'Arcadia' performed

In the relaxed atmosphere of the Zellerbach Theater Tuesday afternoon, nearly 150 students and faculty members gathered to attend a partial performance of Tom Stoppard's Arcadia by actors from the Lincoln Center production. The play, which was the focus of this year's Penn Reading Project, was discussed in small groups at the beginning of the semester. The School of Arts and Sciences has scheduled several events throughout the year to continue the program, culminating with Stoppard's visit to the University in February. Director of Academic Programs in Residence Christopher Dennis explained that the reading project "serves as a gateway intellectual experience for new Penn students." "It's an initial point of contact that can be built upon," he added. English Professor Robert Lucid agreed, adding that although the project is organized "in honor of the first-year class," it nonetheless offers "a much broader base of appeal." According to Lucid, the project is designed to reach students "across all four schools," giving them a sense of unity and identity. Billy Crudup and Jennifer Dundas were the two Lincoln Center cast members in attendance yesterday, playing the respective roles of Septimus Hodge and Thomasina Coverly. They performed select scenes from the play, pausing after each for questions from the audience. "When I heard about the reading project, I just thought it was another opportunity to do a little bit of work on a fabulous play and share the play with others," Dundas said. "The dialogue was so great with the audience," Crundas added. "I jumped at this opportunity because there are still endless amounts to be discussed, and I still learn things." Arcadia ran for six months this year at the Lincoln Center in New York City. College freshman Neil Hellegers said he attended the performance with the hopes of gaining the "actors' insights" on the show. "It was definitely enjoyable -- the bits that they put on, as well as the discussion," he said.