Defying classification, Arcadia is a satire on “English country house plays” and excesses of academic and literary theories and research, a comedy because often funny and it ends mainly happily and with a dance, a drama because of conflicts between order and chaos as well as people and their times and indeed one that deals with the problem of time itself. Some will note there’s tragedy in what befalls a heroine and reputation for her scientific-mathematical findings. Perhaps the most accurate classification of FSU/Asolo Conservatory’s production is, as an audience member noted, it’s “a great vehicle for student actors’ learning.”
The plot alternates between people at the Coverlys’ Derbyshire estate in 1809 and Present Day, both considered times of change. Introduced in the past, unknown young budding genius Thomasina Coverly (Carla Corvo, intelligent, sweet) seeks the meaning of “carnal knowledge” from her tutor Septimus. He’s been indulging in it with the wife of aristocrat Ezra Chater (perfectly stereotypical Marc Bitler). Gardner Noakes (Joe Ferrarelli, doubly duplicitous) has discovered the affair and will use his knowledge. As Septimus, Creg Sclavi scores as the male lead, taking up the play’s sexy and romantic themes with aplomb while leading into the age’s Classicism vs. Romanticism. He’s an admiring friend of Lord Byron. Noakes is involved in a plan to change from a pastoral garden to a wilder Romantic landscape. Lady Croom (Alex Pelletier, notably harsh) complains about that, placing her vs. Septimus. So is Ezra Chater, who wants to duel with Septimus because he only pretended to praise the untalented man’s book of poetry. In the Present, Amber McNew’s lively scholar Hannah Jarvis is looking for a fabled hermit in records of the estate. She’s also tangentally interested in the research of mathematics/scientific scholar Valentine (a confident, competent Michael Judah). In comes a flamboyant Bernard Nightingale (Jonathan Grunert, often taking over everything), a researcher of Chater’s poems but really stuck on Byron. He thinks Byron was a guest at the estate who dueled Chater to death. He also thinks Byron wrote his well known poem “She Walks in Beauty” thereabout. (Stoppard also has him refer to Byron having had a three-year unaccounted-for absence, which I could not find referred to in Leslie Marchand’s definitive Byron biography.) In the rest of two Acts of alternating scenes, Valentine discovers Thomasina’s genius, yet it may still remain not promulgated. An old game book proves important to later research findings. Chater is credited with botanic discovery, thanks to Lady Croom’s notes. Brian Ritchie’s quiet modern Gus reveals what Septimus learned and about his real love. Valentine and Hannah win out with their separate theories over Nightingale enough to send him off--but on a sort of toot. Even Chloe Coverly (nicely portrayed by Jillian Cicalese) is satisfactorily accounted for, though the very early, rather funny butler-like presence of Jacob Sefcak as Jellaby may be forgotten until curtain call. A center table downstage below the proscenium arch holds the important props of both times and itself provides a stage for much of the activity. Director James Dean Palmer blocks the central action well but puts a curious tea table scene down house right in which Lady Croom sips tea and talks to the audience with her back to the little table, behind which is the person she’s supposed to be speaking to. The whole play would have benefitted from a smaller space than the handsome big estate room, the back of which is seldom used though the window to the garden is. A number of doors suits the farcical part of the play’s action well. Costumes show some period, some modernity, some humorous fancy. Lighting varies as needed, especially effective when a rash of starlight is seen outside the back window. Music is appropriate, especially for the dance in which people and periods come together. Oh, yes, the director has obviously helped the actors learn and the audience to somewhat understand a complex play.
