Theater Review: Arcadia

Broadway Debut Performance Highlights Arcadia

By Lauren Yarger

Nothing – and everything – is certain in Arcadia, Tom Stoppard’s smart, intelligent play mixing the past and present, both in the plot and physically with the present-day Broadway revival of the 1995 Tony award winner. As characters from 1809 and 1993 intertwine and blend in the story, this version has the satisfying additional connection between past and present productions with original cast member Billy Crudup returning to play a different role this time around.

Crudup is totally engaging as the present-day Bernard Nightingale, a scholar who arrives at an English country house to explore its connection to Lord Byron. He collaborates with Hanna Jarvis (Lia Williams), an author who has written a best-selling book about Byron’s mistress, who also is at the house to conduct research to discover the identity of the illusive hermit who once lived on the grounds. They are joined there by Chloe Coverly (Grace Gummer). The current daughter of the house, her brother and mathematician Valentine (Raul Esparza), and their younger brother, Gus (Noah Robbins), who doesn’t speak, but who has a crush on Hannah.

Together they research old documents and landscape drawings left by the estate’s architect Richard Noakes (Byron Jennings –such an appropriate-sounding name to be cast in this production….) for clues as to the identity of the hermit and other mysteries about the lives and loves of the 1809 occupants of the house and why Lord Byron might have visited there.

In opposing scenes, the lives of those past inhabitants are played out and we discover that history isn't always as accurate as we think. Thomasina Coverly (Bel Powley in a dynamite Broadway debut) discusses algebraic and other scientific theories with her tutor, Septimus Hodge (a wonderful Tom Riley in the role originated in the 1995 show by Crudup). Hodge is called out for his affair with the wife of Ezra Chater (David Turner), a talentless poet who quickly forgets the duel when Septimus promises to praise his work in a review. Hodge’s real affections are directed where they can’t be returned: to Lady Croom (Margaret Colin), Thomasina’s mother. Lady Croom’s brother, Captain Brice (Glenn Fleshler), Thomasina’s brother Augustus (also played by Robbins) and the butler, Jellaby (Edward James Hyland) round out the cast form the past.

The scenes play out on Hildegard Bechtler’s simple, but towering set, lighted by Donald Holder, like paintings on a canvas. Gregory Gale’s costumes are perfect and past and present blend on the same set with props used throughout thr two time periods (love the turtle). Particularly delightful is a scene toward the end where all of the characters are in the house at once, waltzing or turning the pages of the same books simultaneously. It’s a lovely play, but the revival is flawed in a few places.

Like the dichotomy he’s directing, Director David Leveaux has cast two groups of actors: one that’s perfect and another that seems miscast. In the past sequences, Powely and Riley shine and make you almost sad to leave them to have to journey to the future. Powley is a powerhouse, expertly portraying Thomasina as a delightful, innocent girl who can cry, “Goodie” at one moment, then let lose the genius able to unmask complicated scientific theories about heat exchange and time. She’s thoroughly delightful and engaging and Riley is the perfect balance as the carefree tutor trying not to get too serious about anything, but increasingly amazed by his pupil’s abilities. The rest of the 1809 group is fine, except for Colin. Though her delivery of humorous lines is good, she is miscast and looks awkward.

In the present, Crudup mops up the stage, leaving the less exciting Esparza and Williams in the dust while the miscast Gummer strikes various poses trying to find some place to fit in. In addition, some of the high-clipped English accents employed by some of the actors are very difficult to understand many lines are lost. It’s a shame, because Arcadia is a lovely play well worth its two-hour-and-45-minute run time.

It plays at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 243 West 47th St., NYC through June 19. Discounted tickets are available at http://www.givenik.com/show_info.php/Masterworks/300/individual Christians might also like to know:
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