Meet the CAST: English Department Picnic

Meet the CAST:  English Department Picnic

Covered by: Tiffany Gulick

 

Students and faculty from FSU and Cambridge waiting to serve themselves food.  

            On Tuesday, September 20, from 4-6 PM, the Frostburg State University English Department held a picnic at the Frostburg Community Park.  The venue was originally planned to take place in the Tom Woodie Baptist Student Center; however, the building was locked, so the venue was quickly changed.  Despite this, the change of site was no downer on the event.  The English Department faculty and students had the pleasure of joining the Cambridge American Stage Tour (CAST) students for dinner before the group’s performance of William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, scheduled for later that evening. 

            During the picnic, FSU students were able to mingle and chat with the students from the University of Cambridge.  Not surprisingly, the CAST students are quite similar to American students, yet there are some notable differences. 

            The University of Cambridge is located in southern England.  CAST is a group of theater students who travel the east coast of the United States each year to perform Shakespeare’s plays, beginning in Florida and ending in Connecticut.  This year the play they are performing is As You Like It. 

            Through discussion with the students, I was able to get a better understanding of England’s school system.  According to an actress named Josie, students attend public school in England until age 16, where they then have the choice to enter into an apprenticeship for two years learning a vocation, or they wait until they are 18 to attend “university.”  Josie claims that in England, “we always say that we attend university.  We never say that we go to ‘college’ or ‘school.’”  Josie also had trouble understanding what was meant by my saying that I am a sophomore, as she would understand it as year two.  Josie also said that English university students do not have majors, minors or concentrations, but only go to university for one area of study.  “Our system is a lot simpler there,” she says. 

Abby (left) speaking to another CAST member

            Other interesting things that I learned at the picnic were from a “Shakespeare Loser” named Abby (she claims that she doesn’t really do anything for the production, but “Shakespeare Loser” can be written on her jumper).  Abby asked me if it was always as hot as it was at the picnic in Frostburg.  I then explained to Abby that the temperature drops dramatically during winter, but mostly because of the wind on the mountains.  To this she replied that in Cambridge, the weather is very similar during the winter season, but for the opposite reason.  Abby told me that Cambridge is so flat that wind travels across the ocean from Russia, which causes very cold weather. 

            Abby also exclaimed that upon arriving in America she, “went crazy over thrift shops! We have little charity shops at home, but those only have like three tee-shirts.  These are like warehouses!”  She was amazed that she could find a cute pair of shorts for $7 at a thrift shop, and she was quite ecstatic.  

FSU and Cambridge students mingling. 

            Thanks to Abby and the group of cast members sitting around her, I also learned that they are very curious and cautious about stink bugs.  A stink bug landed on one of the CAST member’s dinner plate, and all of the students around her jumped.  One of them stood up and shouted, “Don’t hit it!  Don’t touch it!  It will smell!”  Later, Abby asked me how stink bugs work.  I told her that they only smell if you squish them.  I hope that my understanding of sting bugs was helpful to her. 

            Overall, I learned that the members of the CAST are very friendly people with a great sense of humor.  As I spoke to Abby, she mentioned being excited to be a part of Q&A in my Shakespeare class the next morning, and said, “it will be very nice!” To which a boy across from her asked, “are you running it?” and she replied “Why yes, I am.”  The lighting manager also had a discussion with me about how no one ever asks any questions about the lights, so he wanted me to come up with some, so that he may take part in the class question and answer time.  “No one ever asks why we chose to use lights,” he says.