Liz Lauren
The play connects two time periods: the early 1800s and the 1990s.
On a clear Wisconsin night, beneath stage lights and starlight, Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia opened at American Players Theatre. I mention starlight because Stoppard is fascinated by the universal. Algebra and geometry. Chaos and predetermination. Theorems and proofs. Mainly, he’s interested in time and what is lost as it continually moves forward, taking us right along with it.
The play, which opened Aug. 6, takes place in two time periods, the early 1800s and the 1990s, the time of its writing. Two eras, but one location: a country estate in Derbyshire, England, represented by a long table filled with books, set in front of French windows.
In the past, a young Thomasina (Rebecca Hurd) learns science and math from her philandering tutor, Septimus Hodge (Nate Burger). Witty exchange on the level of Oscar Wilde begins when Hodge is discovered having an affair with the wife of would-be poet and opportunist Ezra Chater (Casey Hoekstra). Hodge, most importantly, is a friend of Lord Byron, who never makes an appearance in the show, but whose presence in Derbyshire later influences the action almost two centuries later. In the modern age, academic Bernard Nightingale (James DeVita) squares off against fellow historian Hannah Jarvis (Colleen Madden) to unravel the mystery of what happened to Chater.
Were it not for the mystery, Arcadia might spin off into its own highly cerebral orbit. But the mystery keeps us hooked while Stoppard unravels theories that clearly keep him captivated in between Sunday crosswords. The play is an arrow aimed at the mind, not the heart.
The cast brings life and color to their characters. DeVita’s Nightingale is both sharp and tiresome in the way of academics. Madden is a standout as a woman who holds her own in the face of Nightingale. Burger provides a much-needed tenderness in the role of the tutor. The play is peppered with sexual intrigue, rather than love, but these actors put their all into each line and scene. Their love of theater is evident throughout.
Arcadia is a play that will leave you thinking and talking, musing about what Stoppard meant by all his theories. Are we merely a collection of random acts? Is the future headed toward disorder? What traces are we leaving behind to be understood (or misunderstood) by coming generations?
The play ends with a dance; it seems to be Stoppard’s way of saying that, when given the opportunity to sit on the sidelines or waltz through history, we should always opt for dancing.
