This past summer Asbury University Theatre and Cinema Performance students traveled across the pond to impact the world with their talents. The THA 393 Seminar: Acting at the Globe was led by Dr. Jim Shores and Professor Carol Anderson for three weeks.
The ten Asbury students involved studied acting at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre for over five hours a day working on a 45-minute version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which they then got to perform at the Globe.
Senior Allie Mackey said, “The classes really pushed me outside of my comfort zone and helped me cross boundaries I never thought I would.”
According to Shores, their director was Peter Hamilton Dyer who has been in Downton Abbey and many West End and Broadway shows. The students were also able to see 10 shows in London and visited various museums and cathedrals.
Aside from getting to perform at the Globe Theatre, the group took a trip to Scotland where they performed an original play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for four nights to sold-out houses. The Fringe Festival is the largest arts festival in the world, dating back to 1947.
“The 80-minute piece, entitled ‘Crowned with Glory and Honor,’ dealt with pro-life issues,” said Shores. “It was a series of vignettes based on interviews depicting the value of life.” According to Shores there was “literally a line down the stairs and out to the side walk of people trying to get in.”
The show was written by Jerry Averill, an arts missionary in Scotland for Greater European Missions. It was supported by a generous grant from the Huston Foundation; Professor Anderson was the director and Shores was the producer. Both of them were given the opportunity to revise the script to work better with the actors. Shores and Anderson agreed that the script changes “strengthened the show and made it fly.”
“People come to these shows to connect, to feel. It isn’t passive entertainment at all; it’s very active,” said Senior Hannah Barlow.
She continued, “You typically don’t get the opportunity to witness to complete strangers who come to you with such open minds. I think that’s pretty incredible.”
