Theater study abroad program returns to enrich students
During the summer of 2002, seven Utah State University theater students traveled to England on a theater study program; this summer they’re doing it again.
Robbin Black, a theater professor at USU who traveled with the group, said they go for the totality of it.
“We want to give the students academic credit for the summer, an international experience, and a chance to do a British theater piece in authentic surroundings,” she said.
The theater group stays at the University College of Northampton campus and receives three to six academic credits for the summer program.
Last summer, the students stayed for five weeks and got to visit places such as London, Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Hampton, Edinburgh, Bath, Wales, Ireland, and Brighton.
“The really nice thing was we were there long enough to feel like locals,” Black said. “We felt like we knew our way around and like we were having a real in-country experience.”
Lynda Linford, theater professor and director of the summer production, said the places they stayed were perfect for what they needed.
“The accommodations were well-suited to us because of the abundance of Regency-style homes scattered throughout the ‘Land of Spires and Squires,’ and because of Northampton’s central location in the United Kingdom, most of our destinations were easily accessible within a day’s travel,” she said.
Dennis Hassan, who teaches the summer program’s scenic design course, said, “One day we learned about Tudor/Elizabethan costumes and architecture. The next day we walked the streets of Stratford-upon-Avon, visiting the home William Shakespeare grew up in, his church and the village that still defines that era today.”
The students attended classes during the weekdays and rehearsed for their production of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” on weekends, afternoons, and any spare moment they could find.
“The course work includes lectures on acting, clothing, architecture and furnishings as they relate to various historical periods, and then augments that learning style with an immersion into a hands-on education that just cannot be duplicated,” said Nancy Hills, costumer for the
program.
Chantelle Bender, a sophomore majoring in theater performance, took part in last year’s trip.
“There’s a lot of time to play, but I didn’t realize how hard it would be,” she said. “We spent late nights and long hours in rehearsal, but there was still enough time to go to the pubs, have some fun, and we even went clubbing in London a bit.”
Black said, “It was like a living classroom. We were housed for an entire week at King’s College in London. We maintained our rehearsal schedule, but held classes in various locations. One day we sketched costumes at the Victoria & Albert Museum, the next day we visited the theater Museum or the recently replicated Globe theater located on the South Bank of Thames very close to its original
location.”
The five-week International Study Abroad Summer Theater Program consists of an aggressive schedule of course work, rehearsals, performances, field experience and immersion into a rich and divergent culture.
According to program information, the objectives were threefold: 1) to provide up to six academic credits to be earned in a unique combination of classroom instruction augmented by on-site access to extant examples of historic artifacts; 2) to provide a global perspective and international exchange opportunity to USU theater students from within a different culture; and 3) to perform a classic British text in an authentic, historical setting.
This summer, the production will likely be “A Woman of No Importance,” written by Oscar Wilde, and set in Edwardian England.
“This approach to what was once called a gentleman’s education adds depth to a student’s perspective and understanding of the world and is a perfect complement to their traditional USU classroom education,” Linford said.
Black said it is a small, but really nice international program.
“The people there were really accommodating and helpful,” she said. “We had a great time and developed a nice relationship with them. This program is unique in its pedagogy and implementation, and puts Utah State theater department in a position of exposure abroad.”
The theater department welcomes students or community members interested in participating in the summer program. They ask that students contact any one of the theater faculty members at 797-3046 as soon as possible.
-karalcam@cc.usu.edu