Today we are talking with Donna Buckley, who is Instructional Associate Professor of Costume Technology, about the very exciting study abroad program she will be leading over May Intersession next year. It’s called “Exploring the Performance and Design of London Theatre,” and is basically two weeks jam-packed with workshops, museum visits, performances, and other experiences. It’s open to students in any major and any year, and as we’ll hear from Donna while it is theatre-focused, it’s going to be a great program for students in many disciplines.
Today we are talking with Donna Buckley, who is Instructional Associate Professor of Costume Technology, about the very exciting study abroad program she will be leading over May Intersession next year. It’s called “Exploring the Performance and Design of London Theatre,” is basically two weeks jam-packed with workshops, museum visits, performances, and other experiences. It’s open to students in any major and any year, and as we’ll hear from Donna while it is theatre-focused, it’s going to be a great program for students in many disciplines.
To learn more about the program and to apply, visit the Study Abroad office website here: https://studyabroad.olemiss.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=12119
For more information about Donna Buckley, see her bio on the Theatre & Film site: http://theatreandfilm.olemiss.edu/DonnaBuckley.html
(If you'd like to contact Donna with specific questions about the program, her e-mail address can be found in her bio at the link above.)
And here are just a few of the experiences included in this immersive, two-week study abroad program (check out the study abroad office site for the full listing!):
The Globe Theatre: https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/
The National Theatre: https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/
The Victorian & Albert Museum: https://www.vam.ac.uk/
Warner Brothers Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter:
ITV Studios: https://www.itv.com/
From the Department of Theatre and Film at the University of Mississippi, this is Stage & Screen.
Katherine Stewart
Hello and welcome back to Stage & Screen.
Katherine Stewart
I'm your host, Katherine Stewart and today we are talking with Donna Buckley, who is instructional associate professor of costume technology.
Katherine Stewart
About the very exciting study abroad program she will be leading over May.
Katherine Stewart
Intersession next year.
Katherine Stewart
Here it's called Exploring the Performance and Design of London Theatre.
Katherine Stewart
It's basically two weeks jam packed with workshops, museum visits, performances and many other experiences.
Katherine Stewart
It's open to students in any major and any year, and as we'll hear from Donna while it is theater focused, it's going to be a great program for students in many disciplines.
Katherine Stewart
Stay tuned to learn more about it and don't forget to check out the show notes where we'll have links to the application and tons of info about the experiences included in the program.
Katherine Stewart
Without further ado, here's Donna.
Katherine Stewart
Hello Donna, how are you doing today?
Donna Buckley
I'm doing well.
Donna Buckley
It's nice to.
Katherine Stewart
See you, it's nice to see you too well.
Katherine Stewart
Thank you very much for taking the time to talk to me about this amazing study abroad program that you're going to be hosting next semester.
Katherine Stewart
But before we get to that, I would love to just talk a little bit about your background and your role within the department so you do costume.
Katherine Stewart
Design and technology.
Katherine Stewart
How did you get into costume design?
Donna Buckley
I started out as an actor actually, and I think there's a lot of people in various technology parts of theater that have started out in acting.
Donna Buckley
Most high schools don't have a lot of technology based experiences, so that was my start and I was majoring in that.
Donna Buckley
Uhm, and the odd way I got into it was I was cast in.
Donna Buckley
A certain role.
Donna Buckley
Which was a queen at a Renaissance festival and.
Donna Buckley
I wanted more.
Donna Buckley
Than the one costume that they gave me.
Donna Buckley
So I just dived.
Donna Buckley
In and you know talked to people.
Donna Buckley
And made friends.
Donna Buckley
With people who knew how to do it and started to really get into historical cost to me because I love history and so that was just a nice gateway into.
Donna Buckley
Doing historical costume ING, so that was the start of it, and from that experience I was working with someone who worked at a university and they needed a costume shop manager and that was my segue into.
Donna Buckley
Costuming and academia, and then from there I went on to get my masters.
Donna Buckley
Degree in costume design.
Katherine Stewart
Nice, nice and how long have you been with the department here?
Donna Buckley
Ooh, it's been little over six six years now.
Katherine Stewart
OK, and what are some?
Katherine Stewart
Of the classes you teach.
Donna Buckley
Well, I teach an.
Donna Buckley
Entire class of costuming so the students, I mean we have mostly actors who take that class, so they're learning basic.
Donna Buckley
Design elements of costuming, and they're also learning.
Donna Buckley
The construction part, so they learn how to sew and they're helping out.
Donna Buckley
Working on shows, and so that was really the main thrust of that.
Donna Buckley
That particular class is helping out with the theater productions that we do here.
Donna Buckley
The other thing that I teach is the technology courses and these are for mostly BFA costume students.
Donna Buckley
Occasionally I have other students, but there are students who are really focusing on doing this for a career path, and so I'm teaching them how to drape, how to tailor something, how to flat pattern.
Donna Buckley
So I'm teaching all of those.
Donna Buckley
Types of courses as well.
Katherine Stewart
Very cool, So what was the origin of this study abroad that you're going to be doing next semester?
Katherine Stewart
Tell us some of the basics of that.
Donna Buckley
I love England.
Donna Buckley
I feel like it's a second home in a lot of ways and so I.
Donna Buckley
Also love traveling and I would wanted to to come up with some kind of study abroad program and I thought that.
Donna Buckley
For me, England would be the easiest choice because of a familiarity with the country and the people.
Donna Buckley
I thought that would be.
Donna Buckley
A nice place to start.
Donna Buckley
I do know some of other professors will do study abroad programs and you know different countries, but because of my familiarity with England I thought that would.
Donna Buckley
Be a good.
Donna Buckley
Place to start and also it's just so rich in history where you have Shakespeare's history there and.
Donna Buckley
You know it's it has the basically the Golden Age of theater in the Renaissance.
Donna Buckley
Really, when we think about that, we think about England and English theater, so I thought it would be a good opportunity for students to experience one another country and also to see a lot of shows in another country.
Donna Buckley
So I thought it would be something to help broaden their horizons.
Katherine Stewart
Yeah, and so is this study abroad.
Katherine Stewart
Designed specifically just for costume design students or for even just for theater students?
Katherine Stewart
Are there other students who might be interested in doing something like this?
Donna Buckley
It's actually it's actually open to anybody who.
Donna Buckley
Wants to take it any major.
Donna Buckley
Well, so I mean there are things that are.
Donna Buckley
A theatre student would probably be really interested in like there's a workshop on swordfighting in Shakespearean times by globe actors in in London.
Donna Buckley
So maybe somebody who is a psychology major that might not be their cup of tea, but there are a lot of things that are.
OK.
Donna Buckley
Part of this program, so everybody has a chance to to do something that they would be interested in.
Katherine Stewart
Cool, so yeah, so you just touched on a couple of the specific activities or experiences that students on the study abroad might have.
Katherine Stewart
What I'm looking at a list of all the things that are that are planned for this very short period of time there.
Katherine Stewart
What are some of the other things students will get to do?
Donna Buckley
Yeah, we're criminal otin
Donna Buckley
So we are we are.
Donna Buckley
Going to do some sightseeing things like see the Tower of London, which you know, see London as a tourist.
Donna Buckley
So that's always a good thing for students to start off with just to kind of get a feel of that.
Donna Buckley
Uhm, also there will be the a theater tour of the National Theatre of in England, and also there will be.
Donna Buckley
Performances in the West End that we're going to see.
Donna Buckley
We also are going to a TV studio 'cause we have student students in our department.
Donna Buckley
We have theater students.
Donna Buckley
We have film students so then students can see what it's like to produce.
Donna Buckley
Theater and film in a TV studio setting.
Donna Buckley
So that's one of the workshops that we're going to be going on.
Donna Buckley
Also, we will be going to bath, which is in Roman town and we were able to see the Roman baths.
Donna Buckley
This will be a full day excursion and not only that, there's a fashion museum there which houses clothing from the 16th century all the way up through the 19th century, so that will be something for the students.
Donna Buckley
We're interested in in costuming and also.
Donna Buckley
The Theatre Royal.
Donna Buckley
We will be able.
Donna Buckley
To see a performance there as.
Donna Buckley
Well, I kind of touched on the globe actors, but part of that is touring the Globe Theatre and seeing a production there as well, which is fun.
Donna Buckley
The Globe Theatre is really unique because they've recreated what it was like in Shakespeare's time, and so you have the area where they're called the Groundlings, where it's really the people.
Donna Buckley
Who were poor?
Donna Buckley
And couldn't afford a seed.
Donna Buckley
They would all stand around the stage and watch a show so you can still do that so you get the get the feel of what it was like.
Donna Buckley
To watch a show in Shakespeare's time and then you have the various tiers around the the the stage where people sat in so that it's always exciting to kind of get in that that kind of environment and you really kind of get a.
Donna Buckley
Feel of what?
Donna Buckley
It was like so this is open air.
Donna Buckley
It's there's no roof.
Donna Buckley
So so to speak on.
Donna Buckley
The theater so it's outside, so you just get you really do get a nice feel of what that.
Donna Buckley
Is we will also be seeing the Victorian Albert Museum.
Donna Buckley
There will be a tour that we will have there, so that's a really exciting thing for people who are interested into the history and there will be some costume ING and fashion things associated with that.
Donna Buckley
Another full day excursion is at Stratford upon Avon, which is where Shakespeare is.
Donna Buckley
From so there will be a tour of that.
Donna Buckley
We will go to the Royal Shakespeare Company and we will see a production.
Donna Buckley
In there and then, the final thing that a lot of students are really showing interest in is going to the Harry Potter experience, which is at the Warner Brothers Studio and one of the suburbs of London.
Donna Buckley
So that is exciting because it includes tours of the costumes, detailed sets, props from the film, and backstage.
Donna Buckley
Studio lots, so you can kind of get a really good idea of what it was like to do things on that movie so that kind of gives you an idea of some of the highlights and then that we have class as well.
Donna Buckley
We will be discuss.
Donna Buckley
Seeing what we are seeing in in the shows, talking about what that is.
Donna Buckley
So that kind of gives you an overview of what we're doing in two weeks so.
Donna Buckley
It's a lot to do in two weeks.
Katherine Stewart
It is a lot to do in two weeks and it sounds to like a pretty full immersive cultural experience in London and and in England and not just exclusively focused on theater and film.
Katherine Stewart
Which is why I think you were saying like there, there might be a lot of students who are not necessarily already in our department or interested in theater who might want to go on.
Donna Buckley
This trip, right?
Donna Buckley
So that's I wanted to leave it open that way so it could be, you know, appealing to a variety of people.
Donna Buckley
And I realize that there there's a probably a lot of students on our campus who have done theater in high school or having interest in it.
Donna Buckley
Or maybe an interest in Shakespeare if they're in, you know, in into.
Donna Buckley
English, and they're not majoring in theater, so this gives them an opportunity to kind of explore that without having to be a major in this department.
Katherine Stewart
Yeah, so you mentioned your vast experience with London.
Katherine Stewart
Can you tell us a little bit more about that?
Katherine Stewart
I know you.
Katherine Stewart
Lived there.
Katherine Stewart
For a while.
Donna Buckley
I did and I was doing missionary work for the my church at the time and so that's why I was living in London.
Donna Buckley
I did marry somebody who was English and so I've been back.
Donna Buckley
Many, many times, so that really.
Donna Buckley
Is how I ended up getting acquainted with the country.
Katherine Stewart
So probably all of these things that you're including.
Katherine Stewart
Well, most of the things you're including in this trip, you've you've experienced and seen and done yourself.
Donna Buckley
I have most of them.
Donna Buckley
Yes, absolutely.
Donna Buckley
And I enjoy it.
Donna Buckley
I mean, I never get it never is dull to me when I go back there, there's just so much to see and do.
Donna Buckley
It's it's amazing and you think oh, you know two weeks, that's all that's so much.
Donna Buckley
But then you realize it's nothing.
Donna Buckley
You know I've been to England many times and I still have not seen.
Donna Buckley
Everything on my list.
Katherine Stewart
And so on.
Katherine Stewart
This list.
Katherine Stewart
What are some of your favorite things?
Katherine Stewart
I'm assuming many of them are your favorite things.
Katherine Stewart
That's why they're on the list.
Katherine Stewart
But what are some of your favorite experiences for this trip?
Donna Buckley
I really like.
Donna Buckley
I really like going to the Globe Theatre.
Donna Buckley
I like that setting.
Donna Buckley
I like seeing Shakespeare that way, so I just I find that kind of exciting.
Donna Buckley
I I like experiences.
Donna Buckley
Where I can kind of delve into the past and kind of get a a glimpse of what that is like and so that's why something like that appeals to me.
Donna Buckley
Of course, as a costume designer and as a costume technologist, I enjoy seeing period clothing.
Donna Buckley
Sure, that is very.
Donna Buckley
Very much up my alley and I never get bored.
Katherine Stewart
Of and you also mentioned that that there would be an opportunity to see some plays while you're there.
Katherine Stewart
Aside from Shakespeare, do you know yet what those might be?
Donna Buckley
No, they haven't.
Donna Buckley
They have not picked those yet, yeah?
Katherine Stewart
Kind of what I was.
Donna Buckley
Kind of what's going on?
Katherine Stewart
Figuring, but I thought I'd ask you.
Donna Buckley
Yeah, it's kind of what's being available, what's available, and the ticket pricing and all of that when we're there.
Donna Buckley
Yeah, cool.
Katherine Stewart
So we talked about how this is open to really anybody?
Katherine Stewart
Are there any eligibility requirements?
Katherine Stewart
If somebody wants to apply?
Katherine Stewart
I think usually with study abroad, there's like a GPA component.
Donna Buckley
It's it's not a really high GPA component. I believe it's 2.5.
Katherine Stewart
Is it open to any year?
Donna Buckley
Yes, absolutely.
Katherine Stewart
Wow, great.
Katherine Stewart
OK.
Donna Buckley
And so if you're going do you, are you going to put a link to the study abroad link?
Katherine Stewart
Absolutely well, yeah, we'll put that in the show notes and I'm I'm also so well like the website for the podcast has like a show notes section and I'll have a link to where to apply and all that information that you sent to me.
Katherine Stewart
And then I'll I'll also include some links to some of the different places you're going to go if people maybe aren't familiar with the Globe Theatre or something and they want to.
Katherine Stewart
Look it up.
Katherine Stewart
And learn more.
Donna Buckley
OK, yeah, that sounds.
Donna Buckley
Awesome yeah.
Donna Buckley
It's not everybody is going to know what I'm talking.
Donna Buckley
About when I talk.
Katherine Stewart
About the globe.
Katherine Stewart
Theatre exactly exactly, but I think it's very cool that this is designed to.
Katherine Stewart
Again, like you said, include.
Katherine Stewart
Not specifically, costume design students, and not even specifically theater and film students, but anybody who's really interested in Shakespeare might love to go.
Donna Buckley
Or anybody who's interested in history.
Katherine Stewart
To anybody who's interested in history, yeah, or anybody who's just interested in England.
Donna Buckley
England or culture or anything like that, yeah.
Katherine Stewart
Yeah, I think that's great.
Katherine Stewart
I think it'll be.
Katherine Stewart
A really rich experience, especially if students from different disciplines are able to go together and have it together.
Donna Buckley
From what I understand right now, the majority of people who are interested are not in the department.
Katherine Stewart
Really, wow, that's interesting.
Donna Buckley
Yeah so.
Donna Buckley
We'll see, we'll see.
Donna Buckley
What what happens?
Katherine Stewart
That's very cool.
Katherine Stewart
Well, what's what's the pitch for this program?
Katherine Stewart
Why should people?
Katherine Stewart
Why should people take their two weeks of them?
Katherine Stewart
It's the may intersession, right?
Donna Buckley
It's May 15th through May 27th at yes.
OK.
Donna Buckley
It's theater, 20.
Katherine Stewart
Nine OK?
Katherine Stewart
Oh, that's right.
Katherine Stewart
Yeah, is there a class?
Donna Buckley
It's theater 209. It's three hours, but they when they apply for the study abroad Office will basically walk them through that part of the process.
Donna Buckley
So that will be something that it'll be easier once they get in and start the the how to apply for.
Donna Buckley
Right?
Katherine Stewart
Gotcha gotcha alright, so what's?
Katherine Stewart
Why should students spend their two weeks of intercession with you in London?
Katherine Stewart
What's what's the big stuff?
Donna Buckley
Well, I my cell is actually if I go think about my first study abroad opportunity was in Greece so I did Greek theater and you just don't look at the world the same again.
Katherine Stewart
Oh well.
Donna Buckley
When you do study abroad, you're going to just have experiences that.
Donna Buckley
You just can't.
Donna Buckley
You can't have here in Oxford and you just are going to meet people and you're going to experience a different culture.
Donna Buckley
You're going to experience theater in that culture, and it really opens you as a person when you can go on a study abroad trip.
Donna Buckley
And usually everybody that I've known who's done it.
Donna Buckley
It's always been.
Donna Buckley
The highlight of their academic undergrad career, or if you know, sometimes people do it in grad school.
Donna Buckley
But everybody always talks about how it was life changing and how it just makes you see the world differently, and so that's really the goal.
Donna Buckley
Here is just to help students experience something beyond Oxford, Ms.
Katherine Stewart
And I I will 2nd that I I did a study abroad my junior year and it was.
Katherine Stewart
For some for a whole semester and it was, it was incredible, and it ended up being a place I visited many.
Katherine Stewart
Times after that.
Katherine Stewart
And I'm still friends with with other students who were in that program who I met there who are from different parts of the country.
Donna Buckley
Yep, so it's just a combination of, you know, being somewhere else and experiencing great theater.
Donna Buckley
'cause what we're going to experience is phenomenal theater and and that's always something that opens someone up as well.
Katherine Stewart
Yeah, you know, that's that's an interesting question that I should have asked earlier.
Katherine Stewart
What is it about Theatre in London or theater in England that is special in part?
Donna Buckley
Killer, well, I think the theater that we're going to see is it's going to be on the same par or level when we think of Broadway.
Donna Buckley
That kind of professional.
Donna Buckley
Level, and I think when you see when you see theater that's on that type of level.
Donna Buckley
It really does make a difference when you.
Donna Buckley
Get to see actors who really have the.
Donna Buckley
Chops who really?
Donna Buckley
Know how to perform that way or if it's something that's really.
Donna Buckley
Phenomenal and the way they've done it with technology in the production area that also can really be mind-blowing.
Donna Buckley
So it's just it's just being able to see things that are done so well with such high quality.
Katherine Stewart
Wonderful, wonderful and of course the historical aspect as well.
Donna Buckley
Right, and you know, like going to see the.
Donna Buckley
Tower, London.
Donna Buckley
It's been there since you know, Norman the Conqueror that that log so and and you'll be walking around buildings that have been there for hundreds of years and whatnot.
Katherine Stewart
One thing on this list of activities that I'm not sure we touched on is entrance to the clothworkers center.
Katherine Stewart
What is that?
Donna Buckley
Well, I'm not.
Donna Buckley
Sure, if we're going to be able to do that because of COVID, but what that is is the museum's behind the scenes room, where they have all their clothing.
Donna Buckley
And they do give tours of that, and that's also where if somebody wants to do research, they can tell the universe.
Donna Buckley
The museum I'm interested in say a gown from 1740. They'll pull that out, bring it out, put it on a table, and then you know. So whoever is doing research can look at that particular item.
Donna Buckley
So that's where all.
Donna Buckley
Those pieces of clothing are housed in its expansive amount, but it's like I'm not sure if that's happening yet because of because of the COVID set.
Katherine Stewart
And that's an opportunity that you've made available to some students in our department here too, with the local museum and their historic clothing collection.
Donna Buckley
Yes, and but the students really like it, so people don't think about our our museum here having clothing, but I think the earliest one is from the 1820s and it it goes all the way up into, you know mid century. But there there is some stunning things that.
Donna Buckley
Our museum has in their collection that's just not seen.
Donna Buckley
There's just not room or the ability to put it out on the floor.
Donna Buckley
But they even have something that is not pretty that my students love to see was a little infantryman's civil War southern civil war jacket and it was just so fascinating that piece of clothing had so much history attached to it. So being able to see those things.
Donna Buckley
Is also always very exciting for any student who is into fashion or into costuming or into history.
Katherine Stewart
It is totally different to see those items in person to sort of get the sense of what it was like for a person to wear them at the time when they were made.
Katherine Stewart
Absolutely well, I hope that opportunity will be available in May.
Donna Buckley
I hope so too yeah.
Katherine Stewart
Alright, well is there anything else we need to know about this study abroad?
Katherine Stewart
Like I said, I will put a link to all the information.
Katherine Stewart
And about it and the study abroad office, and where students can apply and it.
Katherine Stewart
Has all this.
Katherine Stewart
Stuff about financial aid and the course credits and and things like that on there.
Katherine Stewart
Is there anything else we should?
Donna Buckley
Add, uhm, just to realize that there's when we think of financial aid, we just think of the financial aid department, but there's also scholarships that are available through the.
Donna Buckley
Study abroad office if somebody needs help financially with getting their passport, they'll help you.
OK.
Donna Buckley
You also can get your passport through the study Abroad Office because they're actually an agent, so you can go through them and.
Donna Buckley
Get all the help that you need.
Donna Buckley
Setting that up.
Donna Buckley
There's also Pell grants if somebody is an honors student in the Honors College.
Donna Buckley
There are scholarships through the Honors College for study abroad programs, so that's something else that somebody might be able to tap into.
Donna Buckley
So there's a different aspects of.
Donna Buckley
Getting help for it and I know that that's the always the biggest worry because most people are like, oh, I really really want to go but I don't have the money and I mean I understand that.
Donna Buckley
So they're, but to know that there's other ways to tap into some money.
Katherine Stewart
That's great, so don't discredit the idea just because it seems like it's going to be expensive.
Katherine Stewart
There are ways to make it happen.
Katherine Stewart
It doesn't have to be a big daunting thing if you've never been abroad before.
Donna Buckley
That's right.
Katherine Stewart
Don't just say it's too much.
Katherine Stewart
Go ahead and.
Donna Buckley
Look into it, that's why I did it a class.
Donna Buckley
I attached it to a class with credit hours so that way people could get financial aid.
Katherine Stewart
Gotcha, that makes perfect sense.
Katherine Stewart
All right, well thank you so much Donna.
Katherine Stewart
This is a really, really exciting program.
Katherine Stewart
I can't wait until you are actually over there sending us pictures that we can share of all the fun things you're doing.
Katherine Stewart
I wish I could go on it myself.
Donna Buckley
You're welcome.
Donna Buckley
Yeah, but thank you so much for talking to me about it.
Donna Buckley
I hope that answers some questions.
Katherine Stewart
Absolutely, and I hope it will generate some interest and I'll put.
Katherine Stewart
Are you the contact person for this?
Katherine Stewart
Do you want me to include your?
Katherine Stewart
I know your email address is there in the study abroad site, but I could include.
Katherine Stewart
Your email address.
Katherine Stewart
In the yeah, that would be great notes as well.
Katherine Stewart
People want to reach out.
Katherine Stewart
Directly and just run some questions by you.
Donna Buckley
OK, and I was told that alumni can.
Donna Buckley
Go as well so.
Katherine Stewart
Oh, really, OK, that's very interesting.
Katherine Stewart
I will make sure to note that is there.
Katherine Stewart
Do they have to go through the alumni office or is it still study abroad?
Donna Buckley
No, they would still.
Katherine Stewart
Do you know?
Donna Buckley
Yeah, they would still do that, of course they.
Donna Buckley
Wouldn't be taking the.
Donna Buckley
Class per southeast, but they would still have to go through the the whole study abroad process, OK?
Katherine Stewart
That's very interesting.
Katherine Stewart
Alright, thank you for including that, because I don't think I had seen that detail anywhere.
Katherine Stewart
It's good.
Donna Buckley
To know alrighty.
Katherine Stewart
Alright well thanks Donna.
Katherine Stewart
Have a great rest.
Katherine Stewart
Of your day.
Donna Buckley
Bye bye bye bye.
Katherine Stewart
OK, once again that was Donna Buckley talking about the study abroad.
Katherine Stewart
She'll be leading in London at the end of the spring 2022 semester. Please see this episode shown out for all the information you need to take advantage of this very fun opportunity. Until next time.
Katherine Stewart
This is Stage & Screen.