May and June 2022 London Theatre Mayterm
Playwrights from Shakespeare to Lin-Manuel Miranda write to be performed. And all of London Theatre Mayterm is geared to what is available in live performance. Towering Shakespearean productions. Uproarious comedies. Gripping tragedies. Interesting experimental theatre. With more tickets to more great theatre than you can imagine. At least 25 shows. We’ll read a few scripts, see a lot of plays, talk about productions, review a few performances, try our own hand at a Shakespeare scene. And we’ll come away with an expanded sense of how theatre can show what it means to be human.
The city of any dream, and the theatre capital of the world. We’ll stay in Bloomsbury, in the heart of the city centre, offering easy access to the British Museum (just three blocks away) and a wealth of other museums—all free, open-air markets offering everything from gourmet food to vintage clothing, the gleaming National Theatre, which towers over the River Thames, with three stages presenting seven or eight plays in any two-week period, Shakespeare’s Globe, where lively interaction between actors and audience give a taste of Elizabethan performance, posh West End theatres with international stars in sparkling plays and dazzling musicals, and the off-West End venues where interesting troupes offer experimental theatre and off-beat experiences diverge.
Dublin, where Irish plays at the Abbey Theatre sparked some of the energy that led to Ireland’s nationhood.
Shakespeare’s birthplace and home of the Royal Shakespeare Company, with state-of-the-art thrust stages offering viewers an up-close-and-personal experience of the Bard’s plays staged with flair.
Courses
Our study of plays available in live production in London, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Dublin will range from Shakespeare to modern classics to world premieres. Applies to the English major as upper-division literature courses. Applies to the Theatre Arts major as elective credit. Fulfills the writing-intensive GE requirement. Fulfills the Working Artistically GE requirement. Fulfills your craving for the best theatre in the world.
Faculty
Dr. Paul Delaney first encountered live theatre when he saw A Midsummer Night’s Dream as a high school sophomore, and he keeps finding ways to give back ever since. He’s been taking students to plays since he arrived at Westmont, leading 22 study abroad programs to England and Ireland. He’s published three books on British playwright Tom Stoppard and Irish playwright Brian Friel. But he chiefly delights in giving students the chance to see uproarious Shakespearean comedy, moving Shakespearean tragedy, modern classics in stellar productions, interesting premieres, experimental theatre in small venues, and the occasional blockbuster musical.
Program Cost & Dates
$8950 (includes tuition, room, board, and in-country travel.) Students will be responsible for round trip airfare and on campus housing charges, if requested, for the week of classes on campus May 9-13. The program will run May 9-June 18, 2022.
Eligibility
- Class standing
- GPA (minimum 2.3 cumulative gpa)
- Application and essays
- Personal and faculty recommendation
Program Criteria
In addition to the general qualifications above, the following requirements must be met, with or without reasonable accommodation, in order to complete all essential elements of the program. All participants must be able to:
- Navigate multiple irregular surfaces and walk/travel up to five miles a day independently. (Extensive walking, as well as travel throughout cities with narrow passageways and many stairs, is part of the daily life of the program.)
- Navigate carrying personal items including suitcase and/or backpack without assistance.
- Anticipate having sufficient emotional wellness to fully participate in the program safely and successfully despite the limited availability of frequent access to psychological services.
- Anticipate at least double occupancy accommodations on some if not all locations.
- Receive the final dose of the Covid vaccine at least two weeks prior to the commencement of the program.
Application
No longer accepting applications for Spring 2022. For more information about the program, contact Dr. Delaney at delaney@westmont.edu.