Curtain Call

Oops... If you’re reading this now, you probably are giving me a scowl of disapprobation as I belatedly return to my much-neglected blog. Ah well, I rest easy knowing that there are probably only a few of you (Hi Mom and Dad!) that actually look for updates on this sucker, and the rest of you have probably happily forgotten all about my semester abroad.

Indeed, I almost have as well! I’ve been home for three days now, settling easily back into Williamstown life – frigid temperatures, long hours on the couch, and running into old friends at the coffee shop. And yet, though London feels thousands of miles away now (and I suppose it is…), I doubt that I will ever fully leave the past semester behind. It was an incredible experience for me, and I grew both as a person, learning to live in a city and to find my way in a world populated with unfamiliar people, and as an actor and viewer of theatre. The time I spent at BADA is unlike anything I have ever done before, and I am so grateful to have come here.

I imagine that this is my last post, since this blog was designed solely for the purpose of keeping my friends and family updated on my exploits abroad, both in Italy this summer and in London this semester. And what would one of my posts be if it were not overly long and filled with bullet points in a feeble attempt to organize what I have to say into something readable? In that spirit, then, here is a quick overview of my semester since last I posted:

I left off at the end of the first half of the semester, which is where I ended my classes. After a hectic final week involving paper writing and the final performance of Vanbrugh’s The Relapse for High Comedy, my dear friends Ashley, Meghan, Katie, Rachel, and I caught a plane (from the always questionable EasyJet fleet) to…

Greece! We spent three incredible days in Athens, staying in the sketchy but cheap Onomia district. One of our very first stops, naturally, was the Acropolis, which was absolutely amazing, especially for someone as tragically enamored with Classics as I. Standing in front of the Parthenon actually brought tears to my eyes, much to my embarrassment. Other highlights included the Acropolis Museum, the National Archaeological Museum, the Agora, and summiting Lycabettus Hill for spectacular nighttime panoramas of the city. Pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/isaisastc/AthensForPicasa#

After Greece, we began a breakneck journey through Italy. For the next four days, we visited Rome, Florence, Bologna, and Pisa. It was a little mad, but fun all the same. Rome was the top for me; only there could I just happen upon the Pope giving Mass in St. Peter’s Square. It was an incredible experience to see hundreds of people all gathered for the same thing, all part of something that means so much to them. But even better was my long-awaited venture to the Villa Giulia Museum of Etruscan Art. I went by myself on a sort of pilgrimage to this museum that I keep missing every time I’m in Rome, and it lived up to all my expectations. The stars of the museum are the Sarcofago degli Sposi (the Sarcophagus of the Spouses), excavated at Cerveteri, the famed Apollo of Veii and its companion acroterial statues, and the East pediment of Temple A at Pyrgi, which depicts an episode from the story of the Seven against Thebes wherein Tydeus gnaws on the head of Melanippos.

After Rome we jaunted off to Florence, where I did some more museum-ing, including the Bargello Gallery and the Museo di San Marco. The latter is a fascinating museum, consisting mainly of an old monastery whose cells were painted by Fra Angelico. The contrast between his vibrant, though tiny frescoes and the surrounding austerity was fascinating. Our next city was Bologna, where we took a break from our museum adventures to climb the Tower and relax for a day. Then it was off to Pisa, where we stayed in a beautiful B&B, then hit up the Piazza della Miracoli in the morning before our flight home! Pictures from all of Italy at: http://picasaweb.google.com/isaisastc/ItalyBADAForPicasa#

The rest of my semester was devoted to Measure for Measure, the production I ended up being cast in, directed by the renowned David Freeman. He had a great spin on the play, and interpreted it through the lens of Philip Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment. It is amazing how well the two actually mesh – looking at them together really heightens our awareness of the spectre of power in Shakespeare’s text and the way it corrupts, distorts, and destroys. Because Measure for Measure is a comedy, it is easy to forget the magnitude of losing one’s head. But that’s what the play is about – torture, both psychological and physical, execution, and deceit. Our production really played up the dark side of this comedy, but that actually allowed the humor in it to glow ever brighter (at least, I hope!). My role in the show was Pompey, the clown. Not having played many humorous roles in my time, it was a stretch for me, but I think I learned a lot from it and it took me to some wonderfully surprising places. Plus, I got to wear a padded bum in the end, and what more can one ask from theatre? Pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/isaisastc/MeasureForMeasureForPicasa#

Other adventures included a master class with the illustrious Fiona Shaw, a trip to Surrey and Hampton Court Palace, and week with my parents in London. Pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/isaisastc/SecondHalfOfTheSemesterForPicasa#

All my public photos are at: http://picasaweb.google.com/isaisastc

And that’s it. What a semester it was! Thanks for bearing with me through so many interminable and far-spaced posts – I love to be reminded that some people do actually read these posts and I’m not just sending my message into the cyberspace void. These past months have been truly remarkable. I feel that my thoughts about what really matters to me in art, theatre, life have at the same time been distilled and multiplied. My experiences abroad, diffuse as they have been, have really pushed my own growth and understanding of myself, and I think they have placed me at the verge of something wonderful. I can’t wait to see where to coming semesters take me.

Real People Actors and a Few Shows

It has been a remarkable few days, very fitting for the culmination of the semester, and wonderful enough to merit a blog post.

A few weeks ago, the students of BADA all bussed over to Stratford to see an amazing production of The Winter’s Tale by the RSC. Today the actors playing Leontes and Hermione, Greg Hicks and Kelly Hunter, came for a question and answer session with all of us. I was actually quite moved by the whole thing – these two incredible actors spoke truthfully and honestly to us, really carrying on a level conversation rather than lecturing us. At the risk of sounding cheesy, it was inspirational. I identified with so much of what they said and they had incredible insights into theatre as an art form and a lifestyle. It was one of those things that reminds you why you are passionate about something and reinforces your commitment to it. Kelly Hunter said something that really struck me: “You have to be open – big, big, open soul – to do what you’re doing.” Theatre is not about the hours that you spend onstage, or even the time in the rehearsal room; theatre is something that is a part of you at all times, and the best discoveries often happen outside of the theatre space.

In other news, just yesterday I had my interest in High Comedy sharpened a bit. That class has been by far the most difficult for me, mostly because the style is incredibly specific. It’s been slightly frustrating, but I am determined to conquer it. In pursuit of this, I saw a production of The Man of Mode by George Etherege last night with my teacher, the lovely Annabel Leventon, at RADA. RADA is one of the most prestigious drama schools in Britain (acceptance rate of about 35 out of 3000… ish), and I was excited to see what the students could do. A bare bones student production, it turned out to be one of my favorite shows yet. The lack of extravagant design meant that the acting and directing had to do everything, and it worked. It was such fun. Restoration comedy is generally not the deepest of art forms, but it’s absolutely hilarious. I generally like my theatre to challenge, but sometimes it’s nice to be treated to a night at the theatre where you can just sit back and laugh as the play does all the work.

A play that could have used a bit more bite was Inherit the Wind at The Old Vic. Kevin Spacey is the artistic director there and starred in this show, so it was a crowded house. He was quite good, though from the upper seats I mostly saw his scalp and would have quite appreciated a view of his face (and when you know the space as well as does Spacey, it’s a crime not to play to the entire house), and the rest of the cast was generally good as well. However, it was the single most complacent and uninspired show I have seen in a long time. The show is based on the Scopes “Monkey” Trial, and yet there was no conflict. It was entirely one-sided. Granted, most modern audiences will side with evolution (though the statistics on that in America are rather frightening), but theatre cannot exist without tension. Conflict. Two opposing sides, each of which pulls us. Something! This play lacked any of that and seemed perfectly content to rest on a big name star and the smugness of “right.”

Besides the theatre reviews (which I realize this blog has essentially become a venue for – sorry about that!), there is other splendid news: the wonderful dear Tess McHugh is coming to visit from Aix-en-Provence! Townies, I’ll give her your love. Off to bake some cookies!

School, Shows, and Scones

I have discovered a pattern to my blog posts: they are usually spaced about three weeks apart, and every one starts with a little apology for being so lackadaisical in keeping my family and friends updated. This is no exception. But I suppose it’s a good sign that I rarely post – it means that I’m keeping very very busy here. But we have today off from school since our Shakespeare professor, Ian, has jetted off to California to audition our successors, so I figured I should post a little update.

First off, I’ve put up photos on Picasa! Joy! You can find them here: http://picasaweb.google.com/isaisastc

BADA is keeping me very busy and very scheduled. I generally have classes from 9-6, with close to an hour walk to and from school (I’m essentially going from Hyde Park to the other side of Regent’s Park), and I go to at least one show each week. So there’s not a lot of breathing room. But I love everything I’m doing, so I don’t mind so much.

Classes are going well, and are actually almost over! At the end of October we have a week long break, during which I’m going to Greece and Italy, and when we return we change over from having classes to doing shows. Auditions are coming up in two weeks, and everyone’s getting a little nervous (I’m doing a scene from Mary Stuart with another Schiller devotee. Should be fun!). So I’m trying to make the most of my classes while I still have them.

- In Shakespeare I have been working on three scenes: Juliet in the balcony scene, Cassius in the tent scene in Julius Caesar, and Mistress Ford in the letter scene in The Merry Wives of Windsor. I picked the last two, and have been having a great time working on them, especially since they are so diverse.

- High Comedy is definitely my biggest challenge so far, since the style is so very specific and so far from what I’m used to doing. But the play is so ridiculous that it’s impossible not to laugh and have a good time. It’s a stretch, but I’m hoping that I’ll really get a hold of the style in the next two weeks.

- Theatre History and Dramatic Criticism are still some of my favorites, mostly because I’ll always be an incorrigible academic, even outside of Swarthmore. I’ve discovered that one can voice even the most outrageous opinion, but if you do it confidently most of the class tends to nod in affirmation. Handy little trick, this. If I believed in emoticons, I would definitely put a little winky-face here to indicate that I’m not really serious.

- Stage Combat has been tons of fun. We’ve covered the basic slaps and punches, but also kicks, contact work, and falls.

- In Modern Physical we’ve done some chorus and tensions work, and have recently been working intensively on masks. Really the only way to succeed in this class is to stop caring if you look like an idiot or not and just throw yourself at the work and see what happens. Either you’ll fail spectacularly or do pretty well, and both are kind of cool to see.

Outside of school, I’ve been keeping very busy as well. I’ve seen about 800 shows since coming to London and have reviewed them all. I wish I had the energy/time to post the reviews, but I doubt I’ll ever do that. Since my last post I’ve seen 8 shows. They’re getting bullet points because there are just too many.

- All’s Well that Ends Well at the National Theatre was a bizarre postmodern fairytale, rather overdesigned and scattered, but interesting.

- As soon as I heard someone was doing Caryl Churchill in London I ran to the Union Theatre (a wonderfully tiny space) to see Cloud Nine, which had a remarkably strong cast and pulled off the show very well.

- I also saw Judgement Day at the Almeida Theatre, which was an odd, moralizing, German play, very much “of it’s time.” I think if Wedekind and Buchner had an illegitimate love child it may have written this play. Ultimately it wasn’t really my style, but it certainly succeeded at what it was trying to do.

- My first opera was Le Grand Macabre at the English National Opera, which was… wonderfully amorphous and intangible. I’m still not sure what exactly went on, but the set was a giant naked woman from whose orifices the characters emerged (The New York Times has a good slideshow of it: http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/04/07/arts/20090407-iht-loomis-slideshow_index.html).

- This was followed by Vanya by Sam Holcroft at the Gate Theatre, a great space for emerging work. This is the single best play I’ve seen in years, and I feel privileged to have seen its world premiere. It is a gorgeous adaptation of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya that captured the isolation of character and language in Chekhov beautifully. Vanya did not feel like an adaption of or a “take” on Uncle Vanya; rather, it felt like what Chekhov would have written were he a contemporary playwright. Also, the four actors are some of the most talented performers I’ve ever seen. A large packing box, which isturned to be seen from all angles, makes up the entire set. It was simply beautiful. The script is still unpublished, but I will be very surprised if Vanya doesn’t become a very popular show. The Gate Theatre has a slideshow of this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gatetheatre/sets/72157622158801704/

- All the students of BADA went to Stratford-upon-Avon to see The Winter’s Tale done by the Royal Shakespeare Company. This was a wonderful example of a well-funded and very professional theatre can pull off. The show was phenomenal, and the acting was unilaterally excellent. There was a spectacular moment after the trial scene, when two enormous bookcases collapse and all their books come crashing to the ground (a little frightening when you’re in the front row). The rest of the show was built into this chaos and destruction and worked beautifully to explore the theme of rebirth that is so strong in this play.

- I saw a second show at the Globe: Love’s Labours Lost. I was really excited to see this performed, since it’s such an odd play, but I was highly disappointed. It was so slow-moving I actually almost fell asleep.

- Lucy Prebble’s Enron at the Royal Court was a remarkable piece about… you guessed it, the Enron scandal. I think it is very difficult to take something so contemporary and make it theatrical, but this show succeeded very well in this. The play essentially eviscerated the amoral capitalist attitudes of business since the ‘80s, which is particularly timely, considering global economics. This was very different from anything else I’ve seen, but was a great success. The show is moving to the West End and aiming for Broadway, so keep an eye out for it.

See? That’s why I never post! So much stuff to do! In other news, I’ve bought myself a ukulele and play it all the time. And I’m baking copious amounts of scones. But that’s the life here: school, shows, scones. It’s a nice semester abroad.

Two Full Weeks, Too Full to Post Before Now

I’ve been putting off writing this for two weeks now, all because I can’t come up with a clever framing device for it. I had hoped to turn this blog from “quick updates from my life abroad” into “something that’s actually interesting to read.” Alas, it is not to be thus. I think the best way of framing this would be to give a quick picture of what is happening as I write this: I’m in my flat with two of my flatmates, having a Disney sing-a-long and sonnet rehearsal party while drinking tea. This pretty much encapsulates what I’m doing here…theatre and its trappings and attitudes imbue every moment, and everyone else knows all the words to The Little Mermaid too.
Living in London is unlike anything that I have ever done before – my black peacoat and brisk walk are certainly coming in handy. In just two weeks I’ve achieved a few miracles, like conquering both the bus and tube systems, figuring out my mystery phone, mastering the art of not making eye contact with strangers, and learning to look the opposite direction when crossing the street. I’ve also managed some cooking: copious amounts of pasta, chicken, and mashed potatoes. Very impressive. I feel very citified indeed.
My flat is in a cool Arabic neighborhood between Hyde Park and Oxford Street. I live with three other girls in a flat just big enough for us, about a forty minute walk from our school, which just beyond Regent’s Park. The walk is really pretty, but I’m not looking forward to the rainy winter…
At school I’m enrolled in quite the roster of classes: Shakespeare, High Comedy, Stage Fighting, Theatre History, Dramatic Criticism, Voice, Movement, Modern Physical, and biweekly Tutorials. The way BADA approaches the study and practice of theatre is quite different from what I’m used to at Swarthmore, but ultimately that is what I’m here for; I’m looking forward to discovering a new way of approaching theatre through being here. It does seem that I’ve studied all this in a slightly backwards way, learning about somewhat modern and experimental theatre at college before examining a more classical style of learning and performing. It will take some getting used to, since I’ll have to either change my way of thinking or find a way to reconcile my training with this style, but the longer I’m here the more I get used to the school’s method. It’s actually really nice to be asked to change, since it’s so easy to fall into a routine if you don’t change up the people, place, and methods that you work with.
Quick overview of what I’m actually doing in these classes:
-Shakespeare: We started off with sonnets as a very simple way of beginning to tackle Shakespeare. Tomorrow we’ll be assigned scenes for scene study.
-High Comedy: We’ve spent these two weeks addressing how the characters in high comedy differ from your average character, in terms of their stance, speech, and perception of self and others. For the next six weeks we’ll be working on John Vanbrugh’s The Relapse, a Restoration era comedy. We cast the show today, and I’m playing Hoyden, a young woman of the country gentry who is desperate to be married, get out of the country, and experience the world. It should be fun to experiment with a comedic role….and get to play with a fan!
-Theatre History and Dramatic Criticism: These are two of my more “academic” classes, and naturally I absolutely love them. I will tell you all a secret now: all I want from life is to grow up to be Chris, who is the professor for both these classes (and yes, I know I’ve said that about a lot of people, but I so mean it this time). He knows everything about theatre, always knows and supports his opinions, and matches his shirts to his shoes. The syllabus for Theatre History is fascinating – so far we’ve taken on Doctor Faustus and The Duchess of Malfi, and next week we’ll be looking at ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore. I’m happy to be looking at an era of theatre that I know so little about. Dramatic Criticism, on the other hand, is great because of how incensed everyone gets about things like what Brechtian alienation really means and whether or not the lighting design supported the intent of a particular production. Clearly, my kind of class.
-Stage Fighting: Taught by a tall British man dressed in all black who really loves to play the villain, this class is always an adventure. So far we’ve learned the shared energy push and pull, the reserve energy strangle and several ways to break it, slapping done upstage/downstage or parallel to the audience, and two different punches.
- Modern Physical: After spending all of last week playing games, I was entirely unsure where this class would lead and whether we would ever get beyond the basics of ensemble building. But this week we’ve starting working with the chorus and levels of tension and it has been really interesting. The class is still a bit of a mystery to me, but I’m looking forward to seeing where goes.
-Tutorials: We’re lucky enough to get half an hour every other week working one on one with a professor on anything we want. My first tutorial is tomorrow, and I think I’m going to look at a Portia monologue from Julius Caesar and one from Bobrauschenbergamerica. I’m hoping to use my tutorials to find some great pieces for auditions in the future.

Outside of school, I’ve also been able to see some incredible shows. In conjunction with Dramatic Criticism I’ve seen Lolita at the National Theatre (featuring Brian Cox who will teach a master class for us tomorrow), Troilus and Cressida at the Globe (an incredible experience which I may write up later), and Mother Courage at the National Theatre (which I also may write up if I ever get round to it). Besides this, some friends and I managed to see Peter Pan at Kensington Gardens, which was sort of like going to the circus (i.e. you don’t go for good acting or directing, you go for spectacle. And the spectacle was great!), and Arcadia at the Duke of York’s Theatre. Arcadia was one of the best shows that I have seen in a while, and we were incredibly lucky to get tickets, even if they were standing room only. I saw it last Saturday on its closing night, and being among the audience of one of the most lauded productions of the season on its closing night is a phenomenal experience. The energy in the room from both the audience and the performers was amazing, as was the set, the lighting, the acting…pretty much everything about the show. Besides, Tom Stoppard’s son played Valentine (absolutely my favorite role), which was very cool on a “famous people” level. But the entire cast was phenomenal, and I am so grateful to have gotten the second to last ticket sold.
All in all, I can say confidently that I am having a great time in London. It is wonderful to have theatre be such a big part of my daily life. The more time I spend doing this, the more I think there’s nothing I’d rather do. But in the mean time, I’ll just enjoy the time I have here and sing some more Disney songs with my flatmates.

The Author's Return to the Blog and the Beginning of a New Semester

Dear readers, all two (plus or minus two) of you, I’m sorry for the long delay. I promise to be better as I embark on this new semester!
Since I’m sure the world was waiting on pins and needles to hear the conclusion of the great serialized adventure of Poggio Colla, I can assure you that the season ended smoothly and we all had a lovely time. It was incredibly hectic, with finds coming down from the hill and from the conservation lab up until the last moment (including fragments of an entire pithos washed out of PC 34), but in the end everything ended up boxed, organized, and filed in the museum basement in Vicchio. I had an absolutely wonderful summer, and I definitely hope to return to Poggio Colla one day.
But Vicchio is ancient history by now, and I’ve moved on to the British American Drama Academy in London. I just arrived today, and am ending the longest day ever. I flew overnight, meaning that I didn’t sleep, but I’m doing the tried-and-true method of conquering jet-lag wherein I just don’t sleep. I’m exhausted, but about to go to bed, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
BADA seems pretty great so far – I’ve moved into a cute flat near Oxford St. with three other girls, all of whom are a lot of fun. We’ve got tomorrow off to orient ourselves, then on Sunday we’ll all meet up and learn what exactly it is that we’re doing here (since I certainly don’t know what to expect!). I can’t wait to see London or start my classes. But more importantly, I can’t wait to sleep.

Mid Season Update

Blog 4
It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to sit down and write something for this blog, but I suppose that is indicative of the fact that I’m having far too wonderful a time here to be willing to sit down in front of a computer. But I’ve got a spare moment, a computer, and nothing better to do right now, so I might as well catch up on blogging.
Things at Poggio Colla are essentially the same as usual – lots of work and lots of fun. Next week is the last week of digging on site, so we in the lab are getting a lot of finds every day and are frantically trying to keep up with the finds. The life of an object here at Poggio Colla is pretty crazy, and we are constantly trying to keep track of the things we find. Here’s a brief summary of what happens to the artifacts found on site:
1. Someone trowels away some dirt, revealing the find. The Trench Supervisor writes the find up in his or her notebook, makes a preliminary sketch, and collects all the data.
2. All the day’s finds are brought to the Find Tracker (Laura, the other Lab Fellow), who compiles a list of them on a computer.
3. The finds then move to Conservation, where they are cleaned up and made pretty.
4. Then they come to my lab, where the Director of Research and the Lab Fellows decide which ones should become catalogued finds and which are non-catalogued. This decision is based largely on what the object can tell us – if it is dateable, stylistically diagnostic, unusual for Poggio Colla, or valuable in the context of its trench, we keep it. Of course, we also keep it if it’s darling.
5. The Cataloguer (that’s me!), writes up the catalogued finds into our official catalogue. This document tells you everything about an object, from where in the trench it was located, to what exactly it is, to where it is stored now.
6. Catalogued pieces are sent to Photography and Drawing to be documented.
7. Finished pieces are housed and stored, some in the museum basement, and some in our lab.
It’s a pretty intensive process, and also one filled with room for error. A big part of my role here is to work not only on error prevention for this year’s objects, but also on fixing the errors (or, as we call it, “solving mysteries”) caused by confusion in previous years. The good news is that I feel confident that our system has just gotten to a point of being efficient and fine-tuned, and that at the end of the summer I will leave the finds (and the system) in better shape than I found them. And that’s all I can ask of a job or of myself – to make things a little better in the world.
Besides my lovely times at Poggio Colla, I’ve been doing a bit of travelling. I spent last weekend in Venice, and it was the best weekend I’ve had since coming here. Saturday was the Feast of the Redeemer, which celebrates the end of the plague in Venice (which suffered terribly from it – unsurprisingly, considering the environment) and is essentially Venetian 4th of July. We watched the fireworks display – the best I’ve ever seen – from the Piazza San Marco and finished the evening with a late night stroll along the canals. I was also fortunate enough to be there for the Biannale, a biannual event of international contemporary art. Many countries participate in this, sending an artist to represent their country in this event. I saw some truly incredible pieces, some of which are in my new Picasa album. My favorites hailed from the Ukraine (“The Steppes of Dreamers”) and Iceland (“The End”).
I spent the last few days of this week walking around the Mugello Valley, the area I’m living in. It’s been lovely – this place is simply gorgeous. My friend and co-worker, Sarah Bon-Harper and I made the trek across the valley on a Peach Pilgrimage – she had discovered a hidden farmstead selling Maria Bianca Peaches, the best that I have ever tasted – and brought back a whole crate of them for my house. It was a magically few days, discovering parts of the valley that I haven’t seen yet.
More updates coming….eventually, at least!
Also, new photos up in my Picasa albums - http://picasaweb.google.com/isaisastc/Vicchio# and http://picasaweb.google.com/isaisastc/Venice#
Isa

Viccio and Day to Day

Fri, July 3
I had planned on doing another entry about my time in Florence, but now that seems like far too much typing to do on a beautiful day in Italy. Also, it can be pretty well summed up in my photo album on Picasa.
I made it to Vicchio on Friday, when I showed my dad around my temporary home and then waved him off as he hopped on a train back to Florence. Vicchio is a beautiful little town in Tuscany’s Mugello Valley where the Mugello Valley Archaeological Project is based. I’m living in a house called Guardia with the other members of the staff. Our home overlooks the wheat fields, beyond which another hill rises where the students’ house Vigna is. On all sides the horizon is studded with mountains. Looking at these it is impossible not to think of the towns that once were situated on them, that are now just sites. Our site Poggio Colla is one of these, and visible to the north is Monte Giove, another likely temple site where excavation is just beginning. It is remarkable how much there is to discover in the region – I think there are around 7 sites in this valley.
I absolutely love being here – I had forgotten how fantastic life is at Poggio Colla. The people here are almost all clever and fun to be with, the views are spectacular, and the food cannot be beaten. Dinners here, almost without exception, consist of a primi pasta, a fabulous meat dish (last night was chingiali, wild boar), and fresh fruit for dessert. Plus Toscana or Chianti wine, of course.
My days here are certainly different from last year. As a student, I spent my time up on site, digging in the heat and the dirt. It was a lot of fun, but this year is turning out to be just as good, if not better. I work in the Selve lab, just down the hill from Guardia, where many of our pottery finds and a few other catalogued artifacts are stored. The perks of lab work include an hour of sleep more than the hill folks, a soft chair, staying clean, and playing with pottery. It can be a little sad to have to get my information about what’s happening on site indirectly, but I think it’s a good trade off. My job for the past week has been fairly simple: the other lab fellow, Laura, and I are working on checking that our inventory is accurate. There are approximately 3000 artifacts stored in the lab, and Laura and I are going through them one by one and checking their physical tags against their cards on the computer. There are a lot of small errors to correct, and a couple reclassifications to do. It definitely brings out my perfectionist tendencies, but I love getting to handle all the finds. We have so many beautiful pieces that I had never seen before, and by now I think I have seen every kind of stamp on site. Next week I will move on to my big project: preparing the objects from the Podere Funghi, our other site, for publication. As yet I don’t really know what that entails….I guess I’ll find out!
The artifacts in our inventory run the gamut from ceramics to glass to bone to metal, but I spend most of my time with the pottery. We essentially have three kinds at Poggio Colla: coarseware, fineware, black glaze, and bucchero. Bucchero is the oldest and fanciest, the kind that your often find in fancy shapes with decoration. Black glaze is later, but can also be fancy. It can come in painted or stamped varieties (imagine Attic red-figure, though we don’t have anything that fancy). Fine and coarse ware are often more quotidian – the descriptors refer to the clay, and you can guess which is a bit fancier. I have a soft spot for coarseware, perhaps because I think of it as underdog pottery – the ugly stuff that no one really cares about. But it certainly doesn’t hurt that coarseware can be massive, and big stuff is always fun.
I’m planning on a mellow weekend – spend Saturday in Florence and Sunday at home. The big plan is to get to the Brancacci Chapel, where Masaccio’s most famous frescoes are. But for now, just sit in the Tuscan afternoon, watch the chickens, and hang out with friends!