Day 14: Stratford-upon-Avon, Day 1: The Shakespeare Institute.

The Lecture Hall, Shakespeare Institute

The Conservatory, Shakespeare Institute

So it begins.  The long road to achieving a PhD. has never felt more daunting or exciting than it has today.  In the morning introduction to the program I met the professors and re-introduced myself to a few of the students I met yesterday at the "Introductory Tea" held by the older students for the first-years.  It was held in Lecture Hall with about forty new students in attendance.  My program, Shakespeare Studies, I found out in the meeting that immediately followed is made up of about a dozen full-time students seeking their MA in Shakespeare Studies, with only two PhD. (with Integrated Study) students... myself being one of them and the only American in the room.  My program is headed up by Professor John Jowett, who is incidentally also my Academic Advisor, an editor for the Oxford books Complete Works of William Shakespeare, and someone I'm sure I'll be writing about a great deal here.  Though there was a great deal of initial information that all students need to know, as any graduate school starts off with, there was also a slight feeling of anxiety on my part as I was indoctrinated to the British school systems and their way of working.

While there wasn't much "lolling about" in between the induction ceremony to the Institute itself, and my other meetings this morning, I did get the opportunity to meet a few more people that were a part of the Shakespeare Studies program (or programme, if you prefer.)  The other programs that I observed meeting today were for Shakespeare and Education, and Shakespeare and Theatre, though I am sure other students were there as well.  There were forty of us after all.

The last thing I did this morning was a tour of library.  Without overreaching, I will say that this is where I will go to pray from now on.  Along with just about every volume ever written on Shakespeare and Renaissance Theatre, they have every paper clipping dating back to 1902 that contains words or pictures or anything to do with Shakespeare and his theatre, and I believe they have video copies of just about every Shakespeare movie, or play for TV, or BBC production that has been done along with the myriad of Shakespearean videos that have been produced on how to Act Shakespeare or Read Shakespeare... there might've even been an instructional manual on how to build a Shakespeare Costume for Halloween.  So, I'm gonna be busy for the next decade or so reading, watching, and discovering this library and all of its wisdom.

Students in the foyer of the Shakespeare Institute, First day of school

This afternoon I have yet another meeting for research students, and I'm sure an introduction to the process itself.  Tomorrow I have my first proper class, and this Wednesday I am going to see Twelfth Night at the Royal Shakespeare Company's Main Stage.

Oh, and I found out that The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Library (just up the street) has not one, but three copies of the First Folio, and that it might be possible for me to peruse these copies in my research. (Maybe, maybe not.) This is the largest collection besides the Folger Library in Washington, D.C... or at least, that is what I've been told by John Jowett.  I think I qualify as an extreme geek when I say that I am over-the-moon to have access to something like the First Folio, along with the wealth of knowledge that seems to be at everyone's fingertips here.

The Garden Out Back, Shakespeare Institute

Lastly, it is a strange place I have found myself in that the Glassy-Eye Syndrome is one that all of my fellow students have encountered at one time or another.  This very serious disease is extremely contagious in party-goers when speaking with a Shakespearean Scholar, usually accompanied by a desperate urge to use the bathroom, refill one's drink somewhere else, or suicidal tendencies.  This strange and wonderful place contains all Shakespearean Scholars which means we've all been on the receiving end of the Glassy Eye Syndrome, and are now ensconced with a veritable slew of people who not only wish to talk about Shakespeare, but it happens to be our favorite topic of conversation.

I realize that this entry has been a bit of a mish-mash of information and bad writing, but it's completely necessary for me to get all the crap out before I begin writing term papers of 4000 word lengths for each class, and my 15,000 word dissertation at the end of this year.

So, I'll be writing a terrible amount of crap here, intellectual and some not-so-intellectual, I'm afraid.

If I chance to talk a little wild, forgive me. -- Henry VIII, Act I, Sc. IV.
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