Event

Arcadia

Tom Stoppard is considered by many to be the greatest playwright of his generation, with "Arcadia" being considered his greatest play. The setting is Sidley Park, an estate in the English countryside. It is 1809. As the brilliant and precocious 13 year-old heiress Thomasina Croom is tutored by the dashing Septimus Hodge, the grounds of the estate are undergoing a massive renovation that serves as a symbol for the end of the romantic era. The amorous transgressions of Septimus and the wife of a fellow houseguest are discovered by the furious husband, leading to the challenge of a duel. It is 1989. The setting is the same. Renowned author Hannah Jarvis is a guest at the estate as she studies the garden renovation of 200 years ago, as well as a hermit who lived on the grounds. Bernard Nightingale, another scholar, arrives in an attempt to research what he believes was a duel fought by the famous poet Lord Byron. Although separated by nearly 200 years, characters and time begin to overlap. Discussions of the second law of thermodynamics, chaos theory, Newtonian physics, poetry and carnal embrace lead to moments of hilarity, beauty and sadness that will be as unforgettable for the audience as it is for the characters of both eras. Produced by the groundbreaking company that gave us the much-lauded productions of "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot," "The Pillowman," "The Shape of Things," Eleemonsynary" and the West Coast Premiere of "The Library."