Of the faint slivers of free time I do somehow manage to find (see last week’s post), one of the organisations on campus with which I most like to spend them is E-52, one of UD’s two active student theatre groups. Since my first semester on campus, I have acted in a show per semester with this fantastic group of thespians, so I can tell you from experience that the slogan is true: we do put the ‘heat’ in ‘theatre.’ E-52’s passion for theatre and dedication to delivering incredible performances makes working with the troupe both exhilarating and rewarding.

Today, May 3, E-52 will be opening our final show of the year, which is William Shakespeare’s charming comedy As You Like It, directed by Brad Michalakis. The show follows the “pretty youth” Rosalind (or Ganymede, depending on who you ask) as she and her cousin beat a hasty retreat from angry Duke Frederick’s kingdom, to seek out Rosalind’s father, the banished Duke Senior, in the Forest of Arden. Also banished and traveling in their wake is love-struck Orlando, who is desperately seeking his Rosalind along his journey.

I have the immense honour of playing “the melancholy Jaques” (that’s jay-kweez), who leaves the court with Duke Senior when he is banished. Jaques thinks herself the smartest of the forest-dwellers, and she takes pleasure in mocking just about anyone she comes across. Playing the sarcastic know-it-all has been a blast, and I’ve particularly loved working on the dynamics between Jaques and the other characters with whom she interacts. Personally, I think if Jaques were around today, she’d be the quietly smug hipster-vegetarian sitting in the back of the class and muttering under her breath.

Jaques is also the character who gives the incredibly famous “All the world’s a stage” speech, which, I have to admit, has been a challenge to learn and deliver effectively. Most people don’t realise how sad the speech is; without giving too much of how I plan to perform it away, I will say that it has to do with “going through the motions” of life, rather than the openness and hope that first line seems to indicate when read out of context. This speech alone has been an adventure in and of itself, and I’m so honoured to be able to perform it in this production.

A particularly fun twist to the performance is that it’s going to be taking place outside on South Green. Since the Globe didn’t actually have a roof, this is one step closer to what “real” Shakespeare would have been like. We hope you’ll bring blankets and lawn chairs, and come soak up some sun and Shakespeare.

As You Like It will be performed on South Green on May 3 and May 10 at 6p.m., and May 4 and May 11 at 3p.m.

~Claire Davanzo

Still time to vote in our photo contest!

I think I blocked out the trauma of UD mid-April madness, but when it sidled onto my calendar this time around, everything came rushing back. All of the projects, assignments, and exams I thought I didn’t have in February delivered a collective uppercut, and I’m not the only person reeling from this blow. With the myriad of demands pressed upon students (especially those of the Honours persuasion) as the semester hurtles toward the finish line, the most important thing is to keep a cool head.

time is wibbly-wobbly

Yes, that’s definitely harder than I just made it sound, considering the piles of commitments we have to handle. Time is wibbly-wobbly, but it is also not the boss of you. As your resident Time Lady, I give you your top ten moments; use them to clear your head, then get back in the ring and dominate those assignments.

Standing in lines. For Starbucks in Smith, Dunkin Donuts in Perkins, Chic-Fil-A in Trabant… Instead of cursing how long the queue is, chill out.

On the bus. There’s no point in trying to write while you’re clinging to a metal railing or being jostled about in your seat, so take those precious moments for yourself.

Walking to class. Reading and walking is even harder than texting and walking, because you’re supposed to be absorbing information. You can’t walk and properly read your notes at the same time, so don’t try it.

In the shower. Once last semester, I tried taping my notes to the shower wall and reading them – all I accomplished was blurring the ink on the page. It’s not as if you can study in the shower, so take that time to relax, breathe, sing badly…

Something you love. Set aside several carefully placed minutes to do something you enjoy.

The barest sliver of those social media minutes. It’s not all homework, is it? Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest (not to mention your phone) will still be there.

Right before class starts. Talk to your friends. Sit without looking at your notes. Look out the window. The lecture hasn’t started yet and that time is still yours.

Waiting for the microwave to beep. What else are you going to do for that one minute?

One song’s worth. Pick a good one, close your eyes, and just listen. When you come back three minutes later, I promise you’ll feel more collected.

Ten minutes before you go to bed. You’re exhausted. Trust me, I get that. But you’re probably up ridiculously late anyway, and taking ten minutes to collect your thoughts will help you feel and sleep better.

During a moment this semester when I absolutely could not find the inspiration for a certain assignment, a very dear friend of mine insisted the only way I could get a handle on it was to take a break. That was literally the last thing I wanted to hear, but when I ran out of other options, I had to take her advice.

When I returned, everything was clearer.

~Claire Davanzo