By Tessa Solomon
Science, scandals, and history will unfold and overlap in the confines of one room, the set of Arcadia.
The play will open 8 p.m. Friday in the Theater Building’s Mabie Theater and run through Nov. 21. Written in 1993 by Tom Stoppard, Arcadia is considered a seminal work in Britain’s literary history.
Nestled in an English country estate, precocious scientist Thomasina Coverly works with tutor Septimus Hodge in the 19th century. In the present, scholars Hannah Jarvis and Bernard Nightingale decode the mysteries of the house’s former tenants.
“A central theme that we are focusing on with this production is that life only exists in the present,” said scenic designer Nic Wilson.
Human beings’ insatiable drive to learn and experience, Wilson said, remains unaltered by time, even as everything else changes.
A large wooden table strewn with artifacts and modern technology dominates Stoppard’s original set. As time periods shift, the tools remain on the table, a constant reminder of time’s immense presence.
When staging landmark plays, especially ones as influential as Arcadia, directors and designers must balance honoring the playwright’s legacy and crafting an individual adaptation.
“[Our design] thrusts the play into a reality that is at a higher frequency than the realism in which this play is traditionally presented,” said director Ariel Francoeur.
Stoppard’s original set is intent in its simplicity. While Wilson acknowledges this, audiences should keep an eye out for personal touches.
“Being drawn to this idea of the hunt for knowledge and making sense of the everyday, I’ve used a few scenic tricks to slowly start distorting what we conceive as the real world throughout the course of the play,” Wilson said.
That distortion of time lends a fantastical dimension to a largely realist production.
Despite any nods to the source material, this adaptation will reflect Francouer’s intimate directing style.
“She’s invested so much in it that it’s probably going to come out a lot differently from if you were going to see it anywhere else,” said Connett Croghan, who plays the estate’s butler, Jellaby. “It will be very personal.”
Though Arcadia has been widely staged, from regional theaters to Broadway, audiences will have an opportunity to make this a personal experience, too.
“I hope that on opening night, people will leave the theater thoroughly entertained, enlightened, and enlivened, with a new appreciation for the wonder of humanity,” Francoeur said.
THEATER
When: 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Nov. 15; 8 p.m. Nov. 18-21
Where: Theater Building Mabie Theater
Admission: $5 with UI IDs, general public $10-$18
