Arcadia
February 12 - February 22, 2025
Wildcard Wednesday (VU Community Only): February 11
Opening Night: February 12 | Speaker's Series: February 15| Drinks with the Dramaturg: February 20
RUN TIME: 3 hours, one intermission
All Performances at 8pm except Sunday 2pm
Written by Tom Stoppard
Directed by Valerie Joyce
In Tom Stoppard's masterpiece, time dances between 1809 and the present at the elegant Coverly estate. In one era, precocious thirteen-year-old Lady Thomasina and her tutor explore revolutionary ideas in mathematics, physics, and romance while the gardens transform from classical to Gothic. Two centuries later, competing scholars piece together a mysterious scandal involving Lord Byron from fragments of the past, unwittingly mirroring the intellectual and romantic pursuits of their predecessors.
"Pure entertainment for the heart, mind, soul... a work shot through with fun, passion, and, yes, genius" (The New York Post), this brilliant theatrical puzzle examines the nature of truth and time, the collision between classical and romantic temperaments, and the disruptive influence of desire on our life orbits—the attraction Newton left out. Stoppard's "richest, most ravishing comedy" (The New York Times) proves that in both science and love, the unpredictable heat of human passion can alter everything.
Content Guide
If you want to learn more about the content of this show, please click below for specific content alerts. If you have further questions, contact the box office.
Content warnings "are verbal or written notices that precede potentially sensitive content." Content warnings differ from spoilers because they don’t explain plot or context. Similarly to a rating on a movie or TV show, content warnings give the audience a heads up about potentially triggering topics in the performance. We hope that providing the following content warnings will equip our audiences with the tools they need to engage with the performance in a meaningful and fulfilling way.
Like all good art, theatre asks audiences to engage with universal questions on a personal, sometimes challenging level. At the same time, please do note that there is a difference between trauma and discomfort. Without the latter, we can narrow and limit our experiences in ways detrimental to ourselves as individuals and as members of this community. Please use your best judgment and exercise self-care as needed.
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