Arcadia moves effortlessly back and forth between 1809 and the present day at the elegant estate owned by the Coverly family.
The 1809 scenes reveal a household in transition. As the Arcadian landscape is being transformed into picturesque Gothic gardens, complete with a hermitage, young Lady Thomasina and her tutor delve into highly intellectual ideas while passion intrigue dances around them.
Present day scenes depict the Coverly descendants and two competing scholars who are researching a possible scandal at the estate in 1809 involving Lord Byron.
The play explores with great humor and deep heart - the nature of truth and time, the difference between classical and romantic temperaments, and the disruptive influence of sex and passion - the attraction Newton left out.
