How final exams SHOULD be done

Today was the drama class' finals (finals, so American man) for the class which my boss teaches, as well as the million and one other things that woman handles!

Now when taking into consideration the teacher of the class, it was never going to be your ordinary final exam, noooo way.

The class had learnt and rehearsed Spoon River anthology by Edward Lee Masters and they each had an excerpt written by an imaginary character from the grave. So, how would one hold this final exam I hear you ask? Well, you could just have the students stand and read their pieces, you could have one on one performances in a quiet room... or.. you can take them around the centre of Rome to perform amidst the commotion of a city centre.

Filming in public spaces is never an easy task. This is due to a number of ever so slightly distracting noises. Wailing children. Buzzing motorbikes and car engines. Beggars hollering around for money and of course, the numerous helicopters around because today just so happened to be the canonization of the Pope. Whatever that means...?!

These pain the arse locations were actually only for the students that couldn't make the REAL trip. The next stop was the English Non-Catholic cemetery - spooooky. ..No really it was quite beautiful. It is actually the home to the graves of John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley - two major English romantic poets and also the German writer Goethe.

A student about to perform his monologue in the English Cemetery

Next stop, because no finals are final without a final celebration, was the beach. The sun wasn't shining, there were funny looking clouds that may even suggest that rain was on it's way. Did that stop us? Heeeell no.

I got to visit the beach for the first time in Lazio which was cool, we stopped at an apartment of a friend for a delicious Italian lunch (cooked by a New Yorker!) and of course, delicious Italian wine.

What better way to end a 'semester'! Makes me look forward to going back to university and having modules and final deadlines.. not sure it's going to be quite the same though..

The view of the Ostia beach front. Look at those stunning terracotta villas!