Insignificant felt I when spending several hours in the Natural History Museum, a sprawling complex deservedly devoted to animals, plants, and the non-human world. From dinosaurs to insects, I saw and experienced as much as possible in a few short hours of this amazing institution. Fascinated with insects and arachnids, I focused my attention on the thousands of species currently identified and known. Standing among the insects, walking toward the mammals, and glancing with interest at the fossils and dinosaurs, I realized how small mankind is in this complex world of nature. So as to avoid an emotional regression resulting from the realization of my unimportance as a human, I went across the street to the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Mankind's contributions are well chronicled in this comprehensive presentation of history, art, jewelry, silver, sculpture, and everything man-made throughout time. From thimble art to massive tapestry to costumes, furniture, paintings, monuments, altars, statues, and silver, this museum demonstrates human creativity with all its glory and achievement. Sitting in the Raphael room for several minutes, staring at the monumental paintings by the great artist, I felt the power and majesty of the Biblical stories portrayed in each piece. Admiration for his skill and respect for his artistic profundity does not fully express my feelings about Raphael's remarkable beauty and depth of expression he put into every work of art. His art is nearly so perfect as to be difficult to put into words.
A quick run through of the jewelry section in order to get to the Theatre and Performance area, left me breathless in awe of the diamonds, rubies, pearls, gold, and silver as they richly gleam on the necklaces, rings, bracelets, broaches, and earrings. But I made it to the performance area without excessive coveting of the items, only to see a room devoted to the marvelous Annie Lennox, known as the lead singer of the Eurythmics. She also continues to be a fine composer, philanthropist, and social activist, leading the way for raising money for charities. Continuing on, I realized, almost with a shock and an "aha" moment, that opera and rock concerts have similarities. Side by side, I saw costumes of opera stars and rock stars (Elton John) and began to read about the accompanying events. Rock music has become theatrical with plots, antics, little talking and lots of music, all to provide a visual representation of the sound. Such is true of opera. One may prefer a certain medium over another, but in many ways, the concepts are closely related, although reaching different clientèle.
I completed my human affirmation time in the Victoria and Albert Museum and felt in the mood for English fish and chips. For 6.99 British pounds, I got a great piece of battered cod with large french fries and delicious mashed peas. Lemon juice and vinegar on the fish made it jump into my mouth with joy and I topped it off with a little water. Time to rest and get ready for the play.
Grabbing a bus and heading toward Greenwich, we got off at Southbank and walked into the National Theatre called Olivier Theatre. Stunned by the size of the hall, I realized I had walked into one of the finest theatres I have experienced. With a capacity of nearly 2,000, a rotating stage, and flawless sightlines, this theatre maintains the highest standards of excellence in performance perhaps in the Western world.
The show was called She Stoops to Conquer. First performed in 1773, it is a favorite of Londoners and uses the old English style of delivery. The comical plot of funny personality traits and misunderstandings is about two couples ultimately getting together in spite of the challenges by family members. The title comes from the leading lady pretending to be a housemaid in order to win the attention of a wealthy Londoner. The elaborate staging with a revolving stage allowed for quick changes in the set and in the characters. Aside from the British accents and the advanced vocabulary (I hate to admit that I could have used a dictionary for some of the words!), I followed the story well and could hear everything from my balcony seat. Great acting, physical comedy, and fast-paced delivery gave the play an energetic glow all the way to the satisfactory ending.
Added to the story was a fun and creative musical score with keyboard, some strings, and percussion. All in a folk style, the music was bright, rhythmically interesting (meter changes throughout) and strong in the hall. The cast sang, danced, and seemed to enjoy the vibrant musical score. It was a superior performance in all respects.
Small in the natural world, large in the creative world, then superior in entertainment, human beings may be insignificant in many ways on this earth, but the creative energy, the spark of ingenuity and industry, the desire for personal expression that gives us art and music, sculpture and color, dreams that become reality, synthesize and meld together to secure our place in the past, in the present, and in the future.
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