendship with Robert Frost. The night of theatre didn't end there as some of the group went to go see an all-female rendition of Julius Caesar and the others going to a 50 hour improv show. All in all it's been a packed first week for us here in London and it's only gonna get busier as we officially start our semester of British theatre training tomorrow at 9am.

-Danny

Check out some of our pictures from our first week:

Atlantic House

London Dramatic Academy

The Museum of Natural History

London Eye

Hampstead Heath

Tea and Cake

Pub Night

Kensington Palace

Club Night