Avignon Theatre Festival

Carter Baird traveled to France for the Avignon Theatre Festival in the summer of 2007 as part of a cultural exchange sponsored by the French government.  Baird is double-majoring in theatre and biochemistry/molecular biology at Cornell.

What was the experience like?
A group of students from all around the world met in Paris and we all took the train down to Avignon. We stayed in a middle school and saw a variety of shows throughout our time there. We also participated in Theater workshops in the mornings. I made some friends from Slovenia, Ukraine, Poland, Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia. It was amazing to have my horizons broadened as to what theater is and how it can function in society in a way that I have never seen in the U.S. The entire town was theater! One of the plays I saw was over eight hours long and everyone loved it.

What was best about the experience?
My conversations with other students from various countries. I really got to see how similar we are and how the common pursuit of Theater really brought us together. I also had the opportunity to see a production from Theatre du Soleil which was completely amazing.

Did the experience inspire you in any way?
Well if I wasn't planning on pursuing theater after college before, I definitely am now, and I think my experience in France helped inform that decision.

How much French have you studied? Did you speak in French on your trip?
I took two years my freshman and sophomore year of high school, then I took French 103 and 205 in Montreal. In France, I used French every day and whenever I went out. All the plays were in French (which made King Lear difficult to follow) except for one that was in Dutch with French subtitles.