Lauren Conroy

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Overview

I came into this trip to London full of hope and excitement. I truly was not let down. My goals were to learn more about the modern Shakespeare plays, to explore the tech and scenic designs of the theaters here and create a little scene for a play. During high school, I attended two music classes that counted for my breath and at WPI, I attended two theater classes for my depth. Through those prior experiences and the then current classes, I began getting involved in theater production. During my first year at WPI I was the assistant lighting designer for , makeup artist and assistant sound engineer, I was super excited to get started. I fell deeper in love with theater.

Milestone 1

The Shakespeare Effect
Objective: Discovering what influenced Shakespeare's writings in terms of writing style and each play's plot as well as what influences he has had on society today

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Milestone 2

Across the Pond and Through the Woods
Objective: Exploring the tech and scenic designs of London theater productions.

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Milestone 3

Capstone: Becoming a Playwright
Objective: Writing a short 5- 7 minute play scene with London themes.

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Activity Journal

The activity journal represents an ongoing log of reflections gained through each and every project activity on the calendar.

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Activity #1 Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London and the British Library

Today, we took our first official (I guess the past couple days don't really count) steps into London and its deep rich culture. The day started off with picking ups some lunch, which consisted of a ham and cheese sandwich, a bag of chips (or crisps as the British like to call them) and a bottle of water. I then took a leisurely stroll to Farringdon station hopped on a train to Blackfriar station and a train to Westminster. Then I arrived, relatively on time, to our meeting place at Westminster Abbey to find the group.
When we walked into the Westminster Abbey, all I could think was how ornate it was. Each wall was decorated from floor to ceiling with statues and fancy tiling. We even got to see the chair where all the monarchy were coronated in. Funny enough, I never knew how much people revered the Royal family until I met our guide. He must have mentioned the Royal wedding and the royal coronation a dozen times. Fun fact, I didn’t know that Great Brittan was the first country to ever use the term the unknown soldier and didn’t know what the poppies meant. I had always known that poppies had some significance in World War I because they were always a person around Veteran’s day ask for a donation to a military service and in turn giving them a poppy, but I never thought to connect the two.
After we left Westminster Abbey we took a subway car to The Tower of London. The most impactful building was when we went to the Bloody Tower and we found out that King Richard III’s children were murdered by their uncle after the king died in order that he would immediately have the throne. I knew London had some dark history, but targeting children is where I kinda draw the line. On a bright side, the Crown Jewels of London were beautiful. There were so many beautiful gem encrusted swords and crowns that shown quite beautifully in the light! I can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store!

Activity #2 St. Paul's Cathedral

On today's journey, the group ventured to St. Paul's Cathedral. The opulence of Christian Rin's Baroque design was amazing. Evey wall was covered with marble statues, detailed painting and colourful icons that helped every visitor focus on the importance of faith in their lives. It was amazing to learn that this building was the first of its kind to have a dome with a Baroque styled building. The Baroque style emphasizes the tension and the emotion of each motion portrayed in all the works of art. I also found it amazing that the church was rebuilt 5 times due to fires and wars and is still standing today. The item that stood out to me the most was the cross like sculptures hanging from the two sides of the pillars that lead to the first altar. The Great War Commemorative Sculptures were created by Gerry Judah to remember those who had died in World War I (1914-1918) and were created back in 2014 of the 100th anniversary of WWI. Embedded onto each sculpture is intricate models of cities and settlements that were decimated by the conflict. The structures recall the pity and devastation that had occurred 100 years ago; the artist wants them to serve as a reminder to us of the destruction so we can prevent it from happening again. To me, the sculptures were so beautiful and so intricate. If someone only looked at it at face value, they may not have understood its significance. It reminds me that their beauty can come from pain but that we must be careful because beauty has a price.