I was asked to review Arcadia by Tom Stoppard and went to a performance. Now, I love Stoppard I starred in his Travesties for a sizable run in Los Angeles in 1984 and found new, sometimes profound inferences each week. I saw and loved
the first production of Arcadia when I was the theatre critic for WNEW radio.
Unfortunately, for this current production, I have to agree with the critic for the New York Times who suggested that we read the play before going to it because of the incomprehensibility of the words spoken by the actors. Stoppard's ideas, the juxtaposition between 1809 and today in mathematical ideas is fascinating, but the actors need to let the words come out at a rate and level to enhance meaning, not obscure it. I felt very frustrated and left at intermission.
I blame the director David Leveaux for not guiding the performances into clarity. I'm going to the Drama Bookshop today and buy a copy of the play.