Four years after it was supposed to be produced, Jamestown Community Theater presents “Arcadia” by Tom Stoppard. The play “was initially planned to be part of JCT’s 30th anniversary season,” said Ricky Martin, JCT’s artistic director, “in summer 2020, when the world shut down.”
Stoppard’s play is hard to explain. It’s a modern-day exploration of life in the early 1800s, with action happening in both timeframes. “The show is a departure from our traditional repertoire,” said Martin. “We mostly do musicals. And I wanted to do a show that focused on acting, that really gives actors something to sink their teeth into.”
The show features performers both new and seasoned. One of the newer actors is Jamestown’s Kris Cummings. “I took an acting class at Trinity Rep in 2000,” said Cummings. Twenty-three years later, his nine-year-old daughter asked him to join her in auditioning for JCT’s “The Sound of Music” and he was cast as Uncle Max. “I can’t tell you the joy this experience brought me. The theater is a wonderful family with infectious enthusiasm and passion. Let’s just say I was bitten by the bug!”
Cummings plays Jellaby, a member of the “old cast, since the play offers past and present timelines.” Jellaby is a knows-all butler. He doesn’t have a lot of lines, so Cummings is working on “developing his interactions and intentions, and mastering a British accent, all as I hold a quite dead rabbit.”
For Michelle Conway of Newport, “Arcadia” is only her second show since graduating from college. “I auditioned on a whim and was cast as Lady Croom. The most difficult part is tackling Tom Stoppard’s writing. He is a highly intelligent and sophisticated playwright, and, as with a Shakespearian script, it is up to the director and the actors to bring his complicated writing to life. After so long away from acting, it has been a joy to reconnect with something I have missed for so much.”
Nishan Lawton of Middletown has been performing for 30 years. Acting was his “quote/unquote job” for 15 years of summer stock, dinner theaters and more. He was wrapping up a show and looking for another. “I actually did not know the show,” he said. “I read it and realized what a brilliant piece of work it is.” He auditioned for the part of Bernard, who exists in the current timeline. “It’s a bit of a departure from the characters I usually play. Bernard is a bit of a pompous ass and believes he’s the smartest person in the room.”
Like Cummings and Conway, Lawton struggles with “lines, lines, lines. There are quite a lot of monologues about poetry, literature, and specific dates. It is definitely not easy to learn.”
Martin acknowledges that “Arcadia” is a “beast. As we delve into the script, so much comes to life, each page is action-packed, and every last word of the script is just perfection. It truly is a masterpiece.”
One of the biggest challenges is the alternating timelines. “The casts each have their own stories – the stories connect, of course. The present-day characters are trying to figure out what happened in the past, but there is so much overlap – characters in one period say variations of lines in another, so the challenge has been coherence. The actors have been working for a couple of months now, and they are really getting it.”
Not to worry. The three actors – indeed, the entire company – will be ready with the show goes up. And all three speak highly of JCT. “This is my first time with the company,” said Lawton. “There are a lot of knowledgeable and dedicated people there, passionate about the shows and their company. I will definitely be back.”
“One of the beautiful things about JCT is that it is a welcoming place for anyone who loves the theater or is curious and wants to try it,” said Conway.
For Cummings, working with JCT has “been marvelous to experience. JCT has incredible lineage, and I am honored to be involved.” Cummings was recently asked to join the company’s Board of Directors, “and did so happily.”
Martin embraces the challenge of doing JCT’s first non-musical play since 2016. In keeping with the company’s intergenerational mission of working with kids and adults, “nearly half the cast is in high school. This show is challenging for anyone, and the high schoolers are just crushing it.”
Martin is proud of the effort. “The entire cast is going to shine. We’re such a small island and yet we’re able to do something so big.”
Jamestown Community Theatre presents “Arcadia,” July 17 through July 20 at the Jamestown Senior Center. For tickets and information, visit www.jamestowncommunitytheatre.com. Tickets can be purchased online and at the door.
