Summer Travel Program
Theatre in London
London is one of the most exciting and diverse cities in the world today. One of its undisputed chief attractions is its vibrant theater scene, continuing a rich tradition of dramatic production dating back to the days even before such luminaries as the great Shakespeare. As Hamlet’s own inimitable character Polonius reminds us (Act II, scene ii), London’s stage can boast the "best actors in the world, either for tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral, tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical-pastoral, scene individable, or poem unlimited…"
About the Program
This summer the Performing Arts Department of the University of Massachusetts Boston will offer students the opportunity study intensively English theater and then travel to the great city of London, international center for theater and the arts, to experience first-hand original dramatic productions.
Coursework of "Theatre in London" will begin with a thorough investigation into the evolution of the English stage by examining the major dramatic genres and styles that have appeared on London stages from the Middle Ages to present day in works that have enthralled theater-loving audiences for centuries. Students will become familiar with the plays of Shakespeare and the centrality of his work in the English theatrical tradition, and learn about the original Globe theatre for which he wrote his major plays and on whose stage he acted. After a month of academic study on the campus of UMass Boston, students will travel to London, England for a ten-day immersion experience in the London theatre scene, attending plays at some of the most significant theatres in the world, including the New Globe theatre, a nearly identical reconstruction of the original Globe. Students will also go to the Royal Court Theatre, home to many of the most exciting new plays and playwrights of the last fifty years including John Osborne, Edward Bond, Caryl Churchill, and Sarah Kane. Other possible productions that may be offered this summer season include the plays of Samuel Beckett.
The theatre experience in London will be intense: students can expect to attend no fewer than 10 productions during their stay. However, in addition to this serious exploration of theatre, ample time will be allocated for students to explore and appreciate London’s other offerings, including visits to some of the city’s most famous museums and cultural centers.
Program Agenda
| June 1 - June 29 | Students attend classes (T/Th) at the UMB campus, including a required pre-travel orientation session. |
| July 1 | Students travel to London, England. |
| July 2 - July 12 | Students reside in University College Summer Residence, Ramsay Hall, and attend theatrical productions and cultural sites. Travel by bus and tube. |
| July 12 | Students return to Boston campus (in time to attend UMB summer session II) |
Faculty
Robert Lublin is Associate Professor of Theatre in the department of Performing Arts. He specializes in theatre history and historiography and has published articles, reviews and book chapters on English and American theatre, including topics such as feminist pedagogy, Sarah Kane’s radical dramaturgy, and the sacred and the profane in early modern English literature. He has completed a book length study of costuming practices in early modern London, examining the visual semiotics that determined how apparel was understood when it was seen on the Shakespearean stage. In addition to teaching courses in theatre history and dramatic literature, Dr. Lublin also teaches acting, directs plays, and has experience as a fight choreographer.
Courses and Credit
All Participants first register for one three-credit course (included in program fee): THRART 329 Theatre in London (which fulfills dramatic literature requirement for theatre major). Students who wish to extend and deepen their academic experience may also register and earn 3 additional credits (for a fee of $550) in THRART 479 Independent Study (which fulfills upper division course requirement for theatre major).
Graduate level credit in English is possible by special arrangement. Applicants interested in graduate credit (from UMass) must obtain permission from Professor Robert Crossley, Director of Graduate Study before registering in the program.