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  • Raised by opera-loving parents in a rock ’n’ roll world, Rich Copley has parlayed his broad interests into his career writing about arts and entertainment. Since 1998, he has covered performing arts, film and faith-based popular culture for the Lexington Herald-Leader, the daily newspaper in Lexington, Ky. It’s a pretty broad beat, but Rich delights in finding influences of the past in the present and showing fine arts fans the value of pop culture, and vice versa. ~ Copious Notes is a blog covering that broad spectrum. If you want to read about specific areas of interest, such as theater or opera, click on one of the categories to the right and you will be whisked away to all posts in that category. Also, look around the blog for links; multimedia items such as photo albums, videos, and interviews with artists; and other nuggets. Have fun, and thanks for dropping in. The header for this blog was designed by Danny Kelly and the illustration was drawn by Camille Weber.

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« Dateline Flyover | Main | Library film looks at 'Lexington's Greatest Generation' »

March 12, 2008

Your 'Arcadia' study guide

Arcadia_hodge_and_thomasina Adam Luckey is Septimus Hodge and Becky Pearcy is his brilliant student Thomasina in Actors Guild of Lexington's production of Tom Stoppard's Arcadia, which starts previews tonight and opens on Friday. Photo by Charles Bertram | Lexington Herald-Leader.

Total admission here: I was afraid of Tom Stoppard's Arcadia when I went to a rehearsal for the Actors Guild of Lexington production on Monday night. I'd been hearing all of this stuff about Chaos Theory and proofs and things and could just feel my eyes glazing over before I set foot in the rehearsal hall. I frequently tell people there's a reason I work with words and not numbers.

The play is simultaneously set in the early 1800s and the present day in a house on the English countryside. We see intellectual and sexual dramas of the past unfold while present day scholars attempt to solve the mysteries and interpret the discoveries of those days.

Turns out, it is an engaging play. This is not a review, as I only saw a rehearsal. Look for Candace's take on Saturday. But I can say that I was drawn into the literary and romantic plotlines and intrigued by the discussions of science and math, particularly teenage Thomasina's ability to make discoveries that were mind-blowing even today. That said, it was helpful afterward to have some background on what was being discussed to better understand the play. So, no, you do not need a study guide to understand Arcadia. But, if you'd like to do a little advance reading, here are notes prepared by director Ave Lawyer:

Download arcadia_primer.doc

Posted at 12:01 PM in Theater |

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I saw Arcadia at Horse Cave Theatre (now known as Kentucky Repertory Theatre and at Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery.

It is a wonderful adventure on the problem of knowing and not knowing. One cannot unstir two things that have been mixed together.

All serious theater-goers should see this. It's also fun for those who just want to see a clever show.

Robert

Posted by: Robert Stone | March 12, 2008 at 06:17 PM

Thanks for the post Rich...I also have Ave's study guide posted on my blog and Becky Pearcy's Arcadia rehearsal diary as well, for anyone who wants to read more about this lovely play.

Peace
Rick

Posted by: Rick St. Peter | March 12, 2008 at 12:36 PM

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