ON THE RECORD: Taking time out?

Arthur Tom StoppardArthur Tom Stoppardspeaks about his life,Arthur Tom Stoppardspeaks about his life,his works and hisArthur Tom Stoppardspeaks about his life,his works and his'fascination' with time During Tom Stoppard's visit from February 6 to 8, both students and faculty became enthusiastically involved with learning for the sole purpose of learning. The excitement Stoppard generated flowed into the surrounding Philadelphia community, as residents from the entire region came to hear him speak. The Stoppard visit took place within the context of this year's Penn Reading Project, thus affecting a large portion of the University community. "Stoppard could have visited without any connection to any year-long program and it would have been good, because he's good," explained English Undergraduate Chairperson Al Filreis. "But that at least a quarter of the undergraduate population and a great many members of the faculty had carefully read and discussed his most recent play --for the freshman Reading Project -- made the visit utterly extraordinary." According to Filreis, the entire program transcended the boundaries of what is normally considered curriculum and extended the idea of the "intellectual community" well beyond the classroom. The freshman Reading Project is just one example of the changes to undergraduate education which are the aims of the 21st Century Project for Undergraduate Education, Filreis said. During one of the playwright's sessions, which was held in Hill College House, 100 people crammed into a small room, approximately 50 of whom were freshmen. English Professor Robert Lucid, chairperson of both the Steinberg Symposium and the Residential Faculty Council -- two groups responsible for bringing Stoppard to the University -- commented that it "will be a real challenge" to find a text as all-encompassing as Arcadia next year. While many said Stoppard and his work inspired them during his visit, Stoppard himself noted that he was returning to London with several new ideas from the University imprinted in his mind. "During my session with him, Stoppard was a sponge for knowledge," Physics Professor Nigel Lockyer said. "Everyone enjoyed talking to him, and he left the room understanding fractals and collision detectors." Lockyer added that, in his opinion, "it was the best symposium ever." Lucid noted that the success of the symposium was reflected by a toast given to Stoppard on the evening of his departure. "When we picked Tom Stoppard up at the airport he joined us as our honored guest," Lucid said. "But now, after the pleasures of such a visit, he is leaving us as our friend." Although Stoppard was extremely busy during his three-day visit to the University, he took time out to speak with Daily Pennsylvanian reporters Jaclyn LaPlaca, Brett Levinson and Amy Lipman. The Daily Pennsylvanian: How do you feel the University has responded to Acardia and the entire Reading Project? As a gauge of student reaction, are you aware that all copies of Arcadia sold out of The Book Store and Campus Text and are currently checked out of the library? Stoppard: I never heard of such a project. I don't look for trips and talks and carrying on. I'm really sort of a homebody. I get asked to do a lot of university business and so forth -- so the first indication of my reaction is that I am here. Penn's Reading Project is the most enormous compliment, which I immediately valued. "Of course I'll go," was my initial reaction -- it was just hard to work out a time when I could do it. I have visited at least 10 American campuses, but I've especially loved being on this one. I haven't seen as much of the University as normally I would, because I've just been run ragged. I always feel at home on American universities. I never actually went to a university. I finished school when I was 17 and became what you are now, journalists. I always had quite a romantic feeling about campuses and American campuses are very congenial. Of course, I have met a lot of different groups and people here that are wonderful. I sometimes find the admiration hard to deal with. I can't live up to that degree of worship. DP: How did you make the transition from journalism to playwriting? Stoppard: I wrote about the theater, for the newspaper, you see -- and it wasn't a very sudden transition. I was a single man with much independence and I didn't need much money to live off of. Life was pretty simple. I wrote a play in 1960. Nothing happened for a year then, and I went on with my life. By the time I got involved with people who worked in the theater, I heard about some radio play and got involved. It was all quite slow. I made my professional play debut in London, seven years after I started writing plays. DP: Since the concept of time has been prevalent in your works since the short play If You're Glad I'll Be Frank, how has your idea of the subject changed throughout the years? Stoppard: I really don't go into my plays thinking about what time is. She's talking about a play about telephone operators and such.? I just liked the question whether it was a real person or not. Arcadia is a play about time. In some ways, the most important aspects of the play concern time. It's nothing new. I have always been fascinated with it. DP: I read how you usually avoid public appearances. In light of that, why did you plan such an extensive visit at the University? Stoppard: I thought it was so flattering to have one's book chosen. Usually I don't think it is worth my time to show up. Also, I'm shy partly. I'm a private fellow. I often don't see the purpose of many visits. Back home, I don't have time to do anything. I always get behind with my work. Even when I worked for a newspaper, I couldn't stand asking people questions. It is not the type of person I am. Why would I want to tell about myself? Why would I want to do that? I usually do to oblige the people that I owe favors to. The final answer is that it is just my temperament. Some people love it, I used to quite like it. DP: Do you feel that Bernard in Arcadia represents today's professors? Stoppard: No. I don't have first-hand experience with this anyway. But, no. When I think of academic books or semi-academic books that I read about other writers who are speaking, they are helpful, usually good reading. The unfair thing about it is that I fear writing serious plays. It's easy to make fun of somebody. It's much, much easier to keep the audience amused and interested while making fun of someone. DP: And you find the weight in plays really helps to move them forward? Stoppard: Yes. It is. I don't know why it should be so much. Yes, I've always had a certain momentum in my works. I can't say I've always liked it. I've always found myself doing that. Comedy -- it's what I do for a living.

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