“Arcadia” at The Gamm Theater

By Richard Pacheco

           

Tom Stoppard’s “Arcadia” is widely admired intellectual and hilarious play about two groups of people from different periods in time who share a single room. One group is from the early 19th century, the second is a group of modern-day historians researching the period the first group lives in. It is wily and witty, challenging and hilarious propelled by a simply superb large cast.

            “Arcadia” is set in Sidley Park, an English country house in Derbyshire, and takes place in both 1809/1812 and the present day (1993 in the original production). The activities of two modern scholars and the house's current residents are juxtaposed with those of the people who lived there in the earlier period. In 1809, Thomasina Coverly, the daughter of the house, is a precocious teenager with ideas about mathematics, nature and physics well ahead of her time. She studies with her tutor Septimus Hodge, a friend of Lord Byron (an unseen guest in the house). In the present, writer Hannah Jarvis and literature professor Bernard Nightingale converge on the house: she is investigating a hermit who once lived on the grounds; he is researching a mysterious chapter in the life of Byron. As their studies unfold – with the help of Valentine Coverly, a post-graduate student in mathematical biology – the truth about what happened in Thomasina's time is gradually revealed.

            The result is an astute, provocative energetic comedy that ably balances the intellectual with razor sharp humor.

            Grace Viveiros who makes her debut with the Gamm is simply stunning. She is a delicate and deft combination of hungry innocence and wily intelligence. She shines gloriously in the role.

            Jeff Church is her cynical and womanizing tutor Septimus Hodge. He takes advantage of any situation with a woman at the slightest provocation and the most minimal encouragement with flair and panache. Church is delightful in the role with just the right touch of cynicism and intellect. He is sheer fun.

            Ezra Chater (Brandon Whitehead) is a most cuckolded man with his wife wooed and won but just about every male within 50 miles including the never seen but famous Lord Byron. His sense of comic timing is wondrous.

            Also on hand in the past is the landscape designer, Richard Noakes played with zest by Tom Gleadow. Then there is the gossipy butler Jellaby played with flair and comic skill by Richard Noble and finally the deceitful and nefarious seafarer Captain Bruce played by Gunnar Manchester with energy and finesse or Thomasina’s troublesome kid brother played by Douglas Meeker who also plays Gus in modern times with liveliness and skillfulness. Finally the other women of the time Lady Croom played with sensual sass by Deb Martin.

            Transported to modern times there is a whole new array of characters at the estate. There is the bombastic, self assured scholar with a passion shoot his theories out before finding actually evidence to prove that Chater was killed in a duel by Byron, Bernard Nightingale, played with vigor and conviction by artistic director Tony Estrella. His nemesis in these theories is Hannah Jarvis, played with button down perfection by Janine Kane.

            Rounding out the rest of the modern day batch of strange, quirky folk are Emily White as Chloe, her older brother Valentine played by Jesse Hinton and double cast Douglas Meeker as her younger brother. They are all excellent.

            Directed by Fred Sullivan Jr. it is deftly performed with terrific chemistry between the entire cast and although long, time flies by swiftly. Sullivan keeps the entire thing moving swiftly with no stops and gliding along with a top notch cast that never fails to deliver.

            This is a gem, don’t miss it.

            “Arcadia” runs through Oct. 16 at the Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre, 172 Exchange St., Pawtucket. Tickets are $44 and $52. Call 401-723-4266 or visit gammtheatre.org.