Fur. Cigarette smoke. Killer high heels. Borscht.
What do these things have in common? Well, they are all about to become part of my daily surroundings. Yes, that's right folks...I'm leaving for THE RUSSIA. Or to be more specific, THE MOSCOW.
As part of my graduate school program in dramaturgy at the (get ready for it) American Repertory Theater/Moscow Art Theatre School Institute for Advanced Training at Harvard University we spend three months in residency at the Moscow Art Theatre School during our first year. This MFA program is two years, five semesters…aka I’ve been in classes since the beginning of July in Cambridge. After the summer we’ll return to finish our second year here in Cambridge.
But I must admit, in this rigorous program full of classes, Teaching Fellowship work, article writing, and production assignments, studying the Russian language always fell low on my priority list. I was pretty terrified of the Moscow portion for the first five or six months of the program because of my language incompetency. But then it hit me…other people have gone to Russia before knowing even LESS Russian than me and survived. In fact, they’ve even ENJOYED themselves. I’m going to be okay.
Well, I can say that now, but who knows. In addition to the wonderful second-year class of actors and dramaturgs, I have my own amazing support network of Russia-related friends: Erica (who studied there junior year and just completed her Fulbright there), Caitlin (also studied abroad in Moscow), Anya and her sister Lena (Russian friends turned Americans), and Heidi (ART grad from 2009). I feel like I’ve been stuffed to the gills with Russia advice. "Beware the ever-present Moscowl." "Your clothes will smell like smoke the whole time." "Don’t look police in the eyes and avoid them at all costs." The list goes on.
Adjustment periods are always a bit rough, and I wish I could jump to week three, when I know my way around, feel comfortable enough going out to explore, and my Russian skills have even improved. But until that time, I’m blessed to have these people in my life who send me lists, put me in touch with friends in Moscow, show me photos, talk to me for hours, and answer all my questions. I’m going to miss them and my other unbelievably supportive, wonderful friends and family in Cambridge so much.
I leave on Sunday night February 28th for the Motherland. But the dramatrekking won’t end there, oh no. On May 25th we depart Moscow, but I will be traveling for another month. The itinerary looks a little something like this:
May 25th: possibly spend the day in Zurich (our layover) and make a pilgrimage to the Cabaret Voltaire, the birthplace of Dada! Then fly to London with my friend and classmate Laura to drop our luggage at the flat of the amazing and oh-so accommodating former-flat mate and lifelong friend Emily Whitebread.
May 26th—June 1st: Delhi, India with Laura. She has family friends there who are graciously hosting us, and we’ll also take a trip to see the Taj Mahal. There’s a drama festival going on then so fingers crossed we can see shows.
June 1st—June 8th: Athens and Santorini with Laura, including a pilgrimage to Epidaurus.
June 8th—June 19th: London for the first visit since I studied abroad there in 2006-2007. Spending quality time with Emily and other British friends, filling my heart’s content with free museums, outdoor markets, pub grub, and of course the theatre. I will most likely make a little trip to Paris in there (hopefully with a friend from home who is trying to make a trip happen!), where I can spend hours in the Centre Pompidou, eat croissants, and dust off my French.
June 19th—June 27th: Rome and Florence with Emily where we will look at art and eat gelato all day long.
June 27th—June 29th: London to repack and probably cry because nothing will fit in my luggage anymore.
June 29th: Zurich then back to BOSTON.
I hope you’ll enjoy my four months of cultural mishaps, mistakes, and misadventures. You can also chart my progress as I try to implement my critical writing professor Arthur Holmberg’s advice: Economy of language. Active verbs. Compelling hooks and thesis statements…
I also tend to overuse ellipses, so I’ll be working on that too…next time.
