Marquette Theatre Dept Goes to Cyprus: Limassol, Richard the Lion Hearted and the Sea

By Deb Krajec

The following post is written by Marquette University Theatre Arts Faculty member Debra Krajec about her first trip to Cyprus to plan for a 3 week Summer Abroad Experience for Theatre students to study and observe ancient Greek drama in performance.  She is traveling with friend, colleague, and former student James Thomas Bailey (Artistic Director of ComedySportz L.A.). Read her entire trip blog online at http://marquettetheatregoestocyprus.wordpress.com.

James Bailey with Cyprus hosts in front of Kolossi Castlen, Cyprus.

Our first full day here! Sunday morning  in Nicosia is HOT! I think this is going to take a bit of getting used to…hot and muggy. Have I brought the right clothes?

James’ friends Yiola & Paris Klitou pick us up for a day of sightseeing and relaxation. Yiola is an actress and a translator – she has translated for James several times, and he loves working with her because she translates his English into Greek with the same inflections and energy he uses to teach. She is lovely and fun. Husband Paris is a financial banker for Bank of Cyprus.

We drive in their car south towards the resort town of Limassol on the beach of the beautiful blue Mediterranean Sea.  Again I am struck by how much Nicosia is very modern and familiar on the outskirts of the old Venetian walls in which we have our hotel.  The Cyprus countryside really reminds me of Arizona or New Mexico – hills and white rock and scrubby brush added to olive trees and evergreens. Yiola pointed out carob trees as well. There are also beautiful flowers – big bougainvillas and hibiscus.

Marquette Theatre Dept Goes to Cyprus

By Deb Krajec

The following post is written by Marquette University Theatre Arts Faculty member Debra Krajec about her first trip to Cyprus to plan for a 3 week Summer Abroad Experience for Theatre students to study and observe ancient Greek drama in performance.  She is traveling with friend, colleague, and former student James Thomas Bailey (Artistic Director of ComedySportz L.A.). Read her entire trip blog online at http://marquettetheatregoestocyprus.wordpress.com.

Krajec and Bailey before their flight to Cyprus.

We started with a bus from Milwaukee to O’Hare airport in Chicago.  Look how excited and relaxed we look.

Hour an a half to airport. We checked in at Lufthansa, and MY huge suitcase that I was sure was going to be overweight due to all the extra packets and gifts I was bringing went thru fine, but James’s second case  they said was too big and heavy to carry on, so we had to pay $50 to check it.  Grrr… had to have it, full of gifts and materials for meetings.

Had almost 3 hours until flight so we found an Italian restaurant where we sat and had a calamari appetizer (James said – “you like calamari and octopus? you’re going to do fine on Cyprus.”) and a salad, and boarded the plane we tried to get our seats changed – no go, a full flight. Sigh. Leaving @3:40 PM was different for James – he usually goes really early in AM or late at night and gets to Cyprus in the dark.  This flight might be the way we want to go in future, because we get there after lunch and can see the country.

Welcome Urban Journalism Workshop Participants

UJW 2011 participants at work in JH 300. Photo by Mahdi Gransberry.

This week, the Diederich College hosts our annual multimedia journalism training for high school students, the Urban Journalism Workshop.

During this two week event, we’ll be posting content generated by our visiting workshop participants on the college’s social media sites, so stay tuned for updates!

Follow the Marquette University 2011 Urban Journalism Workshop updates on Flickr and Facebook.