While I have been in love with London for as long as I can remember, William Shakespeare did not capture my heart until ninth grade, when I first read Romeo and Juliet. Since then, my love for the Bard has only continued to grow.
Then, this past March, I had the opportunity to visit the Globe Theatre—an English major’s dream! At first glance, the theater seemed very out of place; then it occurred to me that it was not meant to fit in with the modern world—it belonged to a different era.
While visiting, I was also lucky enough to see a performance. The play was performed at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, an indoor theater attached to the Globe. The show I attended was The White Devil, a revenge tragedy written by John Webster, one of Shakespeare’s contemporaries. It was a haunting performance that was lit solely by candlelight, and it left me with chills.
On my way out after the performance, I couldn’t help but notice—of all things—the trash cans, which boasted a quote from As You Like It: “I like this place, and willingly could waste my time in it.” As I left my beloved Globe Theatre behind, I couldn’t have agreed more.
Image credit: ChrisO
