Theater

Behind the Curtain

by Daniel J. Ennis

Study abroad was out of reach for me as an undergraduate. The always-necessary part-time job during the school year, the full-time job during the summer, the pull of family, the easy comfort of friends . . . all these things allowed me to ignore the international programs posters at my undergraduate institution. It was as a graduate student that I had my first taste of study abroad, and even to this day, more than a decade later, the six weeks I spent in London still resonate and exert an influence upon my career.

I was studying English at Auburn University and heard from my adviser about a summer program in London designed to teach research skills to those interested in British Literature. The trip would also help us graduate students—all hoping to be professors in a few years—learn how to lead undergraduates through London, covering what to see, how to get there, where to stay . . . the works. There was funding available through a university endowment to help defray the costs of the trip. Ten students—all of whom I knew from my classes—were already signed up. Six months later I was sharing a tiny apartment in the Chelsea section of London with a fellow graduate student. By day we learned from the experts how to conduct research in the huge libraries and archives of the United Kingdom. By night I pursued a different education.

I had always been interested in theater, and within the limited confines of my background I’d seen quite a bit—local amateur theater in my hometown, undergraduate productions, and the occasional touring company visit to a nearby big city, but it was in London that I was able to study drama firsthand. It didn’t take long to see that our rented flat was cursed with terrible TV reception and that London was blessed with hundreds of plays in production at any one time. Through the magic of student discounts, the much-loved Half Price Ticket Booth in Leicester Square, and an English cheap-tickets practice called the “concession,” I had a universe of affordable live theater at my fingertips. My roommate, browsing the entertainment guide that had been left on the coffee table by the previous occupants, pointed out that you could go out night after night for weeks and never see the same play twice. I decided to see if that was true—could I fill almost every possible evening with theater? With more than 100 theaters in greater London it could be done—the hard part was deciding what to see.

I sampled everything: Broadway-style big-budget West End productions. Classic repertory productions by the Royal Shakespeare Company. Lesser-known contemporary pieces at fringe theaters. Experimental productions at the universities. I even saw the medieval play Everyman performed in a parking garage for only £1.50. Sometimes my friends would join me; other times, on nights when I wasn’t at the famous Globe or the Olivier, I ventured off alone, navigating the London Tube, seeking out little-known theaters (including one hidden in the back of a pub that was “closed to non-members” until I explained my quest to the skeptical bartender!).

My limited budget made finding the right ticket a challenge—anyone, whether in London or New York (or many other American cities), can see a play if they have enough money, but the only way I could stretch my entertainment funds across six weeks was to take advantage of the cheap and off-the-wall. There was a theater showing a Harold Pinter play that let you stand in the back of the auditorium for a penny. I saw The Who’s Tommy for half price by waiting until right before the opening curtain and getting a “rush” ticket.

By the time I was ready to head home I’d done it—30 plays in 40 days, from Shakespeare in the park to Billy Budd at the Royal Opera House. I did it on a shoestring, improvising, and making no distinctions. As long as I was in a theater with the lights going down by 7 p.m., I was satisfied. I saw the great and the terrible, stars and bit-players, elaborate special effects and bare stages. Little did I know that what had begun as a bit of a lark would actually become a key part of my preparation as a professor both back home in the classroom and on many subsequent trips overseas.

A few years later, nearing the completion of my degree, I was searching for a job. In every interview I was able to draw on two things: first, my study abroad experience had prepared me to lead students on similar trips (my faculty mentor had done a good job pointing out ways that research and cultural experience could co-exist on study abroad trips). Second, as I talked about teaching literature, I was able to remark particularly about drama, how knowledge of performance could inform the reading of a play. In a job market where there were lots of candidates with the right credentials, my ability to talk about study abroad as an integral part of undergraduate education was an edge. Without my realizing it, employers were viewing my study abroad experience as study abroad expertise. I was someone who could contribute to their international travel programs.

In the years since I’ve been able to use my study abroad experience as a template for the student trips I’ve led as a professor. I encourage students to set individual goals for their time overseas, to get beyond the official itinerary and explore, to (safely!) leave the tourist district behind and spend their time in ways that are impossible back in the United States. It is no longer just about London or theater for me; it is about pushing the students who sign up for the trips I lead to exhaust themselves in pursuit of the new, the different, and the unexpected.

As a scholar, I still teach and write about British drama, but as someone who believes that international travel should be available and encouraged for every undergraduate, I try to keep the enthusiasm, spontaneity, and resourceful optimism that I had as a young man, traveling through London in the early evening, looking for a place to see a play. AV

Daniel J. Ennis is an Associate Professor of English at Coastal Carolina University. He attended College of Charleston, Appalachian Stage University, and Auburn University.

Send Us Your Theater Submissions Now!