Arts & Interdisciplinary Success

Staged Reading of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia launches UCI Drama’s Emergent Series in Collaboration with the Beall Center for Art + Technology

By Joel Veenstra, Chair, Department of Drama

The University of California, Irvine, Claire Trevor School of the Arts Department of Drama kicked off its academic year with a staged reading of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia on October 6, 2024. This event marked the beginning of the UCI Drama Emergent Series and the department’s first-ever collaboration with the Beall Center for Art + Technology, an initiative that marks a rich future of interdisciplinary partnerships. The reading was a testament to the potential of collaboration, creativity and engagement in the arts.

The choice of Arcadia as the centerpiece for this launch was fitting, given the play’s exploration of both intellectual and emotional landscapes. Beall Center Artistic Director David Familian noted many connections between the play and the Beall Center's current exhibition Future Tense: Art, Complexity, and Uncertainty. Widely regarded as one of Stoppard’s greatest works, Arcadia is a thought-provoking blend of science, mathematics, literature and romantic intrigue set across two timelines. The play alternates between the early 19th century and the modern day, as it explores themes of chaos theory, the nature of knowledge and the intertwined complexity of human relationships. At its core, Arcadia juxtaposes order and disorder, exploring how time and history weave together incomplete understandings of life.

This synergy between past and present made Arcadia an ideal choice to pair with the Beall Center’s exhibition Future Tense, part of the Getty’s 2024 PST ART: Art & Science Collide initiative. In the exhibition, themes of uncertainty and complexity in art echo the intellectual inquiries of Arcadia, where characters grapple with chaotic and ordered systems alike. The collaboration between the arts and sciences, much like the narrative of Stoppard’s play, demonstrated the ability of these fields to coexist and inspire new perspectives.

Image: Anna Marjorie Fitzgerald and Julian Tushabe perform in the staged reading of Arcadia as part of the programming for the Beall Center for Art + Technology.

The production brought together a diverse group of UC Irvine Department of Drama faculty, graduate and undergraduate actors, creating a vibrant cross-sectional experience that drew praise from audience members and participants alike. Faculty performers included Cynthia Bassham, Andrew Borba, Annie Loui and Phil Thompson, with drama graduate actors Anna Marjorie Fitzgerald, Julian Tushabe, Eddie Heri Cruz Jr., Jake Stiel Steil, Anina Baker and Zalen Dociard King, along with undergraduates Alonso Melgoza and Lyss McGhee, who also lent their talents to the performance. The interaction between students and faculty created a unique educational experience, with many noting how inspiring and enjoyable it was to witness the range of talent at work in the same space.

Directed by Andrew Borba, with stage management by graduate stage manager Jo McEvoy, the reading received critical support from the Beall Center and the Claire Trevor School of the Arts. Beall Center Executive Director Jesse Colin Jackson noted this project was a fabulous partnership. Additionally, the event would not have been possible without the support of Beall Center Curatorial Assistant Gabriel Tolson, Associate Director Fatima Manalili and the staff of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts, who supported this presentation.

The reading also highlighted how the arts and sciences have the potential to enhance innovation, a concept encapsulated by a quote from Arcadia itself: “The future is already here. It’s just not yet evenly distributed.” This message resonates with the vision of both UC Irvine Drama and the Beall Center as they look forward to more projects that bridge different fields and challenge conventional art forms. Ultimately, the collaboration was a promising step toward a future where art and science can collide in powerful and transformative ways.