Arcadia

Arcadia is a story that can be best described as a mirroring of time. One side of the mirror is Coverly household of Sidley Park, set in 1809, following a tutor always teetering on the side of the romantic, and student learning and discovering the secrets of life and the philosophy.

On the other side of the mirror, is the household in the modern day. Focusing on a group of scholars ranging from the possible mathematical influence on time and fate, to the assumptions of character’s fate based on what little evidence they gathered. The present day scholars are trying to piece together the story of Lord Byron, an unseen resident of Sidley Park, and the death of Ezra Chater (Ben Stahl). They do this through the notes and letters of the 19th century guests of the household, as well as the theories and documents from Thomasina Coverly (Kait Mahoney.)

Though the story can become hard to follow, at times requiring your full attention to understand what the current seen was even about, the actor’s performances were quite impressive. Mahoney accurately depicted a curious and intelligent teenager far beyond her time, with an intriguing mix of young naïveté and constant philosophical discovery and mathematical understanding.

Mason Quinn, playing Septimus Hodge, Thomasina’s poetic tutor, did well in depicting the tutor as a flirtatious scholar, fluent with the ladies but trying to protect Thomasina’s innocence in her youth until the later half. Deya Ozburn playing one of the modern scholars named Hannah Jarvis, gave the audience a clear idea on this impatient historian more focused on the “Hermit of Sidley Park” than the romantic advances of her colleagues.

All the actors, both major and minor, managed to clearly emote, enunciate, and breathe life into their roles throughout the play. Where some audience members may be lost in what is happening in the story, they will have the pleasure of being lost in the characters.

The jokes were spot on and would offer the appropriate amount of humor to the scene and characters. An example of which being Thomasina’s curiosity in the concept of “carnal embrace,” consistently asking her tutor, Hodge, what it the phrase truly means. Until Hodge must explain clearly and concisely that carnal embrace is the act of sexual congress. Leaving the girl to shutter at the horrid idea. Thomasina’s mother then enters the room and asks Thomasina what she as learned, to which the girl tells her mother that her tutor gave her a clear understanding of what carnal embrace is. Leaving the mother disgusted with Hodge, and the audience splitting their sides over the misunderstanding.

Comedic moments like these, along with the actor’s great performances, help push the story forward when the tale itself becomes muddled in theory and ambiguity. Arcadia is worth the watch, the set is clever, the actors are impressive, the story is unique, and the shifts in time are easy to follow and flow together nicely as the journey ensues.Arcadia is playing at the Lakewood Playhouse, with showings on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm, Sundays at 2:00pm, and a “Pay What You Can” on January 14th and January 21st at 8:00pm. The play will have showings until January 31st.