Fountains Abbey  

After our short stay in York we took the scenic route to Manchester by bus. We stopped at Fountains Abbey on the way, and we were happy to enjoy the fresh air surrounding the beautiful old Abbey. It was certainly worth the ride there, even though many students got car sick on the curvy roads and abrupt stops.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Our last play of the trip was The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night-Time. The main character was an adolescent boy, Christopher, who fell somewhere on the Autism Spectrum. Throughout the play, Christopher is determined to figure out who killed his neighbor’s dog. Though the seemingly humorous scenario, the play navigated the challenges that come with his condition, including family tension. We explored this question in discussion: if someone has autism should they be held to the same moral standards as someone who doesn't have autism?

Final Thoughts

Throughout the last three weeks, we have been challenged to see theatre as more than entertainment by considering various ethical issues and drawing parallels to our own reality. As we routinely engaged in thoughtful conversations with our peers we all came to realize that there are many perspectives in which people see the world. We hope that our newfound knowledge of the world around us will continue to influence how we go about our daily lives and perceive our surroundings.

Home Again

We left Manchester without any delay and spent the layover in Iceland working on journals and our final papers. The final flight was long but we were all more than ready to see our loved ones back home. We landed safely in Minneapolis at around 5:00 this evening.

Thank you for following along on our English Theater adventures! We have all learned a lot about theater, ethics, the world around us, and ourselves. The lessons and memories from this trip will stay with us for many years to come.

As they say across the pond,

Cheers!