Classes started Monday. We were all picked up in front of the cluster of dorms at 10:15 and escorted off to the library. Its kind of cute how they do that to make sure we don’t get lost and we get there on time. At the library they gave us an introduction on how their shelving system works, because they use a system that is completely unique to them, which is rather interesting and I can assume confusing. They do however have a section of books that NYU donated to them for the NYU students in London. We aren’t allowed to take them, out but these are American textbooks that we couldn’t otherwise get in the UK. Then we were given a little tour of the library. It really is a very extensive library and I want to join just so I can go see all the ancient first hand texts that they have in the library. I also feel that architecturally the library is prefect. There are huge wooden book cases with glass doors and mezzanine levels in rooms, with little stairs leading up to them. This is how libraries are supposed to look ancient a studious. If I can I want to try writing my play in there. They have these huge wooden tables that fill all the reading rooms. And the building has that old-paper-must-quite-musty smell about it. I can imagine Tolkien sitting in one of the study rooms, in a pair of cotton gloves reading over an original text in an ancient language no one else speaks. (I think I want to try to take Gaelic or Welsh or Scottish while I’m here. That would be awesome).

After we left the library we were taken down to ICA for “Housekeeping”. Every Monday at 1, all the Tisch students meet and touch base with Mary Jane Walsh (the program director) to make sure we’re all healthy, our classes are doing well, we don’t have complaints about housing and so on. They’ll also make announcements and hand out theatre tickets as necessary. It’s like homeroom in high school. We’re even going to have reps from each department, but unlike high school, here they’ll get paid. I hope top get one of the paid positions with ICA, although its only £20 a week anything will help. I’d prefer to get a little job in a pub but the reality of that doesn’t look so good. Oh well.

So then I had my Theatre in London class with Mr. Roy Kendall. He is a sweet Englishman. His hair would have you believe that he has a bald spot on the crown of his head like a Franciscan monk, but he doesn’t. He’s been around a lot and appeared to know what he’s doing. It will be a really good discussion class and will force me to talk in class.

Then I had Shakespeare back at ICA, taught by Kate Beales, who told us is kind of an accident that she started teaching Shakespeare. But this isn’t her first time and she definitely knows what she’s talking about. She went around the circle and asked us what our experience with Shakespeare was and what we expected from the class. I was the second one to speak and I feel like I turned bright red, because my face got really hot and I didn’t sound very smart. But I’ll change that as the class progress. We were asked to pick a play we want to do a little presentation on and I branched out and picked Pericles – one I don’t know anything about, but I’ve now read the first 3 scenes and am very proud of myself for getting a jump on the assignment.
On Friday, all of Tisch is going to the Globe for a tour of that and the foundation of the Rose theatre and then back to the Globe for a performance of “Comedy of Errors”, as a groundling. The lucky thing being that its Shakespeare’s shortest play, so if I can’t take the standing it will be over quickly. Also I’ve never seen “Comedy of Errors” which will be good.

I don’t have any classes on Tuesday and am eagerly awaiting the start of my playwriting class, which I have again with Mr. Kendall. There are only 6 students in the class and only 3 of them are from NYU Tisch. One goes to Wellesley and another goes to a community college on the West Coast and I haven’t meet the other one yet, or don’t remember. Theresa (from NYU dramatic writing) and I were talking about the other kids in playwriting and wondered if they would live up to the standards we are expected, but mostly if they would give us the criticism we need. I guess I’ll see on Wednesday.