Stratford-upon-Avon has had an air of familiarity since we arrived. There is a tone and atmosphere which reminds me of small-town America in some ways. If it weren’t for the historic tudor architecture everywhere, you could probably convince me that I was tucked into a small river town in Michigan, rather than just a few …
Author Archives: shilohbemis
Victoria and Albert May Be Compensating for Something With the Sheer Amount of Items They Have on Display
Victoria & Albert Museum – Theatre Exhibition Our visit to the Victoria & Albert Museum was a little overwhelming, to be honest. Although I’m not the most attentive museumgoer (I don’t stop to read every plaque or examine every piece) I do generally like to take in every room and feel that I haven’t missed …
In Which I Stop Lecturing My Roommate About Buildings and Get Schooled on London Cuisine for a Change
Gymkhana – A New Food Experience I have shamelessly benefited from having a roommate, Isaac (Table_4_Three) who is an expert in all things culinary, and two weeks into the trip I found myself sitting down in the Michelin-starred restaurant Gymkhana, near the Green Park tube stop, and just around the corner from the Ritz Hotel. …
The Tragedy Here is not the Story, but the Directorial Sabotage of Some Fine Acting
Fringe Theatre: Girl on an Altar Our experiences with fringe theatre in London, thus far, have presented what I would consider a full spectrum of possible theatre experiences. House of Shades, at the Almeida Theatre, featured some of the best writing, acting, and partner work that I’ve seen on stage. I walked out of that …
Tennessee Williams Cannot Actually Roll Over in His Grave, but I May Dig Him Up and Flip Him Just to Make a Point
The Glass Menagerie Widely considered one of Tennessee Williams’s best plays, The Glass Menagerie is a memory play, examining the complicated themes of family, responsibility, and generational trauma through the lens of the young man Tom Wingfield and his family in depression-era St. Louis. Tom is a factory worker, whose mother Amanda and sister Laura …
These Gothic Fan Vaults are Even Higher than My Expectations Were
Westminster Abbey This was the visit I had been most looking forward to on the trip. While I am naturally a fan of the neo-classical architecture that we saw at St. Paul’s Cathedral, I can’t pretend that I am not partial to the gothic aesthetics that are on full display at Westminster. While I couldn’t …
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Is the Town this Clean *Because* Its Called Bath?
This is a place which feels just the right size, with just the right amount of history. An important center, but not with the overwhelming sprawl, rubbish and overwhelming dining options of the London metropolis. Definitely more my speed if I was to be here long term. Roman Baths I had a great time working …
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Elle is Better When She’s Not in the Woods (alt title: Blonde, Legally Blonde)
Legally Blonde, ~outdoors~ As a rule, I don’t engage with musicals at all until I’ve seen them on stage. I avoid listening to music or watching recordings of any show, including the big ones like Hamilton, until I’ve seen them on stage. For me, this preserves the sanctity of the first viewing. On a few …
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So Many Pleasant Surprises
St. Jerome in His Study While generally my personal tastes favor modern and contemporary art over historic and representational pieces, the sheer size and quality of the collection at the National Gallery made this morning more enjoyable than our trip to the Tate Modern for me. A huge surprise for me was getting to see …
The Unmistakable Feeling of Being “Whelmed”
Tate Modern The building has long been a favorite of mine as a shining example of adaptive reuse. Overall, I’m disappointed to say that both the building and collection felt entirely adequate but didn’t blow me out of the water as expected. Fortunately both architecture and art were punctuated by enough high points that my …
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Theatre in London U of A 