Big Rex(tinct) No Longer
A descent into the unknown surfaces of a formerly interesting mind.
About Me
- Name: Big Rextinct No Longer
- Location: Long Beach, California, United Kingdom
I suffered extinciton in late 2003, but through radioactive dating, I was reanimated as a very scattered, very friendly, remnant of the terrible lizards.
- Proposition 8
- After Break
- Farewell day #2
- And from a photograph
- Disidentification
- No shrine!
- Golden
- Farewell Day #1
- Top ten
- Decompressing
- June 2004
- July 2004
- August 2004
- January 2005
- February 2005
- March 2005
- April 2005
- May 2005
- June 2005
- August 2005
- December 2005
- February 2006
- March 2006
- May 2006
- June 2006
- July 2006
- December 2006
- January 2007
- March 2007
- May 2007
- July 2007
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Sunday, May 22, 2005
Chez Neil.
Well I'm finally back in the US, and, as the time of this post indicates, I'm up and awake way too early. The flight yesterday was fine. I spent most of it reading Richard Marsh's _The Bettle_, some late Victorian popular fiction that really kept the pulse racing. After a fairly annoying stopover in NY, I then headed back to Washington, where Brian and Eleanor picked me up (thank heavens!) and deposited me back in Cville so I could go to the Chris Govern graduation festivities. When I met his mom, I stepped on her foot. Classy, I am. Anyway, now I'm awake...how exciting! More soon...
Friday, May 20, 2005
Explanation!
Sorry if the earlier post was confusing. I went early this morning to get tickets for the brand spankin' new production of Guys and Dolls that just opened here. While the tickets were gone, they were more than happy to give me a standing room only ticket for fifteen pounds.
Maybe you think I'm a sucker, but after having gone to the show, been jostled by the crowd as they took their seats, and then standing for a 2 hour 40 minute show, I'm incredibly glad I made the trip.
Ewan did a fantastic job; he's got quite a presence onstage, although he might need to work a bit on his lower register. The person pictured under Ewan, however, Jane Krakowski, was certainly the star of the show. Her numbers at the "hot box" (the club where she performs) were certainly showstoppers, especially the one where here and all the other girls ended up topless. Ewan did hold his own in "luck" as well.
The choreography was really impressive (especially the segment that takes place in Cuba), and the songs, man oh man. I'm now a full time devotee of the song "Luck Be a Lady Tonight." I know they used it for the casino commercials in Chicago, but I've really seen the light. And as for as "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat" goes, I think I've gotten the Don Henley version fully out of my system after hearing that showstopper.
Before the play, I also went to this new exhibit on a mummy at the British Museum, which was very exciting. In addition, I had the best napoleon I'd ever had at Patisserie Valerie. (for those of you who might be worried, this was all after 3.5 hours of archival work and packing for tomorrow).
Tomorrow I fly home at 8:30 am. I'm not going to get much sleep tonight, because I had some espresso before the show so that I had energy enough to make it standing for the full time. Well, I'll see you all next time on the other side of the pond!
Maybe you think I'm a sucker, but after having gone to the show, been jostled by the crowd as they took their seats, and then standing for a 2 hour 40 minute show, I'm incredibly glad I made the trip.
Ewan did a fantastic job; he's got quite a presence onstage, although he might need to work a bit on his lower register. The person pictured under Ewan, however, Jane Krakowski, was certainly the star of the show. Her numbers at the "hot box" (the club where she performs) were certainly showstoppers, especially the one where here and all the other girls ended up topless. Ewan did hold his own in "luck" as well.
The choreography was really impressive (especially the segment that takes place in Cuba), and the songs, man oh man. I'm now a full time devotee of the song "Luck Be a Lady Tonight." I know they used it for the casino commercials in Chicago, but I've really seen the light. And as for as "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat" goes, I think I've gotten the Don Henley version fully out of my system after hearing that showstopper.
Before the play, I also went to this new exhibit on a mummy at the British Museum, which was very exciting. In addition, I had the best napoleon I'd ever had at Patisserie Valerie. (for those of you who might be worried, this was all after 3.5 hours of archival work and packing for tomorrow).
Tomorrow I fly home at 8:30 am. I'm not going to get much sleep tonight, because I had some espresso before the show so that I had energy enough to make it standing for the full time. Well, I'll see you all next time on the other side of the pond!
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Happy Graduation!
This photo...one of the best ones I have of this perky young man...is a tribute to his graduation and future career as a scholar and stay-at-home pater familius at MIT!
Hedda Gabler vs. Mary Poppins
Come on folks, we all know who'd win this fight!
On the plane on the way to London, I read the Dover Thrift version of Ibsen's Hedda Gabler. I had never read anything by Ibsen except for _A Doll's House_, which, as many of you know, was a production I was invovled in in High School as the young, young son of Nora and Torvald Helmer.
I really enjoyed reading the play, and I thought about it for most of last week. Tonight, however, after failed attempts to get even remotely cheap tickets to Mary Poppins or Billy Elliot yesterday, I went to the first night of Hedda Gabler at the Duke of York's theatre.
The ending of the play--even though I'd read it in advance--was incredibly devastating, and the woman playing Hedda--Eve Best--did such a fantastic job as she showed Hedda learning the truth about her past lover's suicide and then beginning to see the ways that her own freedom would be limited because of her actions during the events of the play.
As the play was starting, the maid continued to set flowers all throughout the set, apparently those sent by people celebrating hedda's marriage. Yet the flowers were continually removed throughout the play, until there are only a few left by the time the curtain falls.
Okay...I could go on and on about this, but I'm not going to here. It was fantastic. Tomorrow is my last day here. I'm going to be doing some work at the BL...I finished up Olympia and the V&A today...but other than that I'm going to try to take in at least one more museum and just enjoy myself a little bit.
I might also attempt another play...we'll see...
On the plane on the way to London, I read the Dover Thrift version of Ibsen's Hedda Gabler. I had never read anything by Ibsen except for _A Doll's House_, which, as many of you know, was a production I was invovled in in High School as the young, young son of Nora and Torvald Helmer.
I really enjoyed reading the play, and I thought about it for most of last week. Tonight, however, after failed attempts to get even remotely cheap tickets to Mary Poppins or Billy Elliot yesterday, I went to the first night of Hedda Gabler at the Duke of York's theatre.
The ending of the play--even though I'd read it in advance--was incredibly devastating, and the woman playing Hedda--Eve Best--did such a fantastic job as she showed Hedda learning the truth about her past lover's suicide and then beginning to see the ways that her own freedom would be limited because of her actions during the events of the play.
As the play was starting, the maid continued to set flowers all throughout the set, apparently those sent by people celebrating hedda's marriage. Yet the flowers were continually removed throughout the play, until there are only a few left by the time the curtain falls.
Okay...I could go on and on about this, but I'm not going to here. It was fantastic. Tomorrow is my last day here. I'm going to be doing some work at the BL...I finished up Olympia and the V&A today...but other than that I'm going to try to take in at least one more museum and just enjoy myself a little bit.
I might also attempt another play...we'll see...
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Olympia
Yet another day today at the V&A archive in Olympia. Yesterday it was quite cold here, and the archive was so freezing that I thought I was going just stop moving while looking at the various documents there. So I'm not too excited about another day of it.
Breakfast at the center, however, has been lots of fun. There are many interesting topics of conversation, including, very recently, 2046, which, according to the Taiwanese student, is pronounced two oh four six. I've learned some interesting interpretations of Won's films that will be interesting to share with those at home.
I'm also starting to acknowledge the fact that the end of the trip is approaching. I do think, however, that if I ever was lucky enough to figure out a way to stay here, I could live at the Centre. It would be lots of fun to be at a point when I wasn't always introducing myself to someone and when I'd been asked to the big parties. Oh well...those Lutherans...such an inside group!
Well, I'm off. This is a boring post. Archives, however, tend to be boring places!
Breakfast at the center, however, has been lots of fun. There are many interesting topics of conversation, including, very recently, 2046, which, according to the Taiwanese student, is pronounced two oh four six. I've learned some interesting interpretations of Won's films that will be interesting to share with those at home.
I'm also starting to acknowledge the fact that the end of the trip is approaching. I do think, however, that if I ever was lucky enough to figure out a way to stay here, I could live at the Centre. It would be lots of fun to be at a point when I wasn't always introducing myself to someone and when I'd been asked to the big parties. Oh well...those Lutherans...such an inside group!
Well, I'm off. This is a boring post. Archives, however, tend to be boring places!
Monday, May 16, 2005
"Treatment of Dead Enemies"
This was the knockout part of the Pitt-Rivers museum at Oxford. This is the cabinet that had the shrunken heads in it. People were certainly drawn to this part of the museum. I stood around the case taking notes for awhile. I think people were disturbed.
Grrrr.
This is megalosaurus. He's a carnivore. He's my fav in the park probably. I was taking these yesterday (a sunnyday). The sculptures were commissioned in 1852 and finished in mid-century.
Mosasaur
You'll notice the fence here, making it impossible for me to scramble down the bank and get a closeup. He still looks creepy.
Simon!
Howdy from what is now rainy and overcast London. Today I spent the day at the Mander and Mitchenson collection in Greenwich. I went to this collection of theatre materials last year at this time, and found it a very uncomfortable space. Today my work went well, partly because the person at the collection seemed to be in good humor, but partly because I had my act together when I got there (in contrast to last year).
But part of the reason that things went well might have been that Simon Callow, renowned British stage and film actor, was also there to see the person running the archive. There he was, right across the room, the man who played the 18th Century Ghost in the TV version of Angels in America and one of the two opera owners from the recent film production of Phantom of the Opera. Anyway, that's probably the closest I'll get to celebrity when I'm here, but it was pretty awesome nonetheless.
While at the archive, I looked at a few files about certain playwrights from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, but I also looked at the archives for Astley's Amphitheatre, a 19th century theatre where "spectaculars" took place usually involving drama and people on horseback. From what I learned today, they even did Shakespeare at this theatre in the 1850s, involving a full on battle scene for the end of _Macbeth_. While there, I learned quite a bit about what kinds of shows were performed at this theatre. Here's an excerpt from one of the newpaper advertisements from the late 18th century, describing the amusements set to take place:
“Doors to be opened at Half past FIVE, and the Curtain rise at Half past SIX o’Clock precisely, With the laughable Performance of THE DANCING DOGS. The Storming of the Castle, and the Attack upon the Fire Works (the moment they are played off), by the ENGLISH BULLDOG CHILLIBY, Who is so well tamed, that he will permit his Collar, and Iron Noseband, or Cavison, and Every Other Apparatus, to be taken off to perform; and after being at liberty, will tamely submit to have them put on again.”
The program then lists a series of pantomimes that will be performed, until concluding with “The Incomparable SIEUR BOUZILARICO, the celebrated Ventriloquist’s I M I T A T I O N S: 1st. The Trumpet, in a most extraordinary manner. 2d. The assuming of the Foxhounds, in full cry, with the French Horn, &c very surprising. 3d. The Savoyard, with the Organ, &c truly laughable. 4th The general Alarm of the Horse and Foot, with Trumpet and Drum; or forming the line of battle at the Alarm Post. 5th The Chace and Death of the Wild Boar, &c. &c.”
Further events described in the program include a minuet between two horse, a surprising monkey rope-dancer called “General Jackoo “This animal has been the admiration of the first Connisseurs in the world; words can convey but a confused idea of his abilities as a Rope Dancer” There were also equestrian exercises as well as an ending pantomime. A MUSICAL CHILD and “the best mandolin player in the world” also performed in the interval.
Now I think movies are great and everything, and I've been enjoying my time in the English theatres of the present, but do we really have anything in our lives today that could compete with such excitement? I'm not so sure.
Tonight I'm doing some laundry and having some yogurt, and I may go to Wagamamma when my laundry gets done. I'm pretty hungry. All I've had since breakfast was the yogurt and some Shepherd's Pie and peas that I had in this cute little place in Greenwich. I'm also sitting down because I'm sore from a jog yesterday, one that took 90 minutes because I got all turned around in Regent's park. Well, I'll post some pics from yesterday soon. In the meantime, here's a quote I overheard from Mr. Callow today...I'm entirely unsure of the context:
“I like my dames to be short, fat, and shaped like bricklayers.”
But part of the reason that things went well might have been that Simon Callow, renowned British stage and film actor, was also there to see the person running the archive. There he was, right across the room, the man who played the 18th Century Ghost in the TV version of Angels in America and one of the two opera owners from the recent film production of Phantom of the Opera. Anyway, that's probably the closest I'll get to celebrity when I'm here, but it was pretty awesome nonetheless.
While at the archive, I looked at a few files about certain playwrights from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, but I also looked at the archives for Astley's Amphitheatre, a 19th century theatre where "spectaculars" took place usually involving drama and people on horseback. From what I learned today, they even did Shakespeare at this theatre in the 1850s, involving a full on battle scene for the end of _Macbeth_. While there, I learned quite a bit about what kinds of shows were performed at this theatre. Here's an excerpt from one of the newpaper advertisements from the late 18th century, describing the amusements set to take place:
“Doors to be opened at Half past FIVE, and the Curtain rise at Half past SIX o’Clock precisely, With the laughable Performance of THE DANCING DOGS. The Storming of the Castle, and the Attack upon the Fire Works (the moment they are played off), by the ENGLISH BULLDOG CHILLIBY, Who is so well tamed, that he will permit his Collar, and Iron Noseband, or Cavison, and Every Other Apparatus, to be taken off to perform; and after being at liberty, will tamely submit to have them put on again.”
The program then lists a series of pantomimes that will be performed, until concluding with “The Incomparable SIEUR BOUZILARICO, the celebrated Ventriloquist’s I M I T A T I O N S: 1st. The Trumpet, in a most extraordinary manner. 2d. The assuming of the Foxhounds, in full cry, with the French Horn, &c very surprising. 3d. The Savoyard, with the Organ, &c truly laughable. 4th The general Alarm of the Horse and Foot, with Trumpet and Drum; or forming the line of battle at the Alarm Post. 5th The Chace and Death of the Wild Boar, &c. &c.”
Further events described in the program include a minuet between two horse, a surprising monkey rope-dancer called “General Jackoo “This animal has been the admiration of the first Connisseurs in the world; words can convey but a confused idea of his abilities as a Rope Dancer” There were also equestrian exercises as well as an ending pantomime. A MUSICAL CHILD and “the best mandolin player in the world” also performed in the interval.
Now I think movies are great and everything, and I've been enjoying my time in the English theatres of the present, but do we really have anything in our lives today that could compete with such excitement? I'm not so sure.
Tonight I'm doing some laundry and having some yogurt, and I may go to Wagamamma when my laundry gets done. I'm pretty hungry. All I've had since breakfast was the yogurt and some Shepherd's Pie and peas that I had in this cute little place in Greenwich. I'm also sitting down because I'm sore from a jog yesterday, one that took 90 minutes because I got all turned around in Regent's park. Well, I'll post some pics from yesterday soon. In the meantime, here's a quote I overheard from Mr. Callow today...I'm entirely unsure of the context:
“I like my dames to be short, fat, and shaped like bricklayers.”
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Museum Days!
Well I managed to merge some archival work with museum exploration over the last few days, which, although it was exhausting at some points, was lots of fun. The sad thing was that there was no one there at the Natural History Museum to get "a tour" with me. They had nothing similar to "the conquest of land" that they have at the National in DC, but there were some signs that reallly appealled to me. I'll post them here after I finish writing about this. Perhaps some of you (chris, kate, jason?!) can imagine what I might say about these signs.
Last night I did finally go out to a few bars in London, one called _The Yard_ that I had been to before--it's got an open air courtyard. Another one that was kinda forgettable, then another one, and finally, a giant alternative night called "Popstarz" that was actually right near the Lutheran Student Centre. I find myself wondering if I was the first person from the Lutheran center to ever visit its three triumphant levels of dance madness. Surely there must be someone who was out there before me?!
Today I did a little manuscript work, but, finding that I was falling asleep, I made my way to Paddington Station and took the train to Oxford. I screwed up on the way out there, meaning that I took a train that made all the stops (a two hour trip!!!). When I finally got to Oxford, I had just about finished _The Master_, and I had about 45 full minutes at the Pitt Rivers Museum. I did, however, take a lot of notes in that time, and eventually found myself obsessing around the shrunken head case. I took a lot of notes on that. I also looked for shrunken head postcards, but was pleased to see the museum had the decency not to have those printed. They did have lots of cards with ghastly masks, so I imagine that a lot of people buy those thinking they're shrunken heads.
I caught a decent train back and ate a quick dinner at the center so I could get last minute tickets to see _Elmina's Kitchen,_ a really devastating play about a west indian family living in Hackney. At first I wasn't so sure about it, but as things started to fall apart in the second half, it really started to come together. Now I'm back, although I may go out a little more...we'll see. I've got tickets for one more play...I'm also still playing with the idea of going to see Billy Elliot: The Musical instead of Mary Poppins. It just opened...elton john music, big time margaret thatcher insults, dancing fourteen year olds, and even the director of the hours directing it. We'll say...anyway, hope everyone is doing well!
Last night I did finally go out to a few bars in London, one called _The Yard_ that I had been to before--it's got an open air courtyard. Another one that was kinda forgettable, then another one, and finally, a giant alternative night called "Popstarz" that was actually right near the Lutheran Student Centre. I find myself wondering if I was the first person from the Lutheran center to ever visit its three triumphant levels of dance madness. Surely there must be someone who was out there before me?!
Today I did a little manuscript work, but, finding that I was falling asleep, I made my way to Paddington Station and took the train to Oxford. I screwed up on the way out there, meaning that I took a train that made all the stops (a two hour trip!!!). When I finally got to Oxford, I had just about finished _The Master_, and I had about 45 full minutes at the Pitt Rivers Museum. I did, however, take a lot of notes in that time, and eventually found myself obsessing around the shrunken head case. I took a lot of notes on that. I also looked for shrunken head postcards, but was pleased to see the museum had the decency not to have those printed. They did have lots of cards with ghastly masks, so I imagine that a lot of people buy those thinking they're shrunken heads.
I caught a decent train back and ate a quick dinner at the center so I could get last minute tickets to see _Elmina's Kitchen,_ a really devastating play about a west indian family living in Hackney. At first I wasn't so sure about it, but as things started to fall apart in the second half, it really started to come together. Now I'm back, although I may go out a little more...we'll see. I've got tickets for one more play...I'm also still playing with the idea of going to see Billy Elliot: The Musical instead of Mary Poppins. It just opened...elton john music, big time margaret thatcher insults, dancing fourteen year olds, and even the director of the hours directing it. We'll say...anyway, hope everyone is doing well!
Natural History Museum
I checked this place out yesterday, and I really liked it. The dinosaur area had a sort of Jurassic Park meets the Vicar of Dibley feel to it.
T-REX!
This is the t-rex that supposedly can sense movemnt and snarl at you. It's the newest thing at the museum. It smiled and cooed when I looked at it.
Hall of Mirrors
This is from a small Abbas Kiarostami exhibit at the V&A. It's titled "forest without leaves." I saw this yesterday when I did big time museums.
Neil in the forest
My own artistic tribute to a film director who made a great film that I have yet to watch!
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Heart, right?
He looks much hotter in the play, believe you me. And this is part of his "out of a job and on the streets mangy period."
Intermission Pic
So I'm back from _The Woman in White_. All in all, it was really quite good. I have to say that I wasn't so sure for about the first 45 minutes, considering it pretty much seemed like a love triangle. And there was also some quaint & rustic English folk dancing, which doesn't seem to fit into the Wilkie Collins vision. There was a train accident, howeverl, which, although I found it questionable, I eventually liked because train accidents were such an hallmark of Victorian sensational melodrama.
But once things got going, it really became a good time. The main Andrew Lloyd Weber showstopping high note lovesong number, "I Believe my Heart," was quite catchy, and the best song of the show was certainly the big Fosco showstopper, "You Can Get Away with Anything" followed by the tete a tete with Marion, "The Seduction."
Fosco was really quite wonderful, especially considering that white mice were part of the show. In one scene, he was shone outside of the mansion petting one of the white mice. When a rainstorm begins, he says to it, "Come inside, nobody likes a soggy mouse." An incredible line, really. While he didn't quite live up to the Napoleon of crime that I was looking for--Percival Glyde was the main baddy, and the main occasion to come up with all the words that end in -ide--he did finish one of the songs by having a giant white rat (not a mouse mind you) run from palm to palm. The amusing thing about this was that the rat wouldn't do it (prolly because he was dealing with the understudy), so he ended the song a few different times to see if he could pull it off. It was quite amusing. There were also live birds involved, but they weren't as important.
Changes from the novel were many, but I don't think they entirely destroyed the artistic vision. There was an abortion story, the loss of Mrs. Fosco (the count was single), and, most sadly, a sort of dumbing down of Marian Halcombe. Sir Percival also didn't die in a flaming church, which I did find myself desiring.
On a bleaker note, I went out afterwards but could only manage to go to a coffee shop (the same one as before) and have some water and pizza. I walked by the Village, almost went in, but then decided against it. It didn't look too full, whereas G-A-Y looked way too full. Thus, the debauchery has been postponed!
(see the following postings, one of Fosco and one of the shockingly hot drawing master!
But once things got going, it really became a good time. The main Andrew Lloyd Weber showstopping high note lovesong number, "I Believe my Heart," was quite catchy, and the best song of the show was certainly the big Fosco showstopper, "You Can Get Away with Anything" followed by the tete a tete with Marion, "The Seduction."
Fosco was really quite wonderful, especially considering that white mice were part of the show. In one scene, he was shone outside of the mansion petting one of the white mice. When a rainstorm begins, he says to it, "Come inside, nobody likes a soggy mouse." An incredible line, really. While he didn't quite live up to the Napoleon of crime that I was looking for--Percival Glyde was the main baddy, and the main occasion to come up with all the words that end in -ide--he did finish one of the songs by having a giant white rat (not a mouse mind you) run from palm to palm. The amusing thing about this was that the rat wouldn't do it (prolly because he was dealing with the understudy), so he ended the song a few different times to see if he could pull it off. It was quite amusing. There were also live birds involved, but they weren't as important.
Changes from the novel were many, but I don't think they entirely destroyed the artistic vision. There was an abortion story, the loss of Mrs. Fosco (the count was single), and, most sadly, a sort of dumbing down of Marian Halcombe. Sir Percival also didn't die in a flaming church, which I did find myself desiring.
On a bleaker note, I went out afterwards but could only manage to go to a coffee shop (the same one as before) and have some water and pizza. I walked by the Village, almost went in, but then decided against it. It didn't look too full, whereas G-A-Y looked way too full. Thus, the debauchery has been postponed!
(see the following postings, one of Fosco and one of the shockingly hot drawing master!
Damn John, this is the best...
Not much more new since the last post. Did a lot of manuscript work, though I was drowsy for a good part of it. Then I realized that it wasn't exactly me, but the fact that I had been reading a play called "The Idiot of the Mountain" for nearly two hours. Once I turned that back in at the reserve desk, it was smooth sailing.
Recently received from an ENWR student:
"Neil!! I got an A for ENWR!! I just checked ISIS. You gave me an A! Thank you so much!! As you might be able to tell, I wasn't expecting that. Thank you! =D
I'm gonna go check it again in case I saw it wrongly. Yes! Still an A! AHHhhh..
You have the greatest summer ever!!"
I'm really speechless...but wouldn't be adverse to experiencing the "greatest summer ever."
Finally, I regret to say that there hasn't been any debauchery. I really live a simple, uncomplicated and quiet life in London. Perhaps, however, this has something to do with Toibin's _The Master_. Chris, bless his heart, gave me a copy, but somehow a story of this man (who devoted his entire life to writing and pretty much let down everyone he knew) is not the instruction manual for European fun and games. I'm near the end though, so perhaps soon I will break Colm's spell. I did feel like taking a trip to Lamb House at Rye at one point, but I think I've decided against it.
Recently received from an ENWR student:
"Neil!! I got an A for ENWR!! I just checked ISIS. You gave me an A! Thank you so much!! As you might be able to tell, I wasn't expecting that. Thank you! =D
I'm gonna go check it again in case I saw it wrongly. Yes! Still an A! AHHhhh..
You have the greatest summer ever!!"
I'm really speechless...but wouldn't be adverse to experiencing the "greatest summer ever."
Finally, I regret to say that there hasn't been any debauchery. I really live a simple, uncomplicated and quiet life in London. Perhaps, however, this has something to do with Toibin's _The Master_. Chris, bless his heart, gave me a copy, but somehow a story of this man (who devoted his entire life to writing and pretty much let down everyone he knew) is not the instruction manual for European fun and games. I'm near the end though, so perhaps soon I will break Colm's spell. I did feel like taking a trip to Lamb House at Rye at one point, but I think I've decided against it.
That Old World Feel
Last night the server went down at the student center. Thus, I've been experiencing no internet for over 24 hours, at least until I forked over 4.5 quid for some damnably slow internet at the BL a few minutes ago. The wireless is so old world. They could be broadcasting a transistor radio from a medieval keep to get better wireless technology. For some reason, all my attempts at Google, no matter what the links or the addresses I type in, bring me to Google in German.
The loss of the internet led to me crash last night. I hadn't made any theatre reservations (surprise!), so I went to the Victoria and Albert for their evening hours on Wednesday and looked carefully at the Indian art. I also paused before Tippoo's Tiger yet again, lamenting the fact that I was never able to meet the notorious sultan. Talking about someone to have lunch with. Better him than Einstein or Jesus. When I got home I found myself falling asleep at 10 pm. This meant that I woke up at 2 feeling stuffed up, read Colm Toibin's _The Master_ for two hours, and then fell back asleep till 9:30, missing breakfast at the center.
I spent a good bit of yesterday doing archival work at Blythe House, the V&A archive. The records there are great, from the records of telegraph worker who went to Persia to buy some goods for the museum, to arguments about the restoration of mosiac panels that were removed from behind Shah Jehan's throne at the time of the Indian Mutiny and, surprise, *somehow* later ended up at the V&A. I think it would be awesome to write a book about these folks, calling it "Shopping for Empire," but for some reason I feel like I know someone who's aready done something like this, and the entire idea chills me with fear.
Tonight I go see _The Woman in White_ and I've also purchased tickets for the exciting looking production of _Hedda Gabler_ that takes place one week from today. I don't know if I'll make an attempt to go to anything else. Taking in the two part Henry IV extravaganze with Michael Gambon might be necessary...we'll see. Alright. I've done nothing so far today. I have to finish this up and get to work at the BL. Then later, Count Fosco!!
The loss of the internet led to me crash last night. I hadn't made any theatre reservations (surprise!), so I went to the Victoria and Albert for their evening hours on Wednesday and looked carefully at the Indian art. I also paused before Tippoo's Tiger yet again, lamenting the fact that I was never able to meet the notorious sultan. Talking about someone to have lunch with. Better him than Einstein or Jesus. When I got home I found myself falling asleep at 10 pm. This meant that I woke up at 2 feeling stuffed up, read Colm Toibin's _The Master_ for two hours, and then fell back asleep till 9:30, missing breakfast at the center.
I spent a good bit of yesterday doing archival work at Blythe House, the V&A archive. The records there are great, from the records of telegraph worker who went to Persia to buy some goods for the museum, to arguments about the restoration of mosiac panels that were removed from behind Shah Jehan's throne at the time of the Indian Mutiny and, surprise, *somehow* later ended up at the V&A. I think it would be awesome to write a book about these folks, calling it "Shopping for Empire," but for some reason I feel like I know someone who's aready done something like this, and the entire idea chills me with fear.
Tonight I go see _The Woman in White_ and I've also purchased tickets for the exciting looking production of _Hedda Gabler_ that takes place one week from today. I don't know if I'll make an attempt to go to anything else. Taking in the two part Henry IV extravaganze with Michael Gambon might be necessary...we'll see. Alright. I've done nothing so far today. I have to finish this up and get to work at the BL. Then later, Count Fosco!!
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Friends, Roman, Countrymen...
I've got to shower and take off for the V&A in a few minutes, but I wanted to say that I saw an incredible Deborah Warner production of Julius Caesar at the Barbican last night. I arrived pretty early b/c the production was sold out, and got some really good tickets after waiting in line for about an hour and an half. They were quite a bit pricier than the TOB tickets, but it was worth it.
The production involved a cast of 100 people in order to create authentic crowd scenes, which it certainly did. The entire first half was performed with a set of stone risers in the center of the stage surrounded by police barricades and giant plexiglass walls that reflected the actions on stage. Thus, the crowd was able to surge and yell "Caesar" from behind the barricades and eventually throw them around when they were urged to mutiny by Marc Antony.
Ralph Fiennes played Marc Antony, btw. His first appearance onstage involved him preparing for a long race; he was donned in all white and was eventually soaked by a water bottle as he prepared. Caesar, on the other hand, seemed to dress like a gangster, eventually wearing a black silk bathrobe for his scenes at home with Calpernia.
Perhaps the most startling part of the production, however, was the war in the second half when the entire stage was cleared out (you could see the back of the stage space; it looked like a warehouse) for the war between Brutus & Cassius vs. Octavian and Marc A. All the soldiers were dressed in the sandy brown "Gulf/Iraq" war style uniforms and the battle scenes consisted of deafening gunfire, debris dropping from the ceiling, and screaming heavy metal with some loud technobabble thrown in. There was also a strange digital display of computer gibberish on the back of the stage. The battle was planned on a laptop, and, at least at this point, Brutus and Cassius started to resemble George Bush and Karl Rove (they hadn't earlier).
Yet overall the most moving part of the production was the crowd. Seeing them get turned on by Brutus and then turned on by Marc Antony moments later (until they resort to violence, killing a poet who lies dead onstage for 5 minutes into the intermission) was more or less the best representation of how politics work these days. Oh, and did I mention that must of the first act reminded me of the WTO protest? I can't help but think that Warner had it in mind.
Ok, well I'll stop talking here. I need to take a shower and get ready for the day. Oh and don't take anything I said here as definitive...after what I paid for the tickets, I was too cheap to get a program...
The production involved a cast of 100 people in order to create authentic crowd scenes, which it certainly did. The entire first half was performed with a set of stone risers in the center of the stage surrounded by police barricades and giant plexiglass walls that reflected the actions on stage. Thus, the crowd was able to surge and yell "Caesar" from behind the barricades and eventually throw them around when they were urged to mutiny by Marc Antony.
Ralph Fiennes played Marc Antony, btw. His first appearance onstage involved him preparing for a long race; he was donned in all white and was eventually soaked by a water bottle as he prepared. Caesar, on the other hand, seemed to dress like a gangster, eventually wearing a black silk bathrobe for his scenes at home with Calpernia.
Perhaps the most startling part of the production, however, was the war in the second half when the entire stage was cleared out (you could see the back of the stage space; it looked like a warehouse) for the war between Brutus & Cassius vs. Octavian and Marc A. All the soldiers were dressed in the sandy brown "Gulf/Iraq" war style uniforms and the battle scenes consisted of deafening gunfire, debris dropping from the ceiling, and screaming heavy metal with some loud technobabble thrown in. There was also a strange digital display of computer gibberish on the back of the stage. The battle was planned on a laptop, and, at least at this point, Brutus and Cassius started to resemble George Bush and Karl Rove (they hadn't earlier).
Yet overall the most moving part of the production was the crowd. Seeing them get turned on by Brutus and then turned on by Marc Antony moments later (until they resort to violence, killing a poet who lies dead onstage for 5 minutes into the intermission) was more or less the best representation of how politics work these days. Oh, and did I mention that must of the first act reminded me of the WTO protest? I can't help but think that Warner had it in mind.
Ok, well I'll stop talking here. I need to take a shower and get ready for the day. Oh and don't take anything I said here as definitive...after what I paid for the tickets, I was too cheap to get a program...
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Background on TOB
Hello everyone. You're all asleep right now--well almost all of you--but I wanted to put up some links on here about the show I saw last night. First, here's the link for the show itself on the National Theatre Web Page and here's the appropriately titled trailer though you will need some flash to run it. Blood and guts indeed!
Monday, May 09, 2005
National Theatre of Blood (with Indian food)
Today was a pretty full day. I didn't take any kind of nap, though I did have a really large double espresso at around 3 o'clock because I couldn't stay awake reading "The Siege and Fall of Delhi" in the BL Manuscript Room. That espresso is probably the only reason I'm standing at the moment.
I started out the day by taking the tube to the Waterloo Station (I didn't see a face on the steps, sadly) and walking to the National Theatre; there I picked up a ridiculously cheap ticket to _Theatre of Blood_, which starred Jim Broadbent of Moulin Rouge and Iris fame. The show was really lots of fun, although the cast ran into some difficulties with the special effects and with Broadbent forgetting his lines. But that's probably why the tickets for the preview are ridiculously cheap. In the end, the play was actually sort of about the Birth of the National Theatre and the last gasp on nineteenth century melodrama...or that's part of what I got out of it. It was also about blood all over the stage. The supporting cast members actually mopped it up between scenes. Needless to say, people with a certain kind of sense of humor were into this show (many of them were well dressed with cool hair and shoes). I also have to say that I thought a few parts of the play dragged a bit; I think this might have to do with the fact that the show tested my Shakespearean mettle, and I failed. After all, Broadbent played a Shakespearean actor who's killing off the critics who panned his performances one by one. I got the parts of the tempest and julius caeser, but I wasn't as good with Titus Andronicus.
I also worked for about 5 hours in the British Library today, which seemed impressive to me. I went for dinner to a good veg Indian restaurant over near Euston Station, Ravi Shankar. The waiter was incredibly rude, and I knew that going into it. It helped me get to the play on time; it also meant that I got to experience what it was like to come into a near empty restaurant by yourself, have the waiter look at you, point to a table, and then toss a menu on it. Very cosmopolitan!
Well, I'm reaching the end of my day and I'm pretty tuckered out; hope everyone enjoys the pic; I took it between the two acts of Theatre of Blood!
I started out the day by taking the tube to the Waterloo Station (I didn't see a face on the steps, sadly) and walking to the National Theatre; there I picked up a ridiculously cheap ticket to _Theatre of Blood_, which starred Jim Broadbent of Moulin Rouge and Iris fame. The show was really lots of fun, although the cast ran into some difficulties with the special effects and with Broadbent forgetting his lines. But that's probably why the tickets for the preview are ridiculously cheap. In the end, the play was actually sort of about the Birth of the National Theatre and the last gasp on nineteenth century melodrama...or that's part of what I got out of it. It was also about blood all over the stage. The supporting cast members actually mopped it up between scenes. Needless to say, people with a certain kind of sense of humor were into this show (many of them were well dressed with cool hair and shoes). I also have to say that I thought a few parts of the play dragged a bit; I think this might have to do with the fact that the show tested my Shakespearean mettle, and I failed. After all, Broadbent played a Shakespearean actor who's killing off the critics who panned his performances one by one. I got the parts of the tempest and julius caeser, but I wasn't as good with Titus Andronicus.
I also worked for about 5 hours in the British Library today, which seemed impressive to me. I went for dinner to a good veg Indian restaurant over near Euston Station, Ravi Shankar. The waiter was incredibly rude, and I knew that going into it. It helped me get to the play on time; it also meant that I got to experience what it was like to come into a near empty restaurant by yourself, have the waiter look at you, point to a table, and then toss a menu on it. Very cosmopolitan!
Well, I'm reaching the end of my day and I'm pretty tuckered out; hope everyone enjoys the pic; I took it between the two acts of Theatre of Blood!
Secret identity revealed!
To all those out there who might have been confused (Jan and Ken), the mystery man in the attack picture is revealed!
Old Compton Street
Walking on Old Compton St. yesterday morning, I noticed that the new Disney revival of Mary Poppins is onstage next to the notorious G-A-Y bar, a hangout for those young male folks with "alternative lifestyles." Is the fact that these establishments are adjacent a coincidence? I think not!
Sunday, May 08, 2005
First Full Day
Hello everyone. Just in case you didn't know, I'm in London for the next two weeks for a research trip. I'm going to be looking at archival materials at the British Library, the Victoria and Albert Museum, as well as other London Collections. I'm using the blog as a sort of travel diary, and I should soon--I hope--have the ability to get on the network with my laptop and post some pics from my digital camera.
I took one picture today before the batteries in my camera failed. I'll try to post this picture tomorrow...
Spent most of the day walking around. Surprisingly, I haven't forgotten too much about the layout of the city, though I still can't seem to call the underground by the right name. I referred to it as the Metro today in the Tate Modern. The attendant was not pleased. While I remember routes I used from last year, I'm still struck how I don't know the general directions between different places above ground. I decided today that this was due partly to jet lag but also due to the overall faiure of cognitive mapping that comes with using the Underground. Coming back from the Tate Modern today, I got off the District Line at the 'Monument' stop, noticing that it also hooked up to the Central line on the map. This was sort of true, but it meant that I went up and down around one dozen escalators and stairways and walked through long, uniform tunnels between trains. By the time I got to the Central line trains to go home, I felt as if I had already walked to the ILSC. I'm going to try to be a bit less dependent on the Tube this trip; otherwise, I could find myself in the Paris Opera House with Sarah Brightman after taking a wrong turn sometime.
I also went to the Strindberg exhibit at the Tate Modern today. I figured his important role in the 1890s and in the artistic history of Sweden meant I should have a look. The paintings made me squint to try to find the hidden patterns in the dark paint that had been layered on the canvas; they were puzzling and haunting. I especially liked those of sea storms, while his turn toward alchemy and the photography of 'life essences' late in life was kooky but an interesting combination of his early work and new forms of technology. I also went to a very exciting 'irish in england' exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery; there were some great manuscripts and drawings about/by fellows like Yeats, Shaw, Wilde, and Boucicault. Not to mention a big painting of Charles Stewart Parnell a few months before his death.
I also went to Cafe Nero on Old Compton St. A good place for people watching. Finally, I began some long term theatre planning. I would have taken in a play, but unfortunately most of the theatres are closed on Sunday. I also took a long nap...I was still tuckered out after not sleeping on Friday night (touring Halo--the traincar bound for drama--and Cobalt with an occasionally shirtless Mr. Naftali). Despite this fatigue, I still did well on the plane, reading both _Hedda Gabler_ and _Julius Caesar_, two plays that I want to see while I'm here. Tomorrow I'm going to begin the manuscript work. Should be exciting!
And did you know that you can get glossy 8 by 10 shots of the individual desperate housewives at a little card shop in Soho? Chris, is this a good idea for a souvenir for you? They're hot, they'd be imported...but they're not British...hmmm...
I took one picture today before the batteries in my camera failed. I'll try to post this picture tomorrow...
Spent most of the day walking around. Surprisingly, I haven't forgotten too much about the layout of the city, though I still can't seem to call the underground by the right name. I referred to it as the Metro today in the Tate Modern. The attendant was not pleased. While I remember routes I used from last year, I'm still struck how I don't know the general directions between different places above ground. I decided today that this was due partly to jet lag but also due to the overall faiure of cognitive mapping that comes with using the Underground. Coming back from the Tate Modern today, I got off the District Line at the 'Monument' stop, noticing that it also hooked up to the Central line on the map. This was sort of true, but it meant that I went up and down around one dozen escalators and stairways and walked through long, uniform tunnels between trains. By the time I got to the Central line trains to go home, I felt as if I had already walked to the ILSC. I'm going to try to be a bit less dependent on the Tube this trip; otherwise, I could find myself in the Paris Opera House with Sarah Brightman after taking a wrong turn sometime.
I also went to the Strindberg exhibit at the Tate Modern today. I figured his important role in the 1890s and in the artistic history of Sweden meant I should have a look. The paintings made me squint to try to find the hidden patterns in the dark paint that had been layered on the canvas; they were puzzling and haunting. I especially liked those of sea storms, while his turn toward alchemy and the photography of 'life essences' late in life was kooky but an interesting combination of his early work and new forms of technology. I also went to a very exciting 'irish in england' exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery; there were some great manuscripts and drawings about/by fellows like Yeats, Shaw, Wilde, and Boucicault. Not to mention a big painting of Charles Stewart Parnell a few months before his death.
I also went to Cafe Nero on Old Compton St. A good place for people watching. Finally, I began some long term theatre planning. I would have taken in a play, but unfortunately most of the theatres are closed on Sunday. I also took a long nap...I was still tuckered out after not sleeping on Friday night (touring Halo--the traincar bound for drama--and Cobalt with an occasionally shirtless Mr. Naftali). Despite this fatigue, I still did well on the plane, reading both _Hedda Gabler_ and _Julius Caesar_, two plays that I want to see while I'm here. Tomorrow I'm going to begin the manuscript work. Should be exciting!
And did you know that you can get glossy 8 by 10 shots of the individual desperate housewives at a little card shop in Soho? Chris, is this a good idea for a souvenir for you? They're hot, they'd be imported...but they're not British...hmmm...
