PHOTO ESSAY: All the World’s a Stage

Photos by Sam Kichler, Megan Schatz and Mya Strand

Quick! How many Shakespeare plays can you name off the top of your head? Can you name all 38 of them? Probably not. And hey, that's OK. (As long as you didn't miss "Romeo and Juliet," "Hamlet," and that Scottish play. Shhh… Don't say its name.)

For two weeks in January, 13 UW-Stout students step into the world of the Bard, experiencing city life by day and the majesty of theater by night in the study abroad experience, English Theater in London and Stratford-upon-Avon, led by UW-Stout Theatre Director Audric Buhr and Professor of English Kevin Drzakowski.

Buhr spent time in London and Stratford during his undergraduate studies 30 years ago, when he saw 20 shows in 20 days. "It was a lot to process and unpack, but it was an amazing experience that motivated me to continue to grow as an artist. It had an influence on the work I do in the theater now, inspiring some of the design choices I make," he said.

"To walk the same path as Shakespeare gives our students a better understanding of the influences surrounding the massive body of work created by the Bard," said Buhr, who completed his graduate studies in Ashland, Oregon, home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Students on the English Theater experience are given behind-the-scenes tours of premiere theaters, including the Globe Theatre, and attend three shows together: "The BFG" at the Royal Shakespeare Company Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon, "Twelfth Night" at the Barbican Theatre, and "Ballet Shoes" at the National Theatre in London.

"All of these shows were unique, with 'The BFG' being my favorite because of the use of puppets to portray characters at certain times in the production," said Megan Schatz, a construction management majorfrom Brookfield, who went to an additional three shows on her own: "Wicked," "The Phantom of the Opera," and Disney's "Hercules," which played on London's West End.

After "Ballet Shoes," they view the National Theatre overlooking the River Thames and Waterloo Bridge illuminated at night. Vivid colors dance, reflected in the dark waters below. "It was very peaceful, and it gave off a very calming vibe, which was a nice touch after an emotional show," said Sam Kichler, a business administration majorfrom Clear Lake.

For several years, Drzakowski taught an honors seminar, Reimagining Shakespeare, where the class read Shakespeare's plays and then compared them with modern-day plays, movies and books. "There was never a shortage of material, because Shakespeare continues to inspire great writing and thinking in the 21st century," he said.

"One of the things I love most about teaching Shakespeare is being part of a centuries-long tradition. Ever since the 1600s, audiences have been fitting Shakespeare's themes and ideas into their times," he added. "What matters most about Shakespeare's plays is not their settings, or even their plots, but their characters. The emotions and introspection of those characters, captured so memorably in the Bard's peerless language, speak to the human condition in any age, any place."

In Stratford-Upon-Avon, the class gathers at Anne Hathaway's cottage and garden. During a tour of the home of Shakespeare's wife, they learn about Anne's life and the time period, including the produce that was grown in the 1500s. Even during the off-season, the gardens are beautiful.

Aside from their guided tours, students also have time to walk and sightsee in the cities. On a quiet London side street on their way to a café, Kichler captures an image to recreate later in a drawing.

Mya Strand, a video production majorfrom Becker, Minnesota, originally wanted to join the class to learn more about theater. "It quickly became so much more than that," she said. "A completely new country awaited me. I think travel is so important to experience. You have the opportunity to meet new people, experience new cultures and explore the unknown. On this trip, I learned so much about myself, theater and a different culture. You are exposed to new things, which allow you to evolve and grow."

Strand's words, like poetry, highlight small but memorable moments during the trip: A lone swan stands atop the frozen River Avon, outside of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. It finds comfort in the cold. Blues and whites are painted across the sky. It's so cold, you can smell the ice.

The well-known English double-decker bus looms behind the iconic pigeon. The snow from the day before melts beneath the bird's feet. People walk along, unfazed by the pigeon's existence. He waits for food that may never come.

When a small group exits Westminster Underground Station and steps onto the sidewalk on Bridge Street, they are greeted by Big Ben and the River Thames. "It was a huge shock to us. We were not expecting to see Big Ben," said Kichler, who is "both a huge nerd of theater but also its history. Being able to travel to where theater has a lot of history was a very fun experience. I've always loved traveling to be able to see how things are done differently but also just to see new beauty that I don't get to see back home."

For Schatz, two must-see stops are Big Ben and a red telephone booth. "On this road, there are a lot of booths with picturesque backgrounds of Big Ben, so this area is very busy. Lots of tourists are stopping to take pictures and see all the historic sites on the block," she said.

Walking near Westminster Bridge at night, Strand feels the cold air hit as cars and buses fly by. "The noise of the busy city is drowned out by the view of Big Ben. Words can't describe how cool it is to see the landmark viewed in so many movies before," she said.

Just two blocks from Big Ben stands the breathtaking Westminster Abbey, the royal church where every coronation has taken place since 1066. Four of the students attended the Sung Eucharist. "The experience was unforgettable," Schatz said. "As we walked through the Abbey, the echoes of the organ filled the air, and it felt as though the centuries of history woven into its walls were quietly rising up around us."

An hour's walk down the river from the landmark clock tower and Abbey is the Tower of London. Two of the six ravens - the tower's permanent avian residents - mimic the noises around them. A myth states that if the ravens leave, the tower will fall. "With the birds being able to get really close to people, it made the experience feel that much more majestic, but it also did lead to the temptation to try to pet them," Kichler said.

The White Tower stands with the iconic Tower Bridge in the background. The 900-year-old tower has served several purposes, including a fortress, royal residence, prison, and armory, and is now a museum where the crown jewels are displayed.

"When seeing the crown jewels, I felt very out of place because they hold so much history. It was very interesting to learn about the uses of the tower, the history of England and the crown," said Schatz, who had never traveled outside of the U.S. but wanted to experience a different culture. "I'm glad the first time I left the country was with a faculty-led program because even though I didn't know anyone else that was going, I was with a group of students who shared something in common - we are all students at Stout," she said.

Schatz is a huge Harry Potter fan. "I knew I had to go to King's Cross Station and go through Platform 9 ¾. Throughout our time in London, I was also able to go to other sights that were filming locations for the franchise. It was amazing to see the places where one of my favorite stories came to life," she said.

At Notting Hill Gate Station, the cold stones contrast against the warm sun. Two friends are waiting together. Echoes of the wheels screeching to a stop resound in the Tube.

The constantly moving city is contrasted by the still buildings of the Royal Exchange and Cornhill Street. The air is cold and sharp. The ground is painted with fresh rain. The sounds of tires against the ground mingle with the footsteps of the people walking along the street.

On their last day in London, a small group watches the ceremonial changing of the King's Guard at Buckingham Palace. After talking to a local, they decide to watch at Wellington Barracks, where the new guard forms and has inspections, while the Regimental Band plays songs. Then, precisely at 10:57 a.m., the guard walks to the palace, where the official change takes place.

The class walks the streets of Oxford, where Buhr and Drzakowski find themselves locked in the pillory (just for fun) at Oxford Castle and Prison.

In the city of Bath, the class learns what has made the city so famous throughout its history, including its Roman-style baths, built around 70 AD.

Near the University of Oxford, a couple stands together, viewing the world amongst the tall buildings. The soft snow beneath their feet shares the color of the bright sky. The sounds of the city are quieter in this corner.

On another day in Oxford, the smell of fresh rain and freshly baked pastries fills the air. Bicycles and cars on George Street drive by while couples walk along.

Across the city, a sliver of the world on Magpie Lane is viewed through a small lens. A new street awaits, pointing the way forward, the stones still wet from the morning rainfall.

Just a few hours outside of London stands the iconic Stonehenge. The class can't help diving into all the theories, both the conspiracies about how these massive stones ended up in their precise formations and the discoveries scientists have made over the years.

"And of course, even in the rain, I had to take the classic cheesy photo holding the stones. It's impossible to resist," Schatz joked.

Study abroad opportunities are a part of Stout Core, foundational education classes at Wisconsin's Polytechnic University. Through Stout Core's areas of expertise, students gain global perspectives, communication and critical thinking skills, ethical reasoning, and more, so they graduate ready to do more on day one.

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