ISTA Festival

This past week, I was a festival assistant for a company called ISTA who's mission is to bring together students, teachers, and professionals to experience the magic of theater.  The festival was held at RCS and the kids flew in from all over Europe.  Not all of the kids (aged 14-17) were drama enthusiasts (some were just along for the ride), but they were all willing and their participation was fantastic.

Crunch

I don't think I've even been upset more by a play than by Gary McNair's Crunch.  This lecture/test/sermon about the tyranny of money starts with a history of money and why we use it as a convenient way to give things value.  Gary then holds up an envelope and tells the audience there is money in it.  He says that he will give the envelope to the highest bidder.  The envelope was won for 31 pounds and ended up containing 50.

Black Watch

I feel like I've seen my first piece of truly Scottish theater tonight.  The Black Watch is Scotland's best known regiment and the play switches between a pub in Fife to an armored wagon in Iraq.  It was also the first play that really gave me a sense of war times.

Wrong Impressions

I boarded the Megabus taking me from London back to Glasgow, and spied two seats at the front of the bus with extra leg room.  There was a woman in the window seat of each side with the aisle seat empty.  I asked if I could sit down, but both women said they were waiting for friends.  I sat in the row behind doubting their words as the bus was set to leave in five minutes.  I turned to the girl sitting next to me and whispered, "I think they might be lying".  I leaned over the seat and asked,