London and Stratford Study Abroad

Information Sessions

September 12 & 13, 2022 5:00 – 6:00 pm Room: THEA 110 For more information:

Program Overview

We start with a week of on-line classes in the US, followed by three weeks of study in London and Stratford-upon Avon, England. Students attend classes at Shakespeare’s London Globe and see productions at the Royal Shakespeare Company. As a group we see up to 9 shows abroad - many with actors you know from film and TV. Included are several Shakespeare productions in a range of styles, from perfectly recreated Elizabethan drama to a Macbeth set in post-apocalyptic Serbia. Trip excursions include Shakespeare’s Birthplace and grave, Borough Market, Buckingham Palace, the National Art Gallery, the Victorian and Albert Museum, Tate Modern Museum, Windsor Castle and much more.

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Program Criteria

The program is offered for both graduate and undergraduate credit. Participants must complete a department application form as well as an interview/audition with the program directors to determine the appropriateness for handling the academic and performance portions of the course. Once accepted, participants must also complete the required study abroad online application and be formally accepted by the Study Abroad Office.

What You Will Learn

This course centers around William Shakespeare’s plays, examined from two completely different approaches at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and Shakespeare’s Globe. We have classes on the historical context of the productions as well as talk backs with actors. At the Globe, we take classes in acting, voice, text, movement and historical dance. Students work on scenes which are rehearsed and performed in the Globe facilities.

Throughout the program, students keep journals of their experience, critiquing the plays we see, analyzing the production approaches, and recording personal discoveries and challenges encountered in our performance classes and time in England. This becomes a valuable record of the experience.

Typical Activities Include:

Go to the theatre to see a performance
Take classes in acting, movement, voice and text.
Discuss the production seen the night before.
Attend a Q&A session with an actor
An excursion to a museum or historical sites.
Mealtime is free time. Students can explore the area and taste the cuisine before rejoining the group for an evening performance.

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Locations & Facilities

Stratford Upon Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, is nestled into Warwickshire’s rural countryside, on the banks of the river Avon. One of the most important tourist destinations in the United Kingdom, Stratford is home to the Royal Shakespeare Company. We stay in charming bed and breakfast facilities in Stratford Upon Avon.

London offers so many cuisines and shops it will be hard to choose in one of the world's most multi-cultural city. Vibrant and bustling, the city has amazing attractions including outdoor markets, museums, art galleries, concerts, shopping centers and (of course) theatre. Landmarks such as St. Paul’s Cathedral, Big Ben, Tower Bridge and Westminster Abbey are known as much for their history as their architecture. We will be visiting many of these attractions through scheduled program activities, but there will also be plenty of free time for students to learn and see more on their own. Our rooms are at Alexander Fleming Hall, University of Westminster. It is in the Shoreditch area of London and close to just about everything!

2022 Program Dates

May 31 - June 9 On-line classes
June 11 Depart from US (overnight flight to London)
June 12 Coach to Stratford Upon Avon; Walking Tour
June 13 - June 17 Classes at the Birthplace Trust; Performances at the RSC
June 18 Coach to London; Walking Tour
June 19 - June 30 Classes and Performances at Globe
July 1 - Final performances/exam
July 2 - Depart London's Bankside House; continue travelling abroad or return home

TXST Courses – Students must register for BOTH (6 credit hours total)

TH 4323 Shakespeare Through Performance (Graduate level TH 5323)
TH 4324 Shakespeare: Text and Context (Graduate level TH 5324)

Shakespeare in Performance (TH4323/TH5323) will expose students to different approaches to the performance of Shakespeare’s plays. Shakespeare Through Performance will focus on contemporary performance practices while Shakespeare: Text and Context (TH4324/TH5324) will provide a historical and cultural background to the plays and the performances. In addition, we will examine textual implications of Shakespeare’s source materials and analyze his texts for language characteristics.

Application and More Information Interested students should please email Chuck Ney (cn12@txstate.edu) to be added to the program’s Canvas site for complete details including estimated program fees, sample itinerary, and application material.

Meet the Faculty

Chuck Ney, APD, is a director/actor with a career working on Shakespeare performance. He teaches the BFA Shakespeare class and the MFA Directing Shakespeare class every fall. He has directed productions at Shakespeare theatres across the US and given international talks on his performance research. He's published two books in his series Directing Shakespeare in America.

"My favorite thing is introducing students to Shakespeare in England. They often remark how the quality surpasses anything they’ve seen before. Students realize Shakespeare techniques can give them the skills to conquer ANY material.”

Kate Glasheen-Dentino, is an actor and voice, speech, and dialect coach as well additional faculty for this program. She's served as text coach for many Shakespeare productions and teaches a class on analyzing, embodying, and acting heightened language every fall.

"I love both traditional Shakespeare productions and those with a modern twist. Having earned my MFA from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, returning to London is like coming home. My favorite thing is to help students navigate a new country and new life experiences that will further enrich them as artists."