Guests
by Orin, May 26, 2005 5:53 PM
Now this is important theatre. Yes, a play, and I recommend seeing it performed if you ever get the chance to, but read it beforehand if you want to have a chance of understanding it. I actually played Valentine in a production of Arcadia (I had a monologue about chaos math ? how cool is that?) and we spent a week studying the text before we even got up to rehearse it, something I have never done with any other production. The action jumps back and forth between the early 19th century and late 20th century in every scene, each happening in the same room, until the climax, when both actions happen simultaneously on stage. Chaos math, thermodynamics, Lord Byron, landscape architecture, and, of course, sex, are the primary concerns of the characters. Don't be put off by the high intellectual tone of this work; throughout it is remarkably funny.
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