ARCADIA

From: "will stackman" profwlll@yahoo.com

Subject: Quicktake - "Arcadia" by Tom Stoppard

Date: Thur, Dec 9, 11:37 PM

Quicktake on ARCADIA

     Last summer, "Arcadia", one of Tom Stoppard's landmark plays, recived a strong outdoor production at the Publick Theatre. Longwood Players' current presentation of this historical puzzle is quite a respectable chance for those who missed this summer's long run to wonder at Sir Tom's time-spanning play. Central to the cast is versatile Owen Doyle who play erstwhile poet and cuckold Ezra Chater for the Publick and essays the role of Bernard Nightingale, ambitious academic. His opposite number, Hannah Jarvis is played by education specialist Kaitlyn Chantry. The young romantic leads, math genius Thomisina and her tutor Septimus are ably taken by Zofia Goszczynska, seen earlier this season in "Our Country's Good" and Adam Friedman, a Princeton grad in his first Boston appearance. Thomisina's pleasure-seeking mother, Lady Croom, is Jennifer Bubriski, whose brother, Capt. Brice is John Brice. Andrew Moore is Chater in this production, while Cahal Stephens is the "picturesque" landscape gardener, Rich. Noakes.

     The play swings between 1809-1912 and the present, where Hannah and Bernard are both researching the history of the Coverly estate for different reasons. In the present they meet the sexually forthright Chloe Coverly played by Allison Linker, seen earlier this fall in "N(as in Bonaparte)" with Pilgrim and repressed Valentine Coverly, a mathematical biologist, played by Mike Bash. There's also their silent brother Gus, a intuitive musician played by Zach Adler, who also appears towards the end of the play as Thomasina's younger brother, Augustus, who does speak. These dozen actors must also invoke other unseen characters important to the action, including George Gordon Lord Byron, Mrs. Chater, and Lord Croom. Director Marc S. Miller has shaped this cast into a working ensemble with acceptable English accents. They managed to navigate the complex time-defying plot to make the various mysteries clear. Stronger attention to diction would help with some of the more abstruse moments, but all-in-all it's a solid rendition of the play. Longwood's next project will be Sondheim's early effort, "Merrily We Roll Along" for two weekends March 31 - April 8.


"Arcadia" by Tom Stoppard, Dec. 2 -10

Longwood Players in Durrell Hall

820 Mass. Ave, Camb. YMCA, Central Sq. 1 (800) 595 - 4TTX
Longwood Players