Solving for Y to Substitute for X
A brief review of one particular performance of one particular showing of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia.
An initial disclosure: I was intimately involved in the preproduction and the design of the the final program for the Dalhousie Theater Society’s production of Arcadia.
Second Note: I do not speak about the amazing work of the costuming, set work, props, and light crew here. The Back end of a performance are so important to a play as well, but regrettably this piece did not dig into the specifics here for Arcadia. That said, Hermione Davis (Stage Manager/Lighting Design), Emily Dutton (Assistant Stage manager), Natasha Gaucher (Dramaturg), Eli Warriner (Costume Designer), Cassie Seaboyer (Head of Props) and her crew, and Stefano Dodaro (Set Designer) all brought incredibly work that had they not participated would have rendered every performance I saw on stage irrevocably different. Not to forget of course the guiding voice and vision of Director Lucia Dodaro’s stalwart direction. Their work is equally important and impacting on what I dig into here.
There’s something more — be it sex, embracing a side of beef, passion, it drives us and we defy expectation.
There was no way I would have ever said no when my friend Lucia asked me to help them with their production of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia. As their “former basement poet” friend, a “A comedy about sex, death, poetry and algorithms” as the advertisements cite, was in essence a play made from the building blocks of our friendship. We had bonded over a mutual love of the romantic period, Byron especially, and this was a deep dive into that same share interest, accompanied with scathing critiques of academia? How could I ever say no?
I ended up mostly helping with early production work. Curating the audition material, giving input in initial pre-casting production meetings, making an appearance at the first day of auditions, as well as full rehearsal of the first act.
Tom Stoppard’s play is a look at the fragile nature of human ingenuity, the decline of academic reason, a critique of egos, and a a jab at the notion that just because the Universe will one day lose all heat, and thus all life, that anything we do doesn’t matter. From an inquisitive young woman asking a tired old man what’s carnal embrace, to a quiet, introspective lad asking a tired young woman for one dance, we’re taken through the ringer of egos — Byronic and aristocratic nature — to a final battle of them in a mess of nights that leaves nobody’s life the same once it’s over. Stoppard wants us to know that human action defies Newtonian laws of physics. There’s something more — be it sex, embracing a side of beef, passion, it drives us and we defy expectation.
Going into that rehearsal I had expectations about the Play, expectations that were blown out of the Water.
Tom Stoppard’s words on printed page are clever and witty. You can kind of breath the rapid fire deliver of some aspects simply from letting your eyes wander ever so slightly as you read. But actually seeing these words acted, performed, belted for all to hear, is completely transformative.
Going into that rehearsal I had expectations about the Play, expectations that were blown out of the Water. Seeing the energy of the actors dominating the stage had me laughing out loud where I had simply chuckled reading words. Themes and ideas clicked and dug themselves into my brain much more clearly. Acting, they call it the performing arts, after all was finally fully proven to me to be integral to the the thespian experience. A script was not enough.
I could not wait to see the play. I wanted to go opening night, but financial considerations held me back. Finally seeing my close friends hard work brought to life by Arcadia’s mesmerizing cast was phenomenal.
Overall the physicality of the actors took a cerebral script full of obtuse mathematical and literary references and pared it down into a performance that had a little bit of something for everyone.
Florence Wallace’s performance of Thomasina Coverly, fusing cheeky and innocent in ways I not thought possible. Her movement on stage belies her true intentions no matter what her tone of voice says in a way that stays true to Thomasina’s much younger age.
Shawn Hooper brings a much more youthful energy to Septimus Hodge allowing the character’s rhetor and delivery to bleed the very Byronic energy Hodge tries so hard to avoid. The conflicting views of self quite captivating.
Cassia Gohl demands your attention every second she is on stage as Lady Croom. She exudes the energy and power only an English Noblewoman can and struts the stage with provocativeness and a command for respect that leaves everyone, me included stammering.
Tiernan Matheson transformed my least favourite character, Ezra Chater into one of my favourites. On the page Ezra seems a dullard deserving of Septimus’ antagonistic ways. But the questioning, almost bi-curious energy Tiernan brings to Ezra metamorphose the character like a Butterfly.
Mitradru “Dru” Mitdra breathes life into a simple landscape paper like few actors can. On Stoppard’s pages he comes across as secondary, unimportant, a necessitate of the plot, not of the characters. I trule believed thanks to Dru’s performance that Noakes could and did transform Sidley Park into the whole romantic sham.
Megan Krempa demands satisfaction as Capt. Brice, RN. Stomping forward with authority and energy, despite seeming shorter than her co-stars, she manages to stand tall with each grand declaration of war on Septimus Hodge.
Gabrielle Moulton’s Jellaby has a playful energy that I never imagined at all. If Richard Noakes simply came across to me as a hurdle for the plot of Sidley Park in my reading of the script, the butler Jellaby was but set dressing. Still, Gabrielle makes him cunning, playful, and almost insidious. A stand out performance.
Luke Cameron taking the big role of both Gus and Agustus Coverly and knocks the contrast out of the park. Each scene shifting his body language and persona, cementing the cyclic nature of history, and humanity’s giant middle finger flipping off fate through free will, Luke showcases a bevvy of emotions from cocksure and bashful, to silent and introspective in unique ways that only Agustus and Gus can present. But the impact of this was directly delivered using Luke as an all too important conduit.
Taryn Hanrahan has the hard job of playing my favourite character in the Script. Presenting a new way performances can surprise us. I never thought I could see someone bring this character to life so precisely like I imagined her in my head. As a frustrated academic full of ideas but done with the he said and do what’s of academia, Taryn’s tired, reserved, controlled Hannah brings to life a struggle I know too intimately and perfectly delivers all the wonderful sass and disgust. Every facial expression delivering each line mapping perfectly to the Hannah in my mind. It was amazing.
Ethan Gysbertsen made sympathetic a man I hated on printed page. While Bernard Nightingale is in many ways reprehensible in how he treats others in pursuit of his passions, Ethan’s pointed delivery and passion brings a side to Bernard I never imagined. Through Ethan’s performance lines I thought simply idle fancy become true regret, coupled with his earnest love for a subject I too love, Ethan breathes a third and perhaps fourth dimension into this character.
Ishraque Kibria as Valentine Coverly for me is another stand out role. While on the page I appreciated Valentine, and loved his crisp, clear explanation of mathematics and science — Ishraque’s performance again flips the character on his head to expose all the inner-workings of the man’s wants and motivations. Valentine becomes a pinnacle of the romantic ideal perhaps even more so than Bernard in his earnest passions and desires.
Confession: I never laughed at a single line delivered from Chole Coverly when reading Arcadia’s script. Confession 2.0: Sissie Wong’s performance of Chloe Coverly had me holding my sides trying to laugh silently so as to not be too distracting in the packed theatre. Sissie took a character I thought a tired “promiscuous young airhead” cliche and shifted Chloe into a character with passion, desire, and the ability to defend herself and family. I was rooting for Chole when I didn’t agree with her pursuit of sexual congress with Bernard, and was rooting for her still when she was simply anxious for the chance for a good photo opportunity with all the guests at Sidley Park.
Overall the physicality of the actors took a cerebral script full of obtuse mathematical and literary references and pared it down into a performance that had a little bit of something for everyone. Even when I heard a joke I’d read and loved 100 times before during production and essay writing for their beautiful programs.
All of this finally brings me to why I chose the idea of an iterative algorithm for this review. Having been with this play from initial pitch, to first crew read through, and bits and pieces along the way to this wonderful final product, my expectations were constantly shifting based on the last thing I said, the last thing I did. They weren’t however predictable. They just drew a line on a graph because they all happened in the same context. The difference between predictability and graphability is a wide gulf that ultimately is defined by the human experience. If you can still make it out to this beautiful cast’s performance please do. Otherwise — please look forward to your own chance to experience this comedy of love, sex, math, poetry, and the eventual demise of humanity with your own special crew and know the only thing you can possibly predict is what your expectations will be sitting down to watch. Because like all good theatre, once performed you can’t unstir the impact those performances will have on your perception. But you’ll definitely have a new X thanks to that Y.
