C.O.D.: Shakespeare O.D.

My spring break was a whirlwind of witticisms, iambic pentameter, gelato, fake blood, One Direction, dancing, monuments, rhetoric, deep conversations amidst hot tub bubbles, and spell-binding theatre. If you tried to go back and tempt me to a beach somewhere instead I wouldn't trade my spring break at ASC in Staunton, Virginia for the world.

It was simultaneously strange and magnificent to be back again after living there this summer. Wandering around Staunton brought back the feel of the summer. I did miss some people, though - some of the people I spent the most time with this summer were gone, so it didn't feel quite the same. We stayed at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel and Conference Center - I had only ever been in the lobby during the summer. It was nice - pretty plush compared to living in the dorm, though that was not at all a bad experience either. Except for the [multiple] times the power went out and I had to take the stairs to the fourth floor and shuttling my frozen goods over to the fridge in the Blackfriars Green Room so they wouldn't spoil. Those were fun times.

It was also fun to see Staunton at a different time of year. This summer I got a taste of Staunton with no air conditioning, and this time around I experienced Staunton buried under a pile of snow. Yay weather extremes.

There were supposed to be twelve of us but we started out with eleven, taking off on a faltering note the morning we were to leave. One of our triumvirate of professors fell ill, leaving the rest of us to try to negotiate the trip on our own. We made it, however, and all did seem to fall in place as we went along (though we missed our third professor incessantly). Fortunately, he managed to join us on the third day. And there was much rejoicing.

I enjoyed every single moment of the trip. The food and outings were wonderful (though my bank account was smarting by the end of the trip), the shows were incredible (I wanted to write individual reviews for each but "ain't nobody got time for that" - Custom of the Country at ASC, Henry V at the Folger Shakespeare Theatre, Julius Caesar at ASC, Henry VIII at ASC, and rehearsal observations of The Two Noble Kinsmen at ASC), the workshops and activities were great fun and beneficial, (see following photo of blood workshop)

and we made tremendous memories. Here is our official trip music video, for your consideration.