This past weekend, UNCW’s theater department brought patrons to the moors of 19th century England with a compelling version of Sir Tom Stoppard’s “Arcadia.” The play took place in the Coverly family mansion of Derbyshire, in the parlor room that served as the singular set throughout the play. The production rotates time periods between 1809 and present day, juxtaposing the interesting story of the Coverly family and their history from the time of Lord Byron.

The story begins in 1809 with Thomasina Coverly, played by junior Maria Katsadouros, and her tutor Septimus Hodge, played by junior Jacob Keohane. Katsadouros’s character is a precocious young student advanced years beyond the knowledge of her tutor in the field of mathematics. However, her maturity is not recognized behind her gleeful and childish persona, expertly executed by Katsadouros. Instead, her interest is in the love triangle of her tutor with her family’s guest, Mrs. Chater.

As Keohane’s character is deflecting her questions, Mr. Ezra Chater, played by junior Rylan Morsbach, enters the scene and challenges him to a duel. The fight is soon diluted as landscape architect Richard Noakes, played by senior Zach Pappas, comes into the scene proposing immense changes to the traditional gardens of the estate. As he is depicting the future outlook of the garden, Thomasina idly draws an imaginary hermit on his blueprints, bringing the play to present day.

As a guest at the Coverly mansion, Hannah Jarvis, played by senior Sarah Burke, is a writer researching the “Sidley Park hermit” seen on the garden blueprints from 1809. While earnest in her pursuit, Hannah is having less luck in her research than her friend and jokingly proclaimed “fiancé,” Valentine Coverly, played by senior Owen Hickle-Edwards. 

The character of Valentine, presented flawlessly by Edwards, is a young biologist and mathematician interested in concepts such as chaos theory.  He comes upon the old journals of Thomasina. Soon, Valentine and Hannah realize the immensity of Thomasina’s findings and are in awe of how the young girl had ideas that weren’t realized until centuries later. Effectively, Valentine produces an equation based off Thomasina’s ideas and is able to publish it.

All the while literary critic and Professor Bernard Nightingale, played by senior Charles Johnston, is a guest at the Coverly mansion as well, researching what he presumes to be the murder of Mr. Chater by poet, Lord Byron. While his evidence lacks luster and legitimacy, Bernard publishes what he thinks is scandal. However, it backfires on him as Hannah finds accounts of Mr. Chater being out of the country at the time of supposed death.  What they do conclude is the apparent friendship between Septimus and Lord Byron. At the play ends, Hannah is given what she has been looking for all the while as well: the blueprint with the drawing of the hermit.

The Department of Theatre delivered a flawless rendition of the original play with actors persistently on cue and costumes reminiscent of a different, and current, era of British fashion, forming a performance worthy of Stoddard himself.  Notably realistic and irresistible were the benevolent characters of Thomasina, Valentine and the misanthrope and comic relief, Gus, played by senior Benjamin Burrow.

“Even though the plot itself was confusing at times, from the perspective of someone who knows nothing of ‘Arcadia,’ the acting was perfect, and the cast couldn’t have done a better job,” said freshman Courtenay Sherwood.