This past weekend, Theatre UCF premiered Tom Stoppard’s classic play, Arcadia. With a great audience turn out and actor enthusiasm, Arcadia rolls into its final week.
Arcadia is a story that takes place in an English country house between two time periods, 1809 and 1999. The play centers itself on 13-year-old Thomasina, whose heart is large and her eagerness to learn is even larger. Thomasina is very bright for her age and unfolds an incredible scientific discovery. Unfortunately, the adults around her are too caught up in their petty little dramas to pay much mind to Thomasina. Many years later, Thomasina’s discoveries begin to unravel, revealing a deep relationship between the two time periods and life itself.
The hard work and efforts of the entire cast and crew can be seen during this three hour performance.
Before the show begins, audience members are handed a program, as well as an English historical guide and glossary. These aids, created by Dramaturg Teresa Kilzi, are a critical read to understand the play and the characters they mention.
Additional reading materials and downloadable content are provided on the Theatre UCF website.
The talented actors handled the strong accents and dialogues flawlessly. In order to keep up, reading the provided pieces is recommended.
Abigail Cline, junior, played the curious Thomasina Coverly. Cline portrayed her character with the thriving enthusiasm a 13-year-old should have.
Alongside Cline, Eric Earley, senior, embraced the stage as Thomasina’s smooth-tongued older tutor, Septimus Hodge. Earley played his character with the right amount of wit, intensity, and passion.
“My favorite thing about Arcadia is the collection of beautiful relationships between characters. It was enjoyable to build those different relationships with Septimus (my tutor), Lady Croom (my mother), and Augustus (my brother). Throughout the process, the actors became more comfortable with each other and gradually their characters did as well,” said Cline.
The rest of this cast deserves many accolades as well. From the lady of Sidley Park all the way to a modern author, this cast was spot on. No matter who was on stage, there was always a variety of energy and talent.
For a classic such as this one, accents are of the utmost importance. The cast delivered them immaculately and without hesitation.
When asked about the difficulty of the accent, Cline responded, “a British accent is definitely more difficult than it seems. Between Mark Brotherton and Kate Ingram working with our dialects, I’ve learned about this accent, approaching other accents, and about the British culture as well.”
The technical team behind this production also deserves strong recognition.
The set, designed by Joseph Rusnock, was grandiose and beautifully fit both periods of the show. The costumes, led by designer Daniel M. Jones, perfectly fit the personality of each individual. The lights and sound were also nothing short of superb, fitting the simple tone of the periods.
KnightNews.com asked Cline why she thought people should come out and see the show closing weekend.
“Many students said they didn’t want to attend because ‘it’s just a bunch of math and physics’ but it is so much more than that. Also, many of those students who did see it spoke differently after seeing the show. I’ve learned such a plethora of things about algorithms, Newton’s ideas, celebrities of England in the early 19th century, and the beauty within people coming together to discover something,” Clint said.
This is the closing week of Arcadia, showtimes are:
Jan. 29, 30, 31 at 8 pm
Feb. 1 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and $10 for students.
“One of the cast’s favorite quotes from the show is “It’s wanting to know that makes us matter.” It truly is; this show inspires us and the audience to learn and believe that we can offer something to the world no matter what it may be,” said Cline.
For more information on Arcadia and Theatre UCF, visit their website or call their box office at 407-823-1500.
