Second Star to the Right: History, Theatre, and Stories

We found ourselves again in classes this morning, only this morning we were banished to the basement. We've been attending classes at the Hyde Park Chapel, which is a beautiful building very close to our apartments. Today as we were walking inside the building we were joined by another group of students that were also from BYU. There was a funny moment as the two groups regarded one another as we walked towards the same classroom. (What are they doing here? More BYU students? We are better than you). Apparently the room was double booked and we were instead sent to the basement. Our territory! Ok, time for a new War of the Roses. Blue vs White! (The other group will actually be moving in to the London Centre later, so this shouldn't be happening again).
After class Sarah, Emily, Ben, Dallin, and I went to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum. This museum is actually really close to our flats, and is just down the road from the Hyde Park Chapel. I've been meaning to go there for a little while now! During my last trip here I visited briefly, but the museum is so big that there is a lot to be seen! It was almost a completely new experience going back this time around! We explored a lot of Greek and Rococo exhibits that had everything from statues to tapestries! There were so many things to be seen wherever you looked! We then made our way to Rennaisance and Victorian exhibits. Our favorite areas were always the "Exploration Zones" because they usually had stuff that you can touch. We like touching things. We tried on cravats, learned how to build chairs, wore authentic gauntlets, and made our own coat of arms. It definitely brought out the children in each of us! The exhibits at this museum are brilliant.
We also stumbled upon an entire exhibit dedicated to the theatrical arts, which we found very fitting. They had some great items in the collection like costumes and props used in famous shows. I almost collapsed when I saw that they had the harness that was worn by the original Peter Pan in the first performance of the play! So cool! They also had costumes from shows like The Lion King and The Sound of Music. (We also took the opportunity to try on some of the sample costumes they had in the corner. I wore a fat aristocrat suit. It was awesome). We spent a good two and a half hours at the museum and still didn't get to see everything there! We had to breeze through the jewelry room just to get back to the flats to do some homework.
After sneaking in some homework, I went we made our way over to Covent Garden to find some food. This was the first day that I did not take my umbrella with me, so of course it began pouring the minute we stepped of the tube. We found ourselves running from building to building to try and keep warm. I broke off with Jessica, Alli, and Lindsey to go and eat at Shake Shack. I was under the impression that this was some British experience I had missed out on, but came to find out it's actually an American establishment in London. It's an East Coast thing. Who knew? I got a burger and a delicious cup of ice-cream, though it felt peculiar getting something so American while abroad. We ate in the always colorful Covent Garden while listening to various street performers and taking shelter from the rain.
Our group got back together and bought some Ben's Cookies (so much goodness) before going to the New London Theatre to see Warhorse. I was mildly excited for this play because some people had told me it would be amazing. I did not expect to be so blown away. The show was spectacular. The horses and all other animals were portrayed through so very impressive puppet work. I was so absorbed by the portrayal that I had to remind myself that there were people controlling them at times. The staging and effects used were fantastic. There was a big strip of what looked like a massive paper across the top of the stage that they projected images onto that portrayed dates and various other images. The stage had a rotating platform similar to Les Miserables, and the actors ran out into the audience with flags and guns. There was a narrator of sorts that sang folk music and the cast would sometimes join in the singing of songs. The actors were amazingly talented and sold the story so well. I feel like now matter how I try I just can't fully describe the experience that was had at this performance. I bawled like a baby during the whole second act, and I was so grateful for the stories that can be told through this spectacular medium. I've always been a devourer of books and I attended plays in my adolescence, but I am so grateful for the discovery of theater that I received as I grew older. It's a beautiful form of art and a way of telling the most fantastic stories.

“The stage is a magic circle where only the most real things happen, a neutral territory outside the jurisdiction of Fate where stars may be crossed with impunity. A truer and more real place does not exist in all the universe.”
― P.S. Baber, Cassie Draws the Universe

Victoria and Albert Museum!