Scarborough Players’ production of Arcadia on stage from June 5 to 20

Scarborough Players’ production of Arcadia opens Friday, June 5,at the Scarborough Village Theatre.

Moving back and forth between 1809 and the present day, Arcadia takes place at the Coverley’s family estate. In 1809 the estate’s grounds are being landscaped into picturesque gardens that include a hermitage. In the modern-day timeline, Coverley family descendants and scholars try to unearth the truth about a possible scandal at the estate, that might have involved Lord Byron.

Written by English playwright Tom Stoppard in 1993 and often called “a play for thinkers”, Arcadia weaves a story that touches the mind and the heart.

A single room, containing almost two centuries of secrets, is the centre of action as the story moves between 1809 and 1993. The play begins in the Regency as Thomasina challenges her tutor Septimus with questions about science and mathematics, the nature of love and desire, as well as the romantic intrigues involving the guests at the estate (one of whom happens to be the infamous Lord Byron). 

Then 180 years later, academics, with the support of the descendants of the aristocratic family that lives at the estate, endeavour to determine what actually happened there so many years ago.

Director, Michael Jones said it is a play about people and their relationships.

“Arcadia is often called a play about ideas, but I think that’s doing the show an injustice. There are ideas, of course, but really Arcadia is a play about people and the relationships between them,” said Jones who is returning to Scarborough Players after 10 years away.

“Thomasina is 13 years old and probably a genius, but she also shows an uncommon understanding of the people around her and a maturity well beyond her years. And Septimus sublimates his true love into other relationships, which lead to his removal from society.  In the 1993 setting, the academic, Bernard’s self-love might be so all-encompassing that it sours all of his other relationships and possibly even his reputation and career. Hannah cuts herself off from interpersonal relationships, preferring the company of her books and the mystery she is trying to solve. These are people with thoughts and high intellect – of course – but they’re really just people muddling through, discovering things for and about themselves.”

Vincent Canby of The New York Times described the play as “Tom Stoppard’s richest, most ravishing comedy to date, a play of wit, intellect, language, brio and, new for him, emotion”. Arcadia won the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Play and was nominated for a Tony for Best Play.

Scarborough Players is delighted that the talented cast for Arcadia includes veterans and newcomers.

Returning to the stage are Casey McMahon as Thomasina (Cecile in Les Liaisons Dangereuses); Nicolas Sajonas as Septimus  (Stevie in Good People); Monica Horsburgh as Lady Croom, (Alice Sycamore in You Can’t Take It with You); Ted Powers as Bernard Nightingale (Calendar Girls); Riley Anne as Hannah Jarvis (Jane in Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley); Rod Cook as Ezra Chater (Freddie inPygmalion); John Pirker as Captain Brice (Marley in A Christmas Carol), and Josh Maclean as Valentine (Christopher in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time). Scarborough Players also extend a very warm welcome to Yael Sher as Chloe, Michael Ferens as Richard Noakes, Nathan McFadden as Augustus/Gus and Mayuresh Trivedi as Jellaby.

A talented team supports director Jones and this production of Arcadia.

They include Katherine Turner, producer; Bill Corcoran, set designer; George Evans, sound designer; Paul Harris and Karen Brown, lighting designers; and Heather Hyslop, props coordinator. Mary Nowlan and Turner created and sourced costumes with a vision from Andrew Cleveland. And the entire production is held together by the watchful eye of stage manager and associate director, Mike Scott.

Recommended for audiences age 14 and over, Arcadiawill stay with audience members long after they leave the theatre.

Opening night is Friday, June 5, and the production runs until June 20.

Scarborough Village Theatre is located at 3600 Kingston Rd. northeast corner of Markham Road.

To order tickets for Arcadia, or for more information, please call 416-267-9292 or go online to https://theatrescarborough.godaddysites.com/