ARCADIA A REVIEW

Time travelling can be a tricky thing to pull off theatrically but British playwright Tom Stoppard manages to do it beautifully in "ARCADIA" ,his elegant and thought-provoking play now being given a beautifully conceived and artfully staged revival by director David Leveaux.
Mr. Stoppard's play moves back and forth between the year 1809 and the present at an estate owned by a promenant British family. The 1809 scenes reveal a household in transition while the present day scenes depict the family dedescendants and two scholars who are researching a possible scandal at the estate in 1809 involving Lord Byron.
As is the custom with all of Mr.Stoppards plays "ARCADIA" requires the utmost attention from the playgoer, but Mr. Stoppard is a master at storytelling and his use of the English language is nothing short of astonishing and his exploration of truth and time across the centuries is nothing short of genius.
Under David Leveaux's often brillant stage direction the cast works together like a well oiled machine and Billy Crudup, Raul Esparza, Margaret Colin nd all the rest give marvelously shaded performances of these most complex characters.
The elegence extends to Hilegard Bechtler's sets, Gregory Gale's costumes, and Donalde Holder's lighting, but everything about this production represents serious theatregoing at it's best.
I did not see the first New York production at Lincoln Center in 1995 so I can't compare it to this one. All I can say is that this production of "ARCADIA" is a flawless realization of a thought provoking and sometimes masterful play and any serious playgoer should put it at the top of their must see list.
AT THE ETHEL BARRYMORE THEATRE 243 WEST 47th STREET N.Y.C.