Building Ensemble

Recently, I took a trip to Howth for a hike with IES Abroad which was absolutely stunning and a great way to explore nature outside the city of Dublin without traveling too far away. As we rode the DART, I noticed the names of the stops, first listed in English, then listed in Gaelic. This was a subtle reminder that I was in Ireland. I had become so accustomed to familiarizing myself with the city, I almost forgot that I am a visitor to this land and Ireland has so many underestimated beauties. There is a culture and a richness of history in Ireland. In class, my teacher constantly ties our theatrical work into the history of cultures. He uses scripts as a method to illuminate the history and trials of Ireland.

He also spoke about the power of an ensemble in theater. He explained that when you work as a group, no single person should stand out, but the community as a whole must be in unity with each other and work together in order to create the world of the theater.

After being abroad for three weeks, I have become very comfortable with where I am. I feel safe. There are moments of fear when I get lost in the maze of streets or wonder if I have in fact brought my house keys with me. Overall though, I feel very at home. I feel incredibly privileged, for the majority of my interactions with the city, to fit in. Although this privilege has helped me adapt to the city, I can’t help but think of the people in Orlando, the minority, and the queer community. I get to feel comfortable while traveling in a different country, but they constantly feel frightened in their own home.  

On June 13, after our introductory theater class, my roommates and I heard about the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando the night before. We were in disbelief. Our hearts were hurting and our minds were grasping for any additional information the internet had to offer at the time.

As the week carried on, my friend noticed some graffiti on the path from school. It read “Love>Hate,” “50 Pulses,” “Have Pride,” and “Pray for Orlando.” In that moment, I was struck with the amazing way your studies can coexist with the world outside of the classroom. In Ireland, there were people urging others to pray and think about the victims of the Orlando shooting. No matter your beliefs on the matter, fifty lives were lost in the Orlando tragedy. It is time to start acting more like an ensemble. It is time to acknowledge that everyone is different, yes, but as a group we can care, love, and create a more beautiful existence which is defined by a richness in diversity.