Immersed in theater
Exploration is center stage during faculty-led study abroad trip to London
Tucked away from the busy streets of one of the world’s most popular cities, the IES Abroad London Center hosts college students from institutions around the globe who are participating in study abroad programs or internships in London. The center’s five-story Georgian building, surrounded by stately trees and welcoming green space, serves as a resource for students during their stay.
This summer, it was the perfect setting for seven inquisitive Wheaton College students and Professor of Theatre Stephanie Burlington Daniels to gather and unpack all that they were learning each day as they explored the city.
The students traveled to London in June to participate in the immersive course “London Theatre: Culture and Critique,” which was offered for the first time and taught by Burlington Daniels.
The college offers more than 100 global experiences in 45 countries through its Center for Global Education. This was one of two faculty-led programs held this summer. The other trip was to Spain and Morocco.
The London group attended a wide variety of nine live performances, gained exposure to a diverse theatrical culture and learned how to critique the productions with clarity and authority. They also were introduced to the culture of England by living in the city for two weeks and visiting museums, touring theaters and exploring an area rich with history and iconic architecture. See gallery of photos.
Prior to their arrival, the students read The Empty Space: A Book About the Theatre: Deadly, Holy, Rough, Immediate by Peter Brook, which served as a reference for their discussion of the performances they attended.
While in London, students kept a journal to log their activities and thoughts. For their final project, they wrote a paper either critiquing or comparing and contrasting several plays of their choosing.
“The Empty Space includes an awesome quote that emphasizes letting go,” said Burlington Daniels. “So when you walk into a theater you are brave enough to disregard your preconceptions so that you can be as present as possible to take in what you see without any preconceived notions or judgements. … That connects to this idea of radical joy. I wanted the students to use that idea as a framework for our entire trip.
“It has been, I would say, radical, the way that the group has coalesced. It also has been profound for me as the teacher to set that structure and then to see the seed of it grow in each one of their experiences in articulate ways.”
During an interview in the London center, students sat at desks in a circle and lauded the experience from several angles. “It has been great to see all these shows with people who I can talk to about them and analyze them with,” said Morgan Calverley ’25 a theatre and visual art major. “We’ve also been to Tate Modern (an international modern and contemporary art gallery) and the National Gallery. I’ve been really inspired by what I’ve seen.”
Emma Bradshaw ’25, who is majoring in theatre and cross media storytelling and production, was awed by the Globe Theatre.
“Being at the Globe and seeing a production there is so different. … Standing right up against the stage and making eye contact with the actors was really cool,” said Bradshaw about their viewing of “Richard III.”
Bradshaw joined the group on a Wheaton College Filmmaker in Residence Fellowship, which funds students to travel with faculty-led international courses and produce films about the experiences and issues being studied. She recently completed a Q&A about the trip in a blog post.
English major Teddy Girouard ’25 gained a deeper understanding of the purposefulness of crafting a narrative on stage.
“I’m thinking much more about the intentionality of storytelling, how stories can be told in different ways. I talked to one of my friends for an hour after seeing ‘Bluets’ because I had never seen anything like it and it just really made me think,” said Girouard, who decided to pursue a minor in theatre after completing the London course.
Norah Laoui ’24, a recent graduate who majored in film and new media studies and international relations, aspires to work in the film industry.
“I’m seeing and learning how actors interact with each other. After the first play (“House of Ife” at RADA) we spoke with the actors and the playwright and it was great to ask them about character development,” Laoui said.
Joey Del Santo ’25, a theatre and music major, enjoyed seeing the many ways there are to execute theater productions.
“I’ve never experienced musical theater or seen Shakespeare the way that I am viewing it now. There are a lot of different ways and they’re all successful. You need to find your audience and to feel free as an artist to experiment with the form,” Del Santo said.
For Cam Talmage ’26, a theatre major, exploring the technical side of things was intriguing.
“This trip has been really helpful for seeing set design and gaining different perspectives on it,” Talmage said. “Taking a tour of the National Theatre and going backstage and learning that they build an entire set in a replica room, and then take it down and rebuild it on the stage was amazing.”
The excursion across the Atlantic also provided some additional benefits for the students. Several said the experience boosted their self-confidence and enhanced their ability to be more open-minded and to better articulate their viewpoints. It also increased their willingness to explore the unknown.
“It has been great to do new things and to realize that I can do ‘adult’ things like take a flight, figure out public transportation or sit alone,” said Calverley.
