By Tom McHenry
Staff Writer

Watching an audience watch Tom Stoppard's "Arcadia" is like watching children in elementary school — some stare confused, mouths agape wondering just what's going on in front of them, while others have eyes sparkling with wonder at the new things they've learned.

In one sitting, viewers are treated to lessons in thermodynamics, integrated algorithms and the poetry of Lord Byron.

One of the strengths of Stoppard's writing is his ability to simultaneously confuse and amuse with his quick wit and rapid-fire succession of ideas. The other main strength demonstrated with "Arcadia" is the ability to bring such dense ideas to an easily understood level. Complex mathematical theories are explained more effectively in five minutes of "Arcadia" than in semesters of calculus.

The plot manages to be a murder-mystery, a satire on sex (both contemporary and classical) and a dialogue between literature and science. A weekend in 1809 and a conflict there between an unskilled poet and his critic is explored through the surviving evidence by a modern-day, unskilled novelist and one of her greatest critics. Subplots abound almost as much as unrequited love among the principal and supporting cast.

These plots span two centuries in only one drawing room. By never changing the scenery, the audience gets a solid, ordered background for the complex and interweaving plot to unfold in front of. This single set is also advantageous as it has allowed the design team to show off the pinnacle of its abilities. The set feels, looks and might even smell like a real drawing room of a 19th century English manor.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks for audiences early on in the play is the sudden shifts in time between the past and the present. This production works around the problem several ways. Subtle lighting tricks are used such as dimming the colorful background lights of the garden to a dull gray of modern England. Costumes of the 19th century are lavish and distinct. The whole effect is that the time shift becomes second nature in a short time and doesn't detract from the plot, which could be deadly to a play this complex.

The cast is well rounded and actually appears to function as an ensemble. Thus, individual performances do not stand out so much as enrich an already-powerful canvas of work laid down in previous scenes. Characters in both time periods manage to look as if they belong in either century. Special notice must be given, however, to Phillip Leipf Jr. as Septimus and Mary Fisher as Thomasina Coverly, his student. Their playful lessons start off each new block of action with new energy and humor that the rest of the production furthers and complements.

Purdue Theater brings Stoppard's vision to life in the Experimental Theatre through April 22. Tickets are $8.