These few days were some of the most memorable days I have had in my life. Everything I learned in the workshops, the people I met, and the things I did when I wasn’t in the workshops were all great learning experiences for me and the group I was with. The ISTA trip went to Kuala Lumpur this year, and it was my first time going. When we first arrived we were all very sleepy, but after a long sleep we were ready for the days ahead. I was a bit nervous when we arrived at the host school, ISKL, because it was so big and there were masses of students flooding the hallways. After I met a few people and we were separated into our workshop groups of about 20 people per group, I felt better and realized how nice everyone was.

The workshops were very interesting and I enjoyed learning about a wide variety of theater related topics such as clowning, traditional Malaysian theater, and the 7 levels of tension. Throughout the days that we were learning, I used a small notebook to keep track of all the things I had learned. Looking back at it now, I realize just how much I got out of this trip and how much it will help me throughout the DP Theater course. I have already been using some of the techniques I learned during ISTA in the first few classes back, which shows the usefulness of ISTA. The most memorable technique I learned about was how to act as the four elements and how to incorporate them into certain performances by using exaggerated movements. This was a special workshop by a professional from an acting company who I enjoyed listening to and participating in his activities. In addition to all the things we learned in the workshops, I had a great time enjoying the city of KL by exploring malls and having fun in the hotel with the group.