By: Lizzy Staugler

Being in London was an amazing experience. Being in London and getting to see two different Shakespeare shows was spectacular. The two venues portrayed the shows wonderfully, however the best part was being able to be immersed in the setting and scenes of the plays. 

     Much Ado About Nothing was probably my favorite of the two. I loved how they adapted it from the original playwright and adjusted it to fit in better with modern times, making it so we would better understand the jokes being made, and allowing for the story to be understood by all, even those who haven’t read the play or struggle to understand Shakespeare in general. 

     After a couple of weeks in the UK and getting to see and experience all the people and culture around me, I would truly only be able to describe Shakespeare in one way to my friends back home, “everywhere”. Shakespeare can be found everywhere in the UK, in every little nook and cranny you could think of. I found him in places I never would have thought I would see him. Shakespeare has such a hold on the modern world, and is a name almost everyone knows. His influence on today’s society is very strong and will forever continue to grow as his works are adapted again and again.

By: Lizzy Staugler

     I have seen quite a few stage performances in my lifetime, from the smallest of stages in my high school, to the bigger ones in Boston. However, of the ones I have seen there was only one other play that had an actor performing on the stage that had a visible disability playing the role of a character who wasn’t originally written to have one. Two different shows taking that leap into pushing shows passed their comfort zones. 

     While Henry VI is the second play I’ve seen taking this leap, it’s just as important, and stood out just as much, if not more, as the first play I saw that did this. I saw To Kill A Mockingbird where one of the characters was played by a deaf actor, however this character didn’t come out until later, and wasn’t seen very much throughout the play. Comparing this to Henry VI where a main character, Richard The III was played by someone with a disability shows just how great representation has grown. Also the fact that throughout the performance they didn’t just ignore the fact that the actor playing Richard The III had a disability but instead just showcased it and made it a part of the character really just proves that anyone can act on stage. This is such a step in the right direction for plays and musicals. I can only hope to see more of these actions being taken place in the near future

By: Lizzy Staugler

This London trip was one of my first times actually leaving the country, and my first time traveling without my parents. Leading up to the departure date I didn’t know what to expect, what to bring, and what to do beforehand to prepare. Now after being here for some time I know what I would plan to do for future trips, and what I wish I could change before leaving for this trip. 

     There’s the obvious things that everyone wishes they were more prepared for when they travel to a new country, bringing different clothes, booking more activities in advance, and just general things that you can do without. The main thing I would love to tell my past self in order to prepare for this trip is to just relax. I’d tell myself to live in the moment, to not be afraid or stressed when things don’t go to plan, to go with the flow. I’d tell myself that it’s okay to go and do activities on my own, I don’t alway have to be with a big group. I don’t need to rush around everyday trying to fit so much into it, but instead I should take the time to walk around and enjoy the sights, to sit down and people watch. 

Luckily I still have sometime before we travel back to the United States. I have time to take in the day, and see the sights. I have time to let myself relax, maybe sit in a park with a nice book and people watch. This trip may be a little over half way over, but there is still plenty of time left to enjoy all the exciting activities to come. Even during the days I have things planned, it doesn’t mean I still can’t find the time to stop and take in the moment, to look around and commit everything to memories that I will always look back on.