London Theatre Program

For my STEP signature project, I had the great opportunity to participate in a study abroad in London through Ohio State’s Department of Theatre. The London Theatre Program is a completely immersive program that took place throughout the month of July that focused in on the culture of the city and how it is reflected in the theatre industry that exists there. Through this program, I studied the world of theatre by seeing over twenty different productions and taking a course that discussed their current cultural significance, while also being completely immersed in the culture of London as I lived in the heart of the city. By doing this I truly had my eyes opened to the power that the theatrical art form and how it can impact those taking part in it.

Living in London while being completely immersed in an art form that I absolutely love for an entire month truly changed how I view the world, and also how I view myself. Before I left for London, I had complete confidence in what I wanted to do with my future. At that moment I was an Arts Management major with a plan to graduate early this coming Spring. I was then going to hopefully work in marketing for some sort of theatre organization. However, as the London Theatre Program ran its course and I had the opportunity to witness so many amazing productions, I was reminded of my overwhelming passion for the art form. Not only did I once again discover my passion, but I began to see how theatre can be used to make a change in the world around me. I started to see how I could transfer what I was noticing in London’s theatrical world, back to my own community. With these new realizations, my once concrete plan was transformed into one that was ready to be molded into something new with the knowledge I gained from my newfound experiences. Because of this, as soon as I got back to Columbus for this upcoming year, I declared a second major in Theatre completely throwing away my previous plan of graduating early in order to continue following my passion for theatre. My time on the London Theatre Program transformed how I see myself being involved in the theatrical industry and the world itself.

Coming into the London Theatre Program, I was the only participant that was not a Theatre major. This fact made me feel as though I was the odd one out at the beginning. I felt as though I did not have the necessary level of knowledge to discuss the productions that we were seeing and share any insights that I might have had. This feeling made me keep my thoughts to myself the first couple classes where we discussed productions. However, as my silence continued on, there was one person in the classroom the urged me to share and that was one of the professors on the program, Jen Schlueter. Jen constantly asked for my opinion and insights during class on the shows that we saw and seeing her genuine reactions to my statements made me feel comfortable with sharing my thoughts. Along with this, Jen created a learning environment that allowed us all to feel comfortable with sharing our thoughts because she made sure to let us know that there were no wrong answers when it came to discussion. Throughout the program, Jen also demonstrated how a passion for theatre can thrive in the world, and even if she doesn’t know it the relationship I had with her during this trip inspired me to continue chasing after my own passion.

The other participants in this program also played a large role in the transformation that occurred in my life. Once again, coming into this program I felt like an outsider entering into an already formed group. This feeling was completely washed away the first day in London. Everyone that was involved in the London Theatre Program welcomed me with open arms. However, there were a few people that I got very close to in the month we were participating in this program. With this small group, I had many moments of exploration in the city, a quick weekend trip to Paris, and many late night conversations that were really influential on my transformation. This group of amazing people listened to me when I began to realize that there was a shift in my life beginning, and they were, and still are, extremely supportive. Having this group in my life for the month of this program and still in my life today has allowed this experience to be as transformational to me as it was.

The moment that I realized that this program was going to be extremely transformational was when I saw a production entitled The Jungle. This play followed the story of a refugee camp in France, and it was the greatest theatrical production that I have ever witnessed in my life. Since seeing The Jungle, there has not been a single day that I have not thought about it. This was the most transformational experience due to the fact that the production was like nothing I had ever seen in my life. It was completely immersive and told a story that was so important in today’s world. The Jungle was more than a play, it was a shared human experience. While in the theater that the show took place, I felt as though I was connected with everyone there. This is the most transformational experience of the London Theatre Program because it made me truly feel the power of theatre in a way that I had never felt before, and in a way that I want to share in countless others in the future.

My time on the London Theatre Program made me realize the potentials that exist in the world for theatre to be used. Because of this realization, I have begun to take steps to transform my future so that I can be fully involved in these potential opportunities. My entire future plan has been reshaped, and with the knowledge that I gained from this experience, I am looking forward to working hard towards my desired goal. After a month of being immersed in theatre, my passion for the art form is stronger than it has ever been, and I intend to take this passion that has not only been reignited but also transformed into everything I do this semester, this year, and every following moment that occurs in my future.