My Holy Pilgrimage

Monday, September 1, 2008

At 10AM we had class in the Breakfast Room. We discussed the plays that we’d seen, and the reactions were surprisingly varied. After we had seen Her Naked Skin, I was under the impression that everyone had been as disappointed as I had been, but some people didn’t think it as that bad. We argued about whether the lesbianism played into a stereotype or if it was supposed to further emphasize the alienation of women from a man’s life. We discussed what we thought the main plot of the play actually was supposed to be: the suffragette movement or Lady Celia’s personal story. I still think that the play was first written as a suffragette story and then had these personal layers added on top. Others thought that it was just advertised incorrectly, and that it really was a personal story set to the backdrop of the suffragette movement.
I really enjoyed Let There Be Love, but some people found it just as unstable a plot as I had found Her Naked Skin. The discussion did bring about some issues that I hadn’t really noticed when I saw it. Alfred’s racism, someone noted, was so pronounced in the first few scenes, and then dissipated within one scene of meeting Maria. There was also the issue of lesbianism in this play, and of estranged family members, interracial marriage, and generational conflict. Thinking back on it, I wish that the interracial marriage of Alfred’s older daughter had been expanded upon a bit more, but I think the rest of the issues were handled well. I didn’t feel distracted by too many storylines, as I did with Her Naked Skin.
Most people seemed to really enjoy Timon of Athens. A couple people found all the bungee cords and the net distracting, but many people thought that it helped keep there attention during what, poorly directed, could have been a very boring play. Our issues of comparison between the other plays here were mostly about staging. I think that most people found the Olivier Theatre (where we saw Her Naked Skin) to be too big, too distant. I thought that the environment made the play very cold and…sterile, which, perhaps, was the intention, since much of it takes place in a prison/hospital. Maybe this was supposed to make the audience feel as alienated as the suffragettes or Lady Celia personally. Maybe this was completely a mistake. In any case, it resulted in my not being invested in the characters or the outcome of their struggles.
I don’t think anyone had a problem with the Tricycle Theatre. I think people liked the more intimate setting of the smaller theatre.
Some people liked being a groundling and having the play take place all around them (including overhead!). Others thought it was too distracting, and, since we were standing just at stage level, it was hard to see some of the action. But just as Her Naked Skin felt cold and distant, I thought the set-up and staging of Timon of Athens made the play inviting, engaging, and warm, despite the subject matter.
The biggest issue as far as the plot of Timon of Athens was Timon’s motivation for being so generous. At first reading, and upon seeing the production, Timon seemed naïve and genuinely generous. Some people, however, raised an interesting point by arguing that Timon was not doling out charity but making an investment, trying to buy his friends in case he ever did need them. I tend to think the former because of the scene where Timon pays for one of his loyal servants to marry the girl he loves. That character never appears again and would have no means with which to repay the favor in the future. I am, however, open to arguments.

We tried to find the similarities between the three plays. Power struggle seemed to be the link between Her Naked Skin and Timon of Athens, and the issues of torture and misanthropy that arise because of the power struggle. Although I definitely enjoyed Let There Be Love, I fail to see the link between it and the other two plays. Perhaps the generational struggle could be compared to the gender struggle in Her Naked Skin, but that’s a stretch.

After a quick lunch, I went on a solitary pilgrimage to St. Giles Cripplegate in Barbican to see Milton’s burial place. This year marks the 400th anniversary of his birth, and many places in London are celebrating, if you know where to look. St. Giles’s is celebrating with a special evensong service on Sept. 17, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, during which they will sing songs written by Milton’s father, and there will be a reading of some of Milton’s works. Unfortunately, you need a ticket to get in. I went to ask about a ticket, and got a very strange look when, when asked if I was affiliated with the church at all, I answered, “No. I’m just a really big fan of Milton.” They were out of tickets, but I got put on the waiting list. I really hope I can go. It sounds like it will be amazing.
It was surprisingly a beautiful area. Strange, that this church is stuck in the middle of a rather modern flat complex in the business district. Reminded me a little of Lake Anne Plaza in Reston.
I really like the City. I always find myself drawn toward St. Paul’s. I’ve been going there a lot for the Tube stop, but I just really enjoy the atmosphere. I know that Wilson, in London: A History, mentions that it sometimes seems as if no one in London works because they’re always out and about, but I think that’s truer in Westminster than in the City. It was pleasantly quiet as I walked to St. Giles, and then up through the highwalks. The only people I saw, for the most part, were the occasional business men in suits, probably going to or from lunch.
From Barbican Station I intended to take the Circle Line down to the Victoria & Albert Museum, but something was wrong with it and it was only going to Baker Street, not the entire way around. It did, however, make a stop at King’s Cross, so I decided that this was the perfect time to find Platform 9 ¾. I had some nice Korean tourists take a picture for me, and then I jumped on the Piccadilly Line toward South Kensington to the V&A.
I’ve never seen such a collection of…collectables. I came in through the tunnel between the museums and the Tube, and the first room I encountered was titled “Europe: 1600-1800.” That one room I can only describe as the most luxurious Home and Design showroom I’ve ever seen (and I’d know, from all those years of following my parents around to showrooms). There were clocks, furniture, paintings, wall hangings, ivory sculptures, elaborately carved and inlayed boxes, whole rooms reconstructed. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see much of the museum because I had to rush back to Skype with Mike (who never actually turned up). The “Europe: 1600-1800” room was my favorite of what I saw, though. I felt more engaged with the way they set up the displays than in the other museums I’ve seen. I loved he reconstructed rooms, with the painted leather wallpaper and original wooden ceiling, or the ones that looked like they were plucked straight from Versailles. It gave me a far better sense for how certain pieces actually functioned in the homes of the people who collected them far better than the London Museum did in presenting the various artifacts found around London. Like the London Museum, things were presented in a rough chronology, but the London Museum lacked personality, I think. Just a collection of objects. The V&A’s exhibits created an environment. If someone asked me to pick one must-see site in London, I would pick this museum. In fact, if someone asked me to pick one place in the world to visit, it would probably be this museum. Remember the scene in National Treasure when the finally find the treasure and it’s this massive collection of artifacts from every possible era and area? Imagine that slightly more organized, but no less grand, and you have the V&A.

In the evening I was convinced to go to a gay club called Heaven, near Trafalgar Square, with Chris, Lauren, Alana, Katie, and Phil. We got there a bit early, so we wandered around and decided to stop at a pub. The one we ended up at was, ironically, called Halfway to Heaven, and was a gay bar. I wonder if they’re affiliated. I wasn’t in the mood to waste money, but everyone else had a drink. Phil was blatantly propositioned by a middle-aged drunken gay man, and we decided that that was our cue to leave. We wandered back to Heaven and got in line. After a rigorous security process, we went inside. The others got drinks and we sat down for a while, then we headed out to the dance floor. The music was a bit too loud, but good, and I’m a big fan of strobe lights. I was jealous when I saw people with glowsticks, and angry when I saw that they didn’t actually know how to rave. Next time I go clubbing, I’m bringing glowsticks and some shoelaces, and I’ll show them all. Phil, Alana, and Katie all managed to find partners at some point during the night. I started to feel a bit lightheaded from the lack of air, so I decided to leave. Lauren wasn’t feeling so well, either, and was a bit drunk, so together we managed to figure out the bus system and get back to the hotel. Last I checked, Chris, Phil, Alana, and Katie were still there. I texted them the buses they needed. I hope they get back all right.