Jared Grumney
Education Abroad
1 . My project was seeing a ton of shows. I personally saw 26 shows in 32 days, while also visiting some iconic sites such as Big Ben and Parliament. We also had some group meals at restaurants to taste some of the food of the land.
2. I had never been out of the country before, so my world view was very narrow. I had only known what I had seen on TV. My assumptions of Brits were that they were very classy and polished. However, living downtown in the city of London, I saw a very opposite view of what television has told me. London was really like any other city: people going to work, going shopping, homeless people, etc. They had both gritty and clean public transportation. It made me think that every other city has its differences, but we aren’t all that different.
I also became very secure with myself as an actor. I was a little timid seeing how good the professional actors were, but I could definitely see myself up there along side them.
3. The events that changed my timidness about being an actor were the 26 shows that we saw. Each one that we saw made me more certain in myself. Well, the good ones at least. I was thinking back on all my training that I had done, and I saw some of the actors executing that training. It was almost a reality check for my scared self. I need to be more confident!
I also have a bit of a downfall in that I am not too great at working in groups, which is exactly what theatre is all about. I interacted with all the people on my trip, but I made a very close knit group of friends. We are all theatre makers, and, in fact, we are all in a show together! Olivia wrote it, Ben, Olivia, and I are in it, Olivia is directing, I am assistant directing, and other Ben is the assistant stage manager! We are making great work together.
In terms of seeing the “real” city of London, we made plenty of trips to all the different neighborhoods, and it functioned just like any other city. There were the nice areas, the sketchy areas, and everything in between. Having to go visit different neighborhoods opened my eyes to the kind of living that goes on in London, but also how it relates back to how we do it here.
4. This change was significant for me because viewing theatre as an actor is only beneficial. We saw shows in venues that held 20 people and venues that held 1,500. That showed me how to work with the space given, which is a super important skill as an actor. Adaptability can take you so far in this world. It is also valuable for me because in order to succeed, you have to know your history and references. We saw plays by up and coming artists, but also some classics. This helps shape my character as a human and my character on stage.
