Eighteen students went abroad to England this semester with English professor Heidi Snow and theater professor Chrissy Steele to study theater and Shakespeare. Students attended lectures, conducted research in the British Library, visited Shakespeare’s birthplace and saw numerous live theater shows.

“My favorite part of our time in England was watching the students get to know England and Shakespeare – a place and author I love,” Snow said. “Their enthusiasm for every experience makes the abroad program a delight.”

Snow also felt that the abroad contributed to her personal development and teaching career. “I’m constantly learning about Shakespeare along with the students,” she said. “This trip, I learned quite a bit about Jacobean indoor theatre.” Snow also commented that the England abroad is special. “Yes, other colleges take students to the Globe or the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, and some do both, but ours is the only program I know of that goes to both places and then comes back to campus and puts on a Shakespeare production,” she said. “Students put into practice everything they’ve learned, and that makes what they’ve learned stay with them.”

Students echoed Snow’s enthusiasm for the abroad. Sophomore Stephen Hanlin said that getting to know more about Shakespeare was one of his favorite parts of the trip. “My favorite part of the abroad was the 15 shows [eight of which were Shakespeare] which we got to see all across England, especially the ones we saw at the Globe Theater. It was a really neat experience getting to be a ‘groundling.’” From his experience on this abroad, Hanlin is convinced that a play is “one of the most entertaining and wonderful art forms there is” and says this he “also learned how to be a more independent and responsible person.”

Junior Kristin Kayser also loved the abroad, explaining, “Everyday was filled with new experiences and amazing opportunities … It’s definitely a place I would go back to in a heartbeat.”