Oh Danny Boy. . .

Yes, I am coming to you today from Londonderry! I can now officially say that I've been to the UK as I am in Northern Ireland. But, before I get to Derry (as its known), I would like to comment on my last few days in Galway.

Mom and I had a very nice time, but what stood out was our theater experiences. On Friday, we went to a reading of a new play called The Home Front. This was my first time viewing a staged reading, so it was very interesting to watch. The actors were great, interacting with one another even from their chairs. The play was okay, although mom and I didn't get all of the jokes -- everyone else in the audience seemed to be part of the 'Galway theatre community.' The playwright was in the audience; he was very young -- just recently graduated from grad school I believe. I think that the experience itself was great. I loved that it gave a young writer a great opportunity to exhibit his work, and if I ever run or work for a theater company, I definitely want to incorporate something like this in our season.

Saturday we went to a completely different show -- we saw A Midsummer Night's Dream presented by an all-male, English theatre group called 'Propeller.' The director of this company wanted to take a new approach to Shakespeare, and that he does -- the cast members all have buzz cuts and none ever wear wigs. When they are playing female characters, they simply add a skirt or something over their while bodysuits. The director also wanted to add animation-like physical characteristics, so the actors are often hopping and creeping all over the stage. It was, once again, a very different theatrical experience for me, and of course was very enjoyable (they took some hysterical liberties towards the end!)

So this morning I said good-bye to Billy, Mary, Busby, and Galway, and mom and I headed up to Derry. The drive got more beautiful as we got further North, although Derry itself has seemed a very dreary place. Taking into account that it is Sunday and most shops are closed, it still seems like there are very few people around. We are staying near Bogside, the area where Bloody Sunday occurred (review your history!) Being right on the border of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, there is a long history of conflict here. We visited the museum and viewed the many murals commemorating the events of the 1960s and 70s. We then went into the walled city and looked around -- it was a beautiful view, but definitely had a creepy air about it! I was told by one of the professors at NUI Galway that there have been some recent conflicts here again, so we'll be staying in this evening! We actually just had a nice dinner, and I'm looking forward to a night to relax. Tomorrow we head to the coast to check out the Giant's Causeways!