UMD Intro to Theatre Reviews

Aria Da Capo, a short play by Edna St. Vincent Millay, opened tonight at the Playhouse in downtown Duluth. The performance area was smaller than I had expected, as was the crowd, but the audience was effected nonetheless. The play was confusing and strange; very unorthodox and hard to follow. But it was engaging. You didn’t have to understand what was going on in order to be entertained. Before the play had even started, the actors were all running around, reciting lines, and fighting with each other which seemed to confuse a few audience members, but gave the rest of us quite a laugh. The play goes back and forth between “scenes� along with the accompanying guitar and piano. In the happier scene the extremely clownish Pierrot (Dan Beckmann) courts and confounds the vain and beauiful Columbine (Gina Brown). The more serious scene deals with Thyrsis (Kathy Tingum) and Corydon (Ashlee Hartwig), who play a game that causes distrust, jealousy, hate, and eventually, murder. The man who “directs� all of this madness is Cothurnus (Mike Pederson), who seems frightening and mysterious. The silliness of the first scene often spilled into the seriousness of the second scene. The weirdest thing about this play was the fact that they talked to and about the audience rather than pretending we weren’t part of the play.

Each actor seemed very right for their part, which is surprising because the characters that they were playing are exceedingly bizarre. Gina Brown was hilariously arrogant, and her high and mighty attitude showcased towards the audience, her fellow cast members, and the musicians. Ashlee Hartwig and Kathy Tingum were both magnificent. They each possessed a great stage presence, and they showed their range of comical acting as well as dramatic. Though Mike Pederson’s role was small but it meant something to the play. Dan Beckmann showed off his “acting dexterity� by playing many people within his one character. He was side-splittingly funny to the audience, and very fun to watch and listen to.

Though it was the most unusual play I’ve seen, I still did enjoy Aria Da Capo. The actors really made it work. It was very confusing to watch, but if you have an open mind, you will definitely enjoy it.

The Duluth Playground production of Edna St. Vincent Millay's Aria da Capo this past Wednesday was wonderful. The actors played their parts well and the set, though quite small, was effective in accompanying the story.

The play itself requires an odd style of acting. The characters are incredibly multi-dimensional and the storyline is equally as disjunct and hard to follow. While dealing with their multi-dimensional characters and following a strange storyline the characters also "break the fourth wall" quite a bit throughout the play. The actors dealt with these oddities with ease and clearly enjoyed the challenge.

The lighting was very effective at conveying mood on the stage. The colors used were both dynamic and fitting and the shifts between them were both fluid and expressive.

The actors at The Playground did an excellent job performing Aria da Capo despite the space limitations of a smaller venue.

Aria da Capo opened last night, December 10, 2008, downtown at the Playground. The audience was definitely occupied throughout the whole performance. This eccentric show proved to be quite entertaining. The scene’s moods changed rapidly from one opposite to the other. The scene’s emotions overlap from one another and bring everything together.
This performance was great because the audience got to be part of the production in a way. The cast members fed off the audience and even spoke out to the audience as if we were not there to watch but actual members of the cast.
The cast members did a great job. They fit the mold of their characters very well and truly gave a very professional stage presence. I believe that this is one of the hardest aspects of a production. Creating the right personality for a character and following that role inside and out. Even as the performance became more bizarre I still found myself very engaged.
This one act play uses both comedy and tragedy to keep the audience entertained. It is 2 plays within one. These depict real life situations and their consequences no matter how trivial. The emotions run from one extreme to the other.
The play runs tonight and tomorrow and is definitely worth going to see. The director Allen Voigt has put so much work into a performance that is quite fitting. He did a fabulous job.

Edna St. Vincent Millay’s short play Aria da Capo opened at the Play Ground last night and even though the play was very unusual, it was a great play.

The actors were called to be some very interesting characters and the storyline was kind of hard to follow. The actors dealt with the challenge and enjoyed their roles in the play. This performance however kept the audience engaged the whole time with the moods and emotions of the scenes changing very fast. The cast even talked out to the audience and sometimes talked about the audience like we were members of the cast. This reminded me of Seussical where The Cat in the Hat is auctioning off Horton to the audience.

The lighting designer did a good job at setting the moods on stage, even with the limited amount of space since the theater was smaller than what I was expecting, throughout the play with the lighting. The variety of colors used fit the moods perfectly and the transitions between them were very smooth.

Aria da Capo’s director, Allen Voigt put a lot of hard work and time into this performance and it definitely paid off. Although the storyline was a little hard to follow and the play overall is strange, Aria da Capo is one performance that is a must see.

Aria Da Capo, shown at the playhouse, was a quick 30 minute performance that was circulated around how actors of a tragedy effect the mood and emotions of the actors of a farce.

One of the manners by which this performance could be interpreted is, the tragedy had to do with greed, malice, deceit and destruction, all things that plague our world to this day. The opening and closing farce was concerned with light, mundane issues having to do with excess and pleasure. The putting of the two dead shepherds’ bodies under the table was like sweeping the realities of today’s turmoil and tragedies under the table. The farce actors were so consumed with their own lives and delights it takes them a while to fully see what was right in front of them the entire production. Not until the end do the farce actors become directly confronted with the misfortunes of the interjected production that their own lives and dispositions change for the worse. It’s not until the lives of the everyday man are directly confronted with the gloom of reality that the comfort of trivial conversation and stuff become useless.

When the tragedy cut into the farce abruptly and put it on hold it changed the entire mood of the production. It went from comedic to sad. Although it was short there was a huge impact on the audience. Moreover, for being such a short production it sure struck a deep chord, whether intentional or not, it definitely held a powerful message.

Gina Brown’s performance on Thursday December 12, 2008 as Columbine was believable onstage. She stood out from the rest of the actors on stage, as if she was not acting but rather really being that character.

For an actor to have the ability to make the audience really believe that she is that character, benefit’s the overall story line and prevents distraction to the audience.

Gina Brown has the ability to create a believable character. The expressions on her face, the different pitches she uses in her voice, and her posture seen in Aria Da Capo all exemplify her well rounded acting ability.

When she thinks, the audience knows she is thinking because she is looking up and putting her pointer finger on the corner of her mouth. When she pouts Brown puckers her lips out and lowers her eye brows. Along with these expressions are different pitches in her voice, indicating to the audience when she is excited, pleased, or disturbed.
One of Brown’s best techniques of the night was the placement of her arms. Like a dancer, her arms are spread out like wings. When she sits they stay in place, when she hands wine to Peirrot the other arm stays in place. Posture of a character indicates class, self esteem, and personality. Brown’s ability to maintain Columbine’s posture through out the play was a key factor in creating a believable character for the audience.

The artist’s attempt was to act this character Columbine and was well done. Her acting skills created a believable atmosphere in return preventing distraction to the audience. Overall the attempt was definitely well worth it.

“Aria Da Capo� opened on Wednesday December 10, 2008. Not knowing much about this play, I went in with a very open mind. The set design was not very elaborate, however each prop was used in more than one way. I applaud C.C. Keith (set) and Stephen Shoemaker (props) for their seemingly simple set and prop ideas for this play. For example, the chairs were used for dining room chairs, and also to help build a ‘pseudo-wall’; the same went for the tablecloth. With very little props to work with, the actors truly helped the viewer imagine the story being told. Also, because there was not many props or scenery, it gave the audience to experience the stories within their creative imagination.

Continually, because this production was student organized, director Allen Voigt put on a very well produced show, which included a very good moral to each of the stories told in this production. Which is the main title of the play, Aria Da Capo, which means return to the beginning in music terminology. What to take away from this production is that do not sweat over the petty things in life. Live for each moment and never lose track of yourself during difficult political and social time.

Seeing the production of Edna St. Vincent Millay's Aria da Capo, at the Duluth Playground was a truly unique experience. This play has its very own strange style to it, making it hard to follow at times; this style however was very intriguing for the audience. The play as a whole had numerous elements working for it making it successful, the music, lighting and acting all added to this production.

The actors did a great job playing their parts for the odd style of acting that is required for this play. Columbine (Gina Brown) did a great job of connecting with the audience, with her attitude and various facial expressions. Dan Beckmann, and Kathy Tingum also had very strong performance, really making their presence felt on stage. All of the actors did a great job of interacting with the audience, making them feel like a part of the production.

The stage design was smaller than I had expected but the lighting made up for it. Lighting played a big role in this play, and really helped set the mood with all of the various color changes.

Aria da Capo is a very unusual play, and unlike anything I have ever seen. The combination of great acting and directing really make it work and become a successful production.

Aria Da Capo

Aria Da Capo performed at The Playground this past week had some much deeper meanings than its length would have led you to believe. Edna St. Vincent Millay was a truly gifted playwright in that she could portray not one, but multiple deep messages in the course of 35 minutes.

The set for the play was simple; it looked like a stage with a table of props in the corner. This scenery fit well into the slightly-difficult-to-follow plot line that set two pairs of actors onstage rehearsing for two separate plays.

The male in the first pair of actors was Peirrot, played by Dan Beckman, dressed as court jester full with painted face and purple body suit. Beckman clearly brought this character to life; he was charismatic and animated in portraying this lewd jester. His female counterpart, Columbine, played by Gina Brown, was a stereotypical ballerina. Brown brought out the best in her character with her whiney voice and her thirst for attention from the audience.

The second set of actors practicing on this stage was Thyrsis and Corydon played by Kathy TIngum and Ashlee Hartwig respectively. These two girls looked innocent enough but after a fight built a wall to separate themselves and divide up the land that they had. Eventually their feud, jealousy, and greed got the best of them and they ended up killing each other.

Mike Pederson, playing Cothurnus the stage director, then pulled both Thyrsis and Corydon under the table that Peirrot and Columbine sat down once again only to ignore the dead bodies under their feet.

At the end of the show the audience remained sitting in their seats in disbelief. How could issues as deep as greed, anger, and murder have been discussed in such a short time? It’s worth bearing the cold to see this play and find out!

Aria da Capo
By Ka Blia Lor, UMD Student

Aria da Capo produced by Stage II was shown at the Duluth Playhouse. This production was directed by Allen Voigt, who did a phenomenal job. Aria da Capo was a lighthearted play with lots of humor. Beside the humor, one thing that stood out was the actors’ and actresses’ costumes. Nina Escobedo, the costume designer, definitely knew her stuff.

The costumes for Aria da Capo were much innovated. There was not one costume that was similar to the other. The fabrics and style of all the costumes were different but they were able to interrelate to one another. Not only were they different, each costume embraced the character’s personality.

Peirrot was seen more of a joker and someone very sarcastic. The way his costume was put together was remembrance of the joker in Batman. On the other hand, Cothurnus’s costume had this dark and gloomy aurora, which matched his character perfectly well. Thyrsis’s costume helped her role because her cloak became a blanket during the part when she was sleeping.

It was the small things like this that made the costume sticks out. How the characters were portrayed and the way they were dressed embraced each other perfectly. One would get that sense of “Oh, so that’s why he’s dress like that� or “No wonder his costume is like that.� The costumes ended up telling who the characters were without them even saying a word.

Overall, the costumes really helped brought out the personalities of the characters. Nina Escobedo did a great job with that.

An actor making a character believable does not necessarily mean that the character itself needs to be realistic. Some characters are not realistic at all, but it is just as necessary for actors to make these characters believable as it is to make any other character believable. Aria Da Capo had many unrealistic characters, but the actors did an excellent job of bringing the characters to life. Two of the most impressive characters were Columbine, played by Gina Brown, and Peirrot, played by Dan Beckman.

Columbine was a character that was highly unrealistic. She was very clueless and exaggerated in every motion as well as stuck up. Brown took all of these aspects to an entirely different level. She added a personality that explained each of Columbine’s personal traits, which really brought the character to life and made her believable. Even though the audience had probably never met someone quite like Columbine before, Brown made her seem like a real person who the audience could actually meet somewhere and get to know as an individual.

Peirrot was an equally difficult character to play, and Beckman was able to make him incredibly believable as well. He was a comic character who overemphasized all of his actions and whose job it was to make the audience laugh. Again, the audience had probably never met someone like Peirrot before and probably never would, but Beckman changed their minds for the length of the play. He made each action and gesture towards other characters as well as the audience as believable as it could be.

The characters in Aria Da Capo were the not everyday people that a person might meet on the street. They were in fact quite unrealistic and unbelievable. The true test of actor is whether or not they can bring one of these characters to life, and the cast of Aria Da Capo displayed this talent quite vividly.

Aria Del Capo, a play by Edna St. Vincent Millay is quite an adventure. The play was quite strange and seemed, in the beginning disorganized. However, as time went on, and the audience got used to the flow of the text and scenes, it because an enjoyable event; it was funny, and showed the actors’ ability to stretch and form into different versions of their characters.

The best part was that the actors fed off the audiences energy, even speaking to the patrons of the small Playground theater. In fact, I don’t think the show would have been quite as exciting if the script didn’t require the actors to play off the audience’s reactions so much. And luckily, the audience was thoroughly enjoying the show, so the actors had great energy.

The lighting used a great array of colors to convey emotions and settings. The lighting helped the scene changes in their fluidity. The musical accompaniment, a guitar and a piano, were simple and effective. The simplicity of the scoring offset the slight confusion of the action on stage, the absence of a huge pit was a good move; to clutter the scenes with hugely dynamic pieces would have been a hindrance.

Overall, even though the play was a little hard to follow, it was delightful. One could tell by the audience; it was filled with smiles!

Aria Da Capo, performed at the playhouse was a very interesting production. The scenery and props were what made the play quite different.
Most the time the props and scenery are unnecessary, the only time the scenery is essential is when the second director puts the bodies under the table and the second farce group comes out to discover them there.
Because the props and scenery were not needed at all and the audience could, in theory, imagine say the wall, the table spread and the jewels, etc the playwright did an excellent job.
The costumes were the real props, without the costumes the play would have been hard to understand and harder to follow. The extreme costumes of the farce and the mundane shepherds costumes as well as the interjecting director’s dark troubling costume and wan, death like face.
Plays like these are hard to come by, but this style definitely worked for this specific production. Any more of an elaborate set or costumes would have detracted from the essence of the production.
In addition to the scenery not being needed the actors enthusiastic behaviors really acted as a secondary props and scenery. All theses little things combine made up for what most people would believe are the essential parts of a theatrical productions.

Short, sweet, and a plentiful amount of issues to consider were found in the Playground production of Aria Da Capo.
The show's beginning almost not clear as the audience is still entering the theater while the actors are "warming up" before the actual show starts, saying witty comments to each other, giving advice and doing vocal warm ups. Not only was this an amusing addition to the show's feel, but since the actual run time of the show is no more than 30 minutes long, it was nice to be able to see a bit more of the characters.

Starting out as the comic relief from the moment they hit the stage were Peirrot (Dan Beckmann) and Columbine (Gina Brown) were a constant joy to experience. The two ladies that played Thyrsis (Kathy Tingum) and Corydon (Ashley Hartwig) presented a more serious tone to the play, beginning by telling a story of a wall being put up between the two as a gag at first, but later realizing they both need what the other has on their side of the wall but are both too stubbornly proud to be the first to cross the line.
The 'director' of the two short scenes, Cothurnus (Mike Pederson), clearly a vampire and maintains a no nonsense attitude toward the actors, even after two have died at the end of their scene.

The costumes and makeup were wonderfully chosen and very fitting to each character's persona, memorable were that of Columbine in a ballerina's outfit, complete with pointe shoes and a tutu, and Peirrot in sad clown makeup and a purple themed clown suit.

Though the show's running time was stunningly short, there was an ending that seemed very open to personal interpretation. At first it did not present itself and it seemed almost random, but later on, as it had time to brew, one possibility of its message would be a social commentary on our society today. How the people of today tend to overlook the bad things, forgetting catastrophes and/or tragedies in the world in order to lighten the burden. As though it is simply easier to just forget that horrible things are happening where many people are being hurt or dying, and the 'director' or, possibly, the media insists it's nothing to worry about, cover it with a table cloth and continue the show ("the people will forget they're there").

It is unfortunate that this show had such a short run, for it would certainly be something worth viewing more than once. Bravo to the cast and crew, as well as director Allen Voigt for his take on this show.

Wednesday December 10th, Stage II of UMD had its opening production of the play Aria Da Capo by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Aria Da Capo was directed by UMD student Allen Voigt. Although this was a very short performance it really left you in the dark.

The play was a bit strange and so were the costumes. The costumes played a very important part in the performance. Peirrot played by Dan Beckmann had a very interesting costume. Beckman was dressed like a clown and had his face painted.

Columbine who was played by Gina Brown also wore a very interesting costume. Browns costume really caught one’s eye. She had on an attire of a ballerina, slippers and all. Browns costume was very colorful and fun. Her face was also painted.

The other girls Thyrsis and Corydon were in way more simple and casual costumes. Thyrsis was played by Kathy Tingum and Corydon was played by Ashlee Hartwig. They both wore baggy lose clothes that hung and were more comfortable. They were not elegant looking at all.

The costumes really stuck out in the production of Aria Da Capo and they were a lot of fun to see. The costumes played a very important part in the performance and really kept the audience’s attention. They were a great asset.

Aria Da Capo viewed at the playground on Thursday night. From the point when the audience walked in until the short play was over there was constant motion occurring by the actor’s weather they were doing preliminary acting or doing the actual play. This kept the audience attentive throughout the whole play period.
At the beginning of this play confusion of what was going on spread through the crowd. Peirrot (Dan Beckman) and Columbine (Gina Brown) started the first act out sitting around a dinner table and soon enough chasing one another around stage over drinking wine. Then a whole new story line comes in and two new actors Thyrsis (Kathy Tingum) and Corydon (Ashlee Hartwig) develop some sort of wall and start arguing about sheep and land. The beginning of this play seems if though there is no plot and the audience is just watching people who are dressed up talk about nothing. Then as the play goes on a lot of this confusion is taken care of when the play starts to unfold.
Once the play started to unfold the audience got the sense that one side of the play which included Peirrot and Columbine was a life style when things where normal and times where good. The wine and food spread across the table and the actors laughing and having a good time indicated an easy life.
The other side which included Thyrsis and Corydon seemed like a war stricken period with arguments constantly about land, live stock, and constant competition between the two parties. Also the wall set up in the center of stage imitated boundaries and lines not to be crossed or else problems result.
The actors did a great job of portraying the side of the story they were on and also gave the play some excitement through their energy. Peirrot did a great job of this with his humor and loud, amplified voice. The stage design was kept simple for the audience to take what the actors provided and put the imagination in their own hands which was tough at first but got easier as time went on.
When everything was unfolded and the death of the two girls occurred it all wrapped up in a hurry with not much explanation. The very short play was trying to explain too much with so little time making it very confusing for the audience. The play was entertaining for the forty minutes it viewed but left a lot of questions unanswered.

“Aria Da Capo� directed by Allen Voigt and performed on Wednesday, December 10 was a very unique production. Although short in length, it made a big point. “Aria Da Capo� means “return to the beginning�. This show portrayed how we as humans, even after a tragedy and destruction, tend to go back to the same way of life, and forget about what happened. This was shown by this production by starting out in a theater where actors are practicing their various plays, a farce and a drama. The theater begins its show with a farce. Peirrot and Columbine played by Dan Beckmann and Gina Brown were two clown characters of a farce who only get started with their show when they are interrupted by their disgruntled director, Cothurnus, played by Mike Pederson, who decided it is time to perform the drama instead. The dark director was very forceful and tells his drama actors to begin, even though they weren’t ready. Their play begins as two shepherds, Thyrsis played by Kathy Tingum and Corydon played by Ashlee Hartwig, decide to play a game in which they build a wall and divide the mountain equally. After the wall is built, one shepherd Corydon realizes that her side of the mountain has no water. Although she desperately needs water for her and her sheep to stay alive, trust has been lost between the two shepherds because neither one wants to lose the game, and she goes without water. The waterless shepherd then discovers beautiful gems on her side of the mountain. She notices that these are not on the other side and wants to use them as leverage to get water. Both shepherds become greedy and want both water and the gems for themselves. They each formulate a plan to kill the other by either poisoning with the water or strangling with the necklace of beautiful gems. Both shepherds end up dying, and in her last moments Corydon proclaims, “Why did we play this game?�. After this act in the show, instead of the actors coming back to life and the show going on, like in most plays, the actors remain dead. The director moves their dead bodies to the middle of the stage, covers them with a table and tablecloth, and tells the two farce characters to start their show. When Peirrot and Columbine discover the bodies, they refuse to perform. The director ends with a chilling line, stating, “The audience will forget.� The two characters go on with their farce, but are clearly devastated and affected by the deaths.

This was such an interesting way to get to the point that humans tend to forget the tragedy and tend to go back to the beginning, instead of learning from our mistakes. It taught the lesson that we should keep our hardships and devastation out for us to see and remember as a lesson so that we don’t forget and repeat them again. When Corydon said, “Why did we play this game?�, it showed that the characters realized the destruction they had caused and learned too late that they became too greedy and consumed with materialistic things. Although it was too late for the shepherds, if their acts weren’t “covered� by the tablecloth, others would be able to learn from them. Instead, their dead bodies, symbolizing the tragedy they caused, were covered and the farce went on without acknowledging the bodies under the table. This was such a cool way to show us how humans do this every day, and we shouldn’t forget and repeat our mistakes. Director Allen Voigt did a fantastic job of really making the audience wonder what this play was all about, and then in the end making the point very clear with some very affective statements.

Short and unusual are two words to describe the performance of Aria Da Capo on December 11th, 2008. When walking in to find a seat one would feel like they were late for the play. As you walked in the cast was warming up and doing improves on the stage. The UMD student direction Allen Voigt had an interesting way to go about his warm ups for his cast.

The performance begins with Peirrot who was played by Dan Beckman and Columbine who was played by Gina Brown sitting at a little table. Both Beckman and Brown were comedic characters and were a blast to watch. They costumes and make up really added to their characters as well.

Beckman and Browns scene gets interrupted by Cothurnus who was played by Mike Pederson. Aria Da Capo was very unique with the character Cothurnus being a director. Pederson introduced the other two characters of the play, Thyrsis who was played by Kathy Tingum and Corydon who was played by Ashlee Hartwig.

Tingum and Hartwig were two girls who were playing a game. They put up a make believe wall between them and had to remain on their same sides. Throughout their game they tried to trick each other into crossing into their sides. The performance they were putting on was a bit strange, but it was indeed interesting. Tingum and Hartwig’s game was like a war and they cause destruction.

The ending was very unique as was the beginning. The ending and beginning were the same. Beckman and Brown come back out and repeat their scene again. Honestly one may not understand the lesson of this play. To some it may be very bizarre.

If you missed out on the experience Aria Da Capo you may never understand the challenges that were faced by the cast and crew. This play was a lesson learned and one really left the performance bewildered.

The Play Ground was established to convey an alternative performing arts venue contributing to engaging, thought-provoking programming in all disciplines. The building provides space for performances from every different aspect, culture and background. Aria Da Capo was written by Edna St. Vincent Millay who captured the mistakes we make as humans. She expresses the destruction we cause as anger and greed come about. The title of the play is a music term meaning return to the beginning, but as the play progresses, the audience quickly realizes there is no turning back.
The cast consisted of five cast members who played the play. Two young ladies, Thyrsis (Kathy Tingum) and Corydon (Ashlee Hartwig) decide to play a game within the play that ends in disaster. They put up a wall between their friendships that divides the one another’s necessities. They quickly become greedy and selfish with one another’s possessions and slowly come to realize that the only way out is by death. As Peirrot (Dan Beckman) and Columbine(Gina Brown) rehearse their own performance they soon discover the reality that lies within.
Allen Voight, the director and a current student at UMD, captured the overall essence of this short play well even though this type of production can be interpreted in many different ways. Aria Da capo closed its show on Friday, December 12 with a unique yet worthwhile performance.

The final performance of Aria Da Capo on Dec 11th at The Playground was a short and strange play that was surprisingly interesting. Upon arriving it was confusing whether the play had started already or if it was the right room because the actors were already on stage doing a pre-show. They were very funny and “practicing lines�. This was fun because it kept the audience entertained before the play even started.

Once the show did start, it began with Peirrot, played by Dan Beckmann, and Columbine, played by Gina Brown. They were the first act of Aria Da Capo and were doing their skit at the table. Then it went to Thyrsis, played by Kathy Tingum, and Cordon, played by Ashlee Hartwig. They interrupted their act because Cothurnus, played by Mike Pederson wanted their act on right then. This was a little confusing because the audience didn’t know the story or what was going on. Then while the two girls were doing their act they would forget lines and ask Cothurnus for the lines. This was strange because the audience didn’t know whether that was a part of the show or not. Then when Thyrsis and Corydon end up killing eachother over a stupid game Cothurnus makes Peirrot and Columbine come back and do their scene with the two dead bodies under the table. This was the finally of the play and Peirrot and Columbine were obviously affected by the two girls death because they did not have the enthusiasm saying their lines as they did the first time.

Aria Da Capo by Edna St. Vincent Millay was a short and strange play that was actually interesting and had a strong message. It was worth seeing and was entertaining to everyone in the audience.

Aria Da Capo left much of the audience confused after walking away from this short play written by Edna St. Vincent Millay. All of the actors were on the stage as the people entered the performance area, and that seemed very unusual. The characters were doing improv and succeeding in making some of the audience laugh, although it seemed a bit unnecessary. Maybe the actors felt that since they knew the show was so short, they were trying to give the audience what they paid for, although they still came up a little short.

Each of the characters was unique in their own way and each person did do a good job of playing their part. Peirrot, played by Dan Beckmann was definitely a show stopper. He made the crowd laugh and he had the most outrageous costume by far, as he was dressed as a joker with his whole face painted white with some black lines. He had a few good one-liners that got a few laughs. He also used many different accents during his short scene with Columbine, played by Gina Brown, which was neat to see because he excelled at making the accents seem very realistic.

Each one of the characters only had one costume, but with the length of the show being so short, it didn’t require anything more than that. Even with the outrageous costume choices for some of the cast, it wasn’t very clear as to what the characters were supposed to represent, which is normally what costumes do, but it still seemed unclear.

The two major scenes that were performed were very different. Neither one went very in-depth which made it hard for the audience to connect with the performers. Peirrot and Columbine were part of a farce, which they openly stated, but the other scene was more ambiguous. Thyrsis played by Kathy Tingum, and Corydon played by Ashlee Hartwig had a more serious scene but the point seemed hidden and was never really uncovered. This scene ended with both characters dead and their bodies were dragged off by Cothurnus played by Mike Pederson. It seemed confusing and unresolved.

The actors did their best with what was given to them, but this play still ended coming up short. The underlying theme that the audience was supposed to get from the play was too ambiguous and I walked away not getting much out of it with the exception of a few laughs.

Now showing at the Duluth Playground is ‘Aria Da Capo,’ an unusual play written by Edna St. Vincent Millay. It certainly defines itself in a theatre category all of its own. The director, Allen Voigt, approached the story with imagination and originality. This tragicomedy was definitely a theatre experience not to be forgotten.

The theme of the play is somewhat difficult to interpret because it’s not straightforwardly implied. The scenes go back and forth and constantly alter the mood of the play. This was interesting because it somehow created a balance throughout the performance. There were many aspects of the storyline that puzzled the audience and left them wondering if certain effects were done on purpose or not. These peculiar actions were integrated to further establish the underlying anti-war message.

All members of the audience will interpret the style of acting in ‘Aria Da Capo’ differently. Each character in the show had an individual quirkiness about them. It was impressive to observe all the performers completely immersed in their characters. The entire cast was truly a talented group much deserving of praise and support.

Any audience will have a new appreciation for modern theatre after seeing ‘Aria Da Capo.’ It has a unique and innovative drama technique that stands apart from any other production, urging each audience member to consider his or her own views.

The strong lesson of how violence does not solve problems, can most likely be avoided and how we should become more sensitive towards that fact was presented in a very unique but effective way in Aria Da Capo.

In the play the more serious act of the two described two girls playing a game that divided the mountain in half. On one side was water, the other precious gems. With each person greedily wanting what was on the other side, they both devised plans of how to kill the other to satisfy that need. In the end, both died. This shows the “violence does not solve problems� because it didn’t get either of them anywhere, except for killed. This is clearly a metaphor for war. People die every day for nothing. Wars do not solve problems; they either create more or mask their appearance.

Following that, the director forced the others to continue with the show simply by covering up the lifeless bodies with a table setting. The director was not affected by the futile deaths - or corpses - and basically encouraged that view. This shows how little we look at the consequences of violence (war). We might hear how many people were killed, but then we forget and go back to our regular lives. This should not be the case. Instead of numbing ourselves to violence, we should become more aware and try to stop it. The only people who truly act the latter are those directly affected by it - the two farce performers. They had to rehearse their scene again with the bodies underneath them. It obviously hindered their act when you compared it to the first.

Aria Da Capo showed an extremely real and powerful message in a successfully, rare way.

Aria Da Capo by Edna St. Vincent Millay and directed by Allen Voigt opened at the Duluth’s Playhouse Thursday night December 10th. The play was put on by the UMD group Stage II. It was a very small and short play that was very creative but in the end raised many questions.
The play was originally put on in the 1920’s when there was a lot of war going on around the world. War can be a very confusing thing that is full of greed and anger and this performance did a wonderful job at getting those points across. The play had its two different sides that both had their different opinions on which the other side was trying to do to the other.
The play indeed was very confusing from beginning to end. Before the performance even started that actors and actresses were on stage just being goofy and reciting some lines. As soon as the play started the audience was on the tips of their toes with laughter and at some times confusion. It was a very quick play and had me wondering at the end of it whose side I should be taking. At the very end the two girls Thyrsis and Corydon kill each other because they both want something that is on the other side of the wall that they put up. I wasn’t sure how the other cast members were important since they just kind of popped up every once in awhile and did something that was funny or entertaining.
The play was very interesting and entertaining but it would have helped to talk with the director or the cast to see if they could explain the point that the play is trying to get across. The only point that the audience got from the play was that people can hold some pointless grudges with each other and this can cause us to forget about the things we have in common with each other, which is love and friendship.

"Aria Da Capo" played at the Duluth Playground Thursday night. "Aria Da Capo" had an underlying meaning that signifies the history of man and its nature to destroy out of greed. Kathy Tingum playing Thyrsis and Ashlee Hartwig who played Corydon had a scene that was very thought provoking. It shed light on why men fight and what it is for, especially since no one ends up winning in the end. The play makes one think about whether fighting for land, water, gems, oil, or any sort of valuable substance is worth when many people end up losing their lives. Director Allen Voigt made an interesting decicion when choosing to do this play. One would wonder if he decided to perform this production in light of the certain was situation the United States is in. Either way it was a entertaining play that really gets one thinking about how their is so much war in this world and whether it is worth it.

As seen in the play Aria Da Capo, there are two pairs of characters on stage that represent two separately different kinds of genres of theatre.

When looking at the costumes of the characters the audience can easily identify what they might be like, and what kind of performance may be expected. The artist attempted to create a costume suitable for these characters that were from completely different plays.

Peirrot played by Dan Beckmann wore a costume that would be assumed to be from a comedic act. Beckmann’s was face was painted like a mime, his lips were painted black, and under his left eye a black tear drop. His costume was a clowns outfit, the color purple which some consider to be a silly color. On his clown suit were huge exaggerative polka dots.
Columbine played by Gina brown wore a complementary outfit to Beckmann‘s. Her face was painted and glittered and she wore tight blonde curls. Her ballet tutu was over execratively big on her compared to a professional tutu, and she was always fluffing her tutu out. She would stand tall in her ballet slippers.
Thyrsis played by Kathy Tingum and Corydon played by Ashlee Hartwig wore costumes that would be assumed from a tragic piece. The make up on their faces brought out facial features and worked with the lighting to create a look about the characters creating people who resembled tragedy. They wore rags with holes and cuts. Pieces of their costumes were layered together. The colors chosen were neutral and set a tone.
Overall the artist’s attempt was well done and well worth the effort, indicating to the audience the personality and class of the characters through color and texture of the costumes.

The Playground’s play Aria da Capo was a fun and interesting play to watch. Despite the small crowd and cast, the actors did a good job emphasizing their characters. The storyline was a bit hard to understand because it was such a short play. Without reading the director’s notes it was a little hard to grasp the meaning of the play.

Before the show began each of the characters did warm up exercises. It was interesting to see that each of the actors stayed within the personality of their characters in the play. It was a little easier to understand who they were while watching the play. It was kind of weird how the play ended because it was a very quick ending, as it was a very quick start. This play could have used a little more storyline in order to bring out a story. It was more like a skit than a play.

Aria Da Capo, shown on Thursday December 11, 2008, at the Duluth Playhouse, was an unusual yet amazing performance that most definitely captured the attention of the audience. The play, written by Edna St. Vincent Millay and directed by directed by Allen Voigt, was interesting to watch and slightly confusing to understand. Nevertheless, the audience was constantly entertained from beginning to end. The actors started the show by awkwardly reciting their lines. The abnormality of this made for a somewhat uncomfortable atmosphere for the audience. The play continues by jumping between scenes, constantly changing the dispositions.
The cast members helped to create this play of artwork by the knowledge of their characters. Gina Brown was able to show off her acting skills through her many expressions and emotions that were shown. She also achieved this by the movements she used on stage. Ashlee Hartwig and Kathy Tingum’s performance was also done well. The connection that the two actors shared on stage was believable. The emotions that they were able to show, such as the frustration and anger towards one another, aided in the realism felt.
Overall, the energy that was projected from the play Aria Da Capo was enough to keep audiences wanting more. The goal of the play was achieved reaching out to most with a message that symbolized how humans should be aware of the mistakes they have made in life and strive to not repeat them. Though the play was a bit confusing at times, the constant changing of scenes and amazing acting skills left the play to be something talked about.

The crowd at the Duluth Playhouse was humored and somewhat moved during the production of Aria Da Capo by Edna St. Vincent Millay. The play, directed by Allen Voigt, definitely had a unique approach to how the messages of the play were told.
As the audience entered the theatre, they stage was already filled with the actors and props that would eventually be used throughout the performance. Actors were joking and arguing about acting skills, among other things, until the lights dimmed and they decided they needed to get to their places. This introduction was very funny and set the mood for the humorous antics once the play began. The play begins with the playful interactions of a blabbering Pierrot, perfectly played by Dan Beckmann, who flirts and chases the flirtatiously reluctant Columbine, played by Gina Brown, around the theatre, and even through the back door at one point.
The scene between Pierrot is quickly brought to a halt by interruption of the dark and intimidating Cothurnus, who commands the two, squeamish female actresses to play out the tale of Thyrsis and Corydon, excellently played by Kathy Tingman and Ashlee Hartwig respectively. They begin by performing the tale as students who comically have trouble reciting their lines, but as their story progresses, seem to fall into character. Their tale, one that tells the evils of jealousy and greed, becomes a scene with great contrast to the silliness of Pierrot and Columbine. Overall, this production is a short rollercoaster of comic relief and dramatic tragedy, whose unique and contrasting themes remind us we need to embrace humor as well as be aware of the jealousy and greed in our actions.

On December 11th 2008, Stage II presented Aria Da Capo at the Playground in downtown Duluth. Aria Da Capo was written by Edna St. Vincent Millay and directed by Allen Voigt. The play included a wonderful cast of five headlined by the Stop-Kiss duo of Gina Brown who played Columbine and Ashlee Hartwig who played Corydon.

From an artistic perspective it was very interesting to watch and ponder about the costumes designed by Nina Escobedo for Aria Da Capo. The two characters that stood out as comedy relief were Columbine and Peirrot. They were also the ones who had the most extravagant makeup and costumes.

Columbine was dressed with a red and white ballerina outfit and white make up which reinforced the moles seen on her face. Her outfit and ballerina shoes made her seem quite awkward given the fact that her outfit wasn’t that of a traditional ballerina.

Peirrot had an outfit of a jester which was purple and his long lanky body structure proved to be a hilarious combination with his personality. His jester’s necktie proved to only accentuate his already hilarious appearance.

Aria Da Capo was a strange play with a deep meaning. With the play intertwining between comedy and deep seriousness it was interesting for the audience to see the contrasting characters and their costumes. It was especially enjoyable to the audience to feel so up and personal to the actions of Columbine and Perirrot, especially when Perirrot literally jumped out at them.

Aria Da Capo played with a very wide variety of character styles. The very eccentric and hilarious characters Columbine (Gina Brown) and Peirrot (Dan Beckmann) kept the audience in an uproar of laughter with their presence on stage. Gina Brown encompassed her character to the fullest with her arrogant and all about me attitude. She did not give the audience any chance for distraction. Same with Beckmann, he imitated many characters within his one character. His imitations did not miss a beat; he created the stereotypical characters. Not only did Aria Da Capo portray very unconventional characters, but it also included very well rounded characters as Thyrsis (Kathy Tingum) and Corydon (Ashlee Hartwig). They showed off their acting skills in the dramatic genre leaving the audience on their toes. Including the dramatic acting skills, these two gave the audience a hint of comic relief. Although Mike Pederson’s character did not play a huge part in this production, his character is much needed to get the full story. Each of the actors, at one point or another, included the audience at some point during the play; which makes this play quite unique. Also, with not much space provided, the actors used the entire theater space to it’s full potential. They were using the in’s and out’s of the theater, which also plays a unique part in this production.

Hidden behind a very unconventional performance of Aria Da Campo was the artistic expression of a powerful message. This originally presented performance spoke measures about important issues very much related to our world today.

The play was set to begin at 7:30, but in actuality it began half an hour before that. While the audience was taking its seats, the actors were on stage pretending to be, well actors. At first, I was confused. However, as the play began everything began to click into place.

After half an hour of warming up, centering, and poking fun at everything from each other to the play, the play began with a comic piece starring the childish Pierrot (Dan Beckmann) and the self-absorbed Columbine (Gina Brown). After a rather painful beginning, the two are interrupted by the director Cothurnus (Mike Pederson). At which point, the comic piece is cut short, much to its actors’ chagrin, and the dramatic piece is brought on, much to the actors’ distress.

The dramatic piece starred two friends, Thyrsis (Kathy Tingum) and Corydon (Ashlee Hartwig). These friends however are soon turned enemies when a silly game puts distrust into their relationship. The game continues to escalate until they are both plotting to kill each other. They succeed in killing each other, but here’s the catch, the actors die as well, not just their characters.

Corthurnus than makes his only real appearance on stage without a single word, as he methodically drags the two bodies under the table for the comic relief piece. He than calls Pierrot and Columbine back on stage and they continue their selfish play, but only for a moment. Columbine’s sudden scream as she sees the dead bodies stops the play cold. All Corthurnus says is “ pull the tablecloth over them, soon you will forget they are even there.� Pierrot and Columbine do just that, but it is apparent that they are still disturbed. Their play is begun again, but something is missing. Despite Corthurnus’ reassurances, Pierrot and Columbine are deeply troubled.

The play ends here at a surprising thirty-minute length. Despite it’s short time frame, Aria Da Campo accomplishes what it came to accomplish. And in the face of such an unorthodox and confusing show, the audience is left with a heavy heart and full mind as they reflect on the show.

The technical elements of this show were all very simple. Very little sound or lighting marked the performance, and the costumes though effective, were not grand or expensive. The musical interlude was just a guitar and piano. Never the less, this funny little show used its resources well, and conveyed and important message we all need to be reminded of from time to time.

The talent in the cast of Aria Da Capo by Edna St. Vincent Millay is one to recognize. All four characters Peirrot, played by Dan Beckmann; Columbine, played by Gina Brown; Thyrsis, played by Kathy Tingum; and Cordon, played by Ashlee Hartwig were portrayed so believably and professionally that the audience felt every emotion.

In the opening scene with Beckman and Brown they were dressed as clown/mimes and doing a comedic routine. The costumes definitely added to the comedy of the scene. Beckman had a purple and black clown suit with the classic mime face painting. And then Brown had a clown tutu and ballet slippers. They were so outgoing and extravagant in their gestures that the audience really got into their characters.

Then when Tingum and Hartwig’s scene started the mood abruptly changed. Their characters were much more realistic but set in the olden days. They had neutral, raggedy clothes that were very different from the first scene’s clothing. Their story was really moving because it showed how even friendship can be ruined by petty differences. People really need to learn how to settle differences and these two characters couldn’t. They eventually killed eachother over a stupid game. And Tingum and Hartiwg showed this struggle marvelously. They started out playing then really got angry. Their death was so moving and real and their last cries were chilling.

In the end, when Peirrot and Columbine come to finish their scene, the somber mood continued. They discovered the two girls dead under the table and they lost their spark and charisma of before.

Every actor in Aria Da Capo was talented and portrayed their characters well. This funny, and moving story is one to remember.

Aria Da Capo Review
By Gaoleah Thao

Aria Da Capo, directed by Allen Voigt, opened at The Playground, on December 10th, 2008. It was a fairly short play, but with an intense, meaningful message. Aria Da Capo was an unusual play about how simple words and situations can easily turn into hatred, violence, and death. Aria Da Capo had a mixture of two plays, with a cast of 5 characters, one taking on a director’s role. The storyline was very difficult to understand at first, but in the end, you understood what the message was.

The play consisted of a cast of five amazing performers. Dan Beckman, who played Perriot, shares his stage with Gina Brown, who played Columbine. The two brings an incredible amount of humor to the stage as Perriot tries to court Columbine. During their scenes of the play, Cothurnus, played by Mike Pederson, interrupts their stage time, as the director. Cothurnus, who already sitting in the audience, interrupts the scene to start the new scene with new characters. Ashlee Hartwig, who plays Corydon, and Kathy Tingum, who plays Thyrsis, comes on stage as the two friends who are torn between an imaginary wall. Together, the two find themselves in motion of greed and anger, which leads to their ultimate deaths.

Although the play was shorter than most, it proved to send a strong message to the audience. The performers brought a great deal of humor and tragedy to the stage. Surely, the audience enjoyed to performance.

Ario Da Capo was a performance like no other. Each actor portrayed a message that brought forth a new meaning to the mistakes made throughout life. The costumes and way of words also represented the era and style of the play within. Human beings are prone to suffer from greed, anger and are consumed in pointless grudges resulting in the loss of the things we have in common. We disregard the love found in friendships, and all the things others have to share. The production was unorthodox and mystifying yet it carried a message that resembled great meaning.
Peirrot (Dan Beckman) and Columbine (Gina Brown) shared a similar scene yet dressed in a very different way. Perriot was clothed as a clown. In many ways, clowns resemble comical characters; stereotypically characterized by their grotesque performance. They can be found in cultures of any time or place because they are deeply rooted in the needs of humanity. Columbine was costumed as a ballerina. In contrast with a clown, ballerinas are characterized as graceful dancers through the movement of life. Even though these two characterizes represent two different cultures, they lead a similar life together.
Thyris(Kathy Tingum) and Cordyon(Ashlee Hartwig) were similarly costumed yet lead two separated lives. They were merchants, characterized in many pre-modern societies as middle class workers. Their similar personalities lead to a friendship that was quickly torn by egotism and gluttony.
This production displayed many talented actors. Brown was also found directing Stop Kiss earlier this year for Stage II where Hartwig also carried a main part in both Brown and Voigt’s productions.
The costumes along with actors carried important yet very different roles throughout this play. They have presented many talents and carry on a great era.

Aria da Capo
By Ka Blia Lor, UMD Student

Aria da Capo is a short thirty minutes play written by Edna St. Vincent Millay. This play was a Stage II production directed by Allen Voigt. The play opened to the public on December 10th, 2008 at the Duluth Playground and continued until the 12th of December.

Aria da Capo tells the somber story of the things that can happen when harmless games turn into something lethal. Corydon (Ashlee Hartwig) and Thyrsis (Kathy Tingum) were acting out a scene for their director Cothurnus (Mike Pederson). During the scene, that they acted out, they were put into a dilemma was it wise to sing a song about sheep or should a wall be put up separating the both of them? Corydon and Thyrsis ended up building a wall that separate them which also separated the sheep from the water supply. Although, it was just a harmless acting scene the outcome was not to harmless. Corydon and Thyrsis really got into their characters and started fighting. At the end no prisoners were taken out alive as this “acting� scene turned deadly.

Aria da Capo is a remembrance of what people are capable of when they get caught up in the moment. The story between Corydon and Thyrsis would not be the first and is certainly not the last. In some sense it retold the story of the Stanford Prison Study even if it was written before the study was conducted. The main message is still the same. People are capable of vulgar act when they cannot tell reality from fiction anymore. A harmless game can be dangerous if it starts being taken out of content. Aria da Capo was a depiction of that.

Aria da Capo is a play full of messages of what the world is like if it continues down the path it’s on. This play had a strong message that should be embraced by everyone.

Aria Da Capo, shown at the Duluth Playhouse’s Playground, was a fabulous performance that had the ability to confuse any viewer. The play that was directed by Allen Voigt and written by Edna St. Vincent Millay, was able to grasp the attention of the audience through its wonderful costume design, scene and stage design, and lighting effects.
The costumes almost perfectly helped to describe each characters strange personality. Dan Beckmann and Gina Brown were both dressed in eye catching costumes and had their faces painted, while Kathy Tingum and Ashlee Hartwig who played the more tragic scenes were dressed more reserved in baggy and less desirable clothing. The costumes definitely helped to keep the audiences engaged in the play.
The lighting effects used along with all various color changes helped to create the different moods of the play. This aided in the scene changes between the tragic and comic plots. The scene design was simplistic with few props spread throughout. This helped to let the audience focus on what was taking place between the characters.
Overall, the costume design, scene and stage design, and the lighting effects helped the audience to grasp the sometimes confusing messages that were intended throughout the play. They were an essential part of the play made a huge impact on the overall performance.

Aria Da Capo is a play of extremes. It varies from basic and simple when viewing the lights and set to extravagant in terms of the actors and some costumes.

The space was limited, preventing many details, but that did not matter because of the simplicity of the set design. There were few props but they were used in many different ways. There was also not much of a set. Those facts did not put a hindrance on the performance one bit though. The design was meant to merely exist so that the focus would lye on the performers and the overall message. This also stands for the length. Being such a short play in comparison to what you are accustomed to, made it really stand out. Noticing the difference so blatantly, your mind automatically focuses on what was memorable: the performers, their costumes and the message.

The costumes and personalities in general were much exaggerated less the two shepherds’. The humorous duo’s costumes were full of bright, eye-catching colors to match their loud, outgoing and flamboyant behavior. Whereas the darker, mysterious apparel aptly outfitted the director who was obscure and daunting.

The combination of the two extremes featured in Aria Da Capo truly helped make it into an excellent production.

Aria Da Capo was indeed a very simple and short play. What was so neat about it was the fact that it had a strong and important message behind it. The message that I took from the play was that not everyone can agree on some subjects and this can cause some greed and hate, but we need to remember the more important things in life, the things that matter, like friendship and love.
The scenic, costume, and lighting design of the play was very simple and it seemed like not much time was put into the play. The scenic design didn’t have much to it but was used in every scene of the play. In the beginning and the end of the play the design was a table for Peirrot and Columbine to sit at. In the middle of the play the chairs from the table where used as a wall that separated the two sides for Corydon and Cothurnus. The background was black sheets that dropped down, covering up what was going on, off stage.
The costume design was very entertaining. It was an easy design in the fact that all the characters where stock characters. Both Corydon and Cothurnus had very modern day clothing on. Peirrot and Columbine on the other hand were dressed like they were from the medieval times and both looked like jokers, which made the performance much more entertaining. It was Peirrot that caught the audience’s attention the most because he was hyper and flamboyant. He also had a costume that stood out much more than all the others.
The lighting design was also very simple. There were only a few times that the lights really changed during the play. For most of the performance, the stage was lit up and there wasn’t any part of the stage that was dim or dark. There were a couple times that the lights were dimmed or turned off completely. For example when Corydon and Cothurnus were dying, the lights were dimmed to show that they were slowly passing away.
Overall, the scenic, costume, and lighting design work well towards the advantage of the performance. Everything was right on key and made the play that much more entertaining. The cast did a fantastic job at executing their roles and making the audience laugh and at some times get a little confused. A lot of people left the play confused, wondering what it was all about. I think this was exactly what the director wanted, because once again war can be a very confusing time.

Aria Da Capo by Edna St. Vincent Millay was a great play directed by Allen Voigt and put on by Stage II. This play was so different than any other play I have seen before and it really made the audience think deeply about what was going on. The play was strange from beginning to end, but also very intriguing at the same time. Before the play started the actors were bantering back and forth to each other about random things and it was just to get them warmed up for the play. The play was about two different scenes of acting and it was confusing because they would go back and forth. The play took place long ago and had to do with war. Thyrsis and Corydon represented two different sides in a war and how it is like a game that always bring sadness in the end. This play was extremely hard to understand, but once I talked to the actors after the play it all made sense. The actors said the play is up to interpretation for all of the audience to figure out on their own and choose which side they want to take. I think it is really interesting that this play was left up to the audience to figure out what they wanted it to mean to some extent. I was so confused the whole play, but at the same time I was intrigued trying to figure out what was going on. In the end when I talked to the actors everything began to make sense and I found it very interesting that the play was so open to interpretation.

Sometimes it is fun to go to a play and have no idea what is going on because it sparks conversation between people who saw it trying to figure out what happened. That is exactly what happened when I saw this play. The actors said that confusion is what they wanted because it causes people to continue to talk about it. They were trying to get an important message across about what really matters in life. War causes hatred and people to be cruel to one another and life should not be like that. Life is about what makes you happy and have fun. The actors all did a phenomenal job in this play and talking to them after the play was great. I would recommend this play because it creates excitement and wonder and sometimes that is what people need in their lives.

Edna St. Vincent Millay's Aria Da Capo was performed at the Duluth Playhouse on Thursday December 11th.
Even though the play was a mixture of humorous and serious moments the underlying theme was very somber.

Corydon (Ashlee Hartwig) and Thyrsis (Kathy Tingum) played two shepards. In the begining of the play they had a humorous relationship. It turned tragic when they were faced with the question: Should we sing a song about the sheep or built a wall? The two decided to build a wall and it immediately ruined their relationship.

On one side of the wall was the only source of water, while the sheep were on the other side. At this point their harmless game turned into an act of hate. The two both planned a way to harm eachother. The duo ended up fighting and it eventually ended in death.

This theme showed the audience that careless greed often ends in negative outcomes. The two women could have easily resolved their problems by talking and compromising, but they instead let their greed overpower them and both ended up losing their lives.

The theme for Aria Da Capo touched the audience because occurances, such as the ones in the play, happen everyday in our world.

The cast of “Aria Da Copa� written by Edna Vincent Millay, gave a great opening performance Wednesday, December 10th at the Playground theatre in Duluth, MN. Aria Da Copa, although an eccentric play, gets the audience involved and engaged.

Director Allen Voigt did an excellent job putting together the performance. He did an excellent job casting and each actor/ actress did an great job portraying their unusual characters. The play was extremely confusing and hard to follow or even understand at times, but Voigt created a mood that kept the audience entertained regardless of the confusion. The mood changes quite rapidly, especially since its only a 30 minute play. The play begins rather comedic, yet ends rather sad and tragic.

The Scenic design of the play was quite suitable given the small size of the stage and theatre, it was just enough to give the play that extra boost, and it challenged the actors to create the scene in their acting. Another great thing about this play was its use of lighting design. The vibrant colors and use them created all the different moods of the play. This is another example of how the cast and director Allen Voigt used the small space to the best of their ability.

While all the actors did a wonderful job, Gina Brown’s performance really stood out. Her character seemed very real, less rehearsed then the others. She used an excellent combination of facial expression and vocal animation to bring her character to life. Her arms were spread out like wings, this type of posture just added to character and made her stand out even more an actress. Bravo Ms. Brown!

One of the interesting things about this play was the adding in of the audience in the script, the actors talked about the audience and to the audience as if they we were part of the cast. This kept the audience’s attention.

Overall Aria Da Copa was a great performance, the director and cast brought this unusual play to life and kept the audience entertained even though much of the audience didn’t follow. This short play covered so many moods and feelings, anger, greed, pleasure, laughter that the audience left with multiple messages that were a bit compiled and confusing. The audience went home trying to interpret the many messages portrayed, making this a memorable performance.

"Aria Da Capo" was another hit by UMD's Stage Two. It played in Duluth's Playhouse Thursday night. Director Allen Voigt made a great interpretation of Edna St. Vincent Millay's production about how relationships can change when material objects take over.

The play was a bit different then expected starting out by the cast doing their warmups right in front of the house. It set the mood for the rest of the play where no one could guess what would happen. Corydon, played by Ashlee Hartwig, and Thrysis, played by Kathy Tingum, had the most structures roles that the majority of the play followed. They did a great job of showing the emotions of greed, jealousy, hate, and deception. Their performance really stood out because of the mood it set compared to the other roles in the play.

Peirrot, played by Dan Beckman, and Columbine, played by Gina Brown, brought some comic relief to the play. Beckman had an outrageous costume that was histerical to see every scene he was in. Also their apparent alchoholism was a riot to see. They played their parts magnificently, knowing their roles to cheer the audience up. Also Cothurnus, played by Mike Pederson, had a strange yet funny role. It was a bit unorthodox to see him playing the director of the play that was supposedly going on but also brought much humor.

All-in-all this play was funny but thought provoking. It was nice to see a play that had such a deep plot line put on with in a light atmosphere.

The costume design for Aria da Capo was well made. Each of the characters had on a costume that matched their character and their personalities. Take for example, Columbine, although we know that she doesn’t really dance in the play, she has the abilities of a ballet dancer. Her actions, her attitude and the way she talks allows the audience to understand what kind of character she is. Her make-up showed the audience that she was a very round but sophisticated character.

Peirrot’s character was kind of like a joker. He was the humor in the play and the audience could tell just by looking at his purple suit. It was fun to see him wearing purple instead of the typical black and white or rainbow- colored clothing jokers have on. The white and black make-up also helped us see his character more clearly. He also did a fantastic job with his jokes because it kept the crowd laughing non- stop.

The two merchants in the play wore simple, old brown rags. They had on worn out shoes and they barely had any make-up on. It was easy to differentiate the different class levels from the ballerina, to the joker to the peasants. The audience could tell that they were poor. They both also had very shy characters and were pretty quiet.

The actors overall did a great job playing their characters. Each of the actors fit their character well and they also stayed within the boundaries of their actions.

The production of Aria Da Capo, by Edna St. Vincent Millay, was a quick and a very unique play that packed a lot of action into a very short time. The scenic design and costumes aided the performance by being very minimal. The play was somewhat awkward, switching scenes that made it confusing to the audience at times.
The Scenic design of the play was very simplistic which helped the audience to focus their attention on what was taking place between the characters portrayed. There were few props available, but the ones that were, were set towards the back and sides of the stage. Costumes aided in the personal understanding of the characters, while the tragic characters had less to be desired, describing their characters.

Overall, this play was something to be spoken for. Even though it was somewhat confusing, the message intended for the performance was grasped for many. Learning from experiences, tragic or comical, was a large part of the message.

The play Aria Da Capo, written by Edna St. Vincent Millay directed by Allen Voigt, addresses social issues of the high and lower classes. When introduced to Peirrot and Columbine the higher class has been established. When Thyrsis and Corydon the lower class of shepherds is shown.
The play starts with the high class play that has to do with ridiculous ramblings about nothing at all. This points out the meaninglessness of the higher class. This play has to be interrupted to bring on the lower class play. The high class is offended by this. Making them seem more snudy. The lower class is brought on and the actors are poor so they come up with a childish game to pass their time. Unlike the higher class who has time to chase tail and eat macaroons. While the two shepherds get into a fight over the land the higher class is shown to not care by continually disrupting their play and still going at the nonsense. When the two shepherds kill each other the director of the play doesn't care and simply drags them and hides them under the table. This is a great metaphor as he simply sweeps it all under the table and forgets about it. The higher class doesn't care either as they continue on with their play as if the two dead bodies weren't even there. This play also applies to the society today. The high class could be seen as those with money and the shepherds can be seen as Africa or any other third world country.

The lower class play with the shepherds also points out a flaw in society. The flaw is pride. While it's okay to show pride in something, having too much pride to stop you from collaborating is bad. When they separate themselves by the "wall" that they made it shows that there are no real walls. The fact that it is played in a childish manner points out how immature it is. They both have resources that they find and are too proud to collaborate and make things work. This pride ends up being the end of both of them as they kill each other over it.

“Aria Da Capo� presented by UMD’s Stage II at the Playground on Wednesday, December 10 was a very unique show. It began quite confusing and hard to follow, but in the end, the message was clear and the show was very entertaining. There were a few elements that made this show so different and unorthodox from other productions. The first was that before the show even began, the audience got to know the performers. Since the show was about performers in a theater putting on shows, these performers had to “warm up� their lines before they went on stage. About thirty minutes before the actual show began, the actors came out onto the stage repeating lines, saying weird things to each other, and making strange movements around the stage. After about five minutes of this, the audience could tell that these were performers warming up for their show. It was a very non-traditional way for the director to have the audience get to know the characters, but it was effective and entertaining. Another unique element of this show was that it was a play within a play. At first it was a little confusing, but once the director came out and started moving people on and off stage, it was clear that these were actors in their own shows. It was a different concept but very original and amusing. A final element of this show that was very creative was that the entire show was a metaphor for the big picture message. The message of this show was that humans often go through tragedy and destruction, and instead of remembering it and learning from it, we often cover it up, go back to the beginning and repeat our mistakes. Neither one of these shows, the farce or the drama, that was portrayed had anything to do with this message. But when the play was over, the message was very clear. “Aria Da Capo� was hard to follow at first because the audience was searching for a meaning, a reason for being there watching the antics go on right away, but it took the entire show to know the purpose for this play. Most plays have a central theme, some kind of message or lesson, but this one really portrayed it in an imaginative way. Although this play seemed odd and unclear at times, it was a very entertaining and satisfying way to teach a lesson, maybe one we’ll remember.

Pierrot, played by Dan Beckman, did an awesome job with his performance. He was funny and smart right from the start. In order to play your character well you must focus directly on the characters inner qualities meaning their personality, their physical movements and their interaction with
the audience.

Pierrot’s personality was more than hilarious. Although he was tall he was able to interact effectively with the audience. His jokes were all made up on the scene and he also allowed the audience to answer his questions. His voice was loud and clear and it carried through the audience.

Aside from his personality, he also had a very smooth way of moving onstage. Sometimes he was smooth and slick and other times he was running and jumping around the stage. He interacted differently towards each of the characters onstage. He had full eye contact with the audience and with Columbine, his partner, played by Gina Brown. Dan Beckman made is character believable even though it was an unrealistic play.

Aria Da Capo by Edna St. Vincent Millay was performed at the Duluth Playhouse on December 10th. The thing that stood out the most during the play were the amazing costumes.

Nina Escobedo designed the costumes to be very fitting to each character. Columbine (Gina Brown) had the most unique costume. She was dressed as a ballerina. Her costume, unlike most ballerina's, was very elaborate. Her skirt was puffy and wild pink skirt, while under it she wore a very plain pink body suit. Even though Columbine didn't dance during the performance at all she was also wearing ballerina shoes to exagerate the fact that she was a ballerina.

Peirrot (Dan Beckmann) was Columbine's counterpart. He, too, was a humorous character who was a clown. He was dressed in a lavendar full body suit. Beckmann was very tall and the body suit emphasized that which made his character even funnier.

The two merchant's, Thyrsis (Kathy Tingum) and Corydon (Ashlee Hartwig), costumes were very simple compared to Peirrot and Columbine. They wore baggy, dull looking clothes. Each had an accent color. One was accented with blue and the other green. Even the laces that went around their legs from their shoes was their accent color, which helped give the characters some life.

Overall, in Aria Da Capo the costumes fit the character's personalities to a "T." Nina Escobedo did a phenomenal job!

Aria Da Capo was performed Thursday, December 11th 2008, by Stage II at the Playground in downtown Duluth, Minnesota. Aria Da Capo was written by Edna St. Vincent Millay and directed by current UMD student Allen Voigt.

Aria Da Capo was filled with acting talent that was easily noticeable by the audience. Driven by the energy from Dan Beckmann who played Peirrot, Aria Da Capo capitalized on getting its point across in its thirty minute show. Voigt was correct in changing the gender of the merchants in Aria Da Capo from males to females and casting Gina Brown (the director of another stage II production Stop-kiss) as Columbine. But perhaps the most interesting and enjoyable part about Aria Da Capo was the live music provided by Nick Gosen and Pat Carroll.

Caroll (who also starred in the Pillowman) showcased his guitar playing talent in Aria Da Capo. He looked and played the part of another citizen playing music. With his beat up smaller guitar he showcased his finger picking ability on the nineteen guitar frets which complemented Aria Da Capo amazingly and gave it another dimension that cd music just would not have.

Aria Da Capo capitalized on its audience friendly play by using live music instead of cd music. With less props and less technology involved in the play Voigt was successful in making Aria Da Capo seem down to earth enough where the audience could feel the pain of the actors and the music of the performers. Aria Da Capo was truly a different play to watch but also a play worth making the trip to see.

In a classroom discussion with Voigt before the production he mentioned viewing another Aria Da Capo production directed by his friend and mentioned that he believed it was horribly done. Anyone in the Aria Da Capo audience on December 11th 2008 at the Playground in Duluth would have to agree that Voigt got his production right.

“Aria Da Capo,� by Edna St. Vincent Millay was a very short, unusual play, but was somewhat entertaining at the same time. The play, performed December 10th, 2008 at the Duluth Playhouse was one of the most one of its kind. “Aria Da Capo�, directed by Allen Voigt, left the audience with a very meaningful message, even if it was very difficult to understand. It showed how the simplest things can turn into violence and despair.

This play was nothing short of unique. At the beginning of the play, it’s safe to say that I was confused. It was a very unconventional play, and I think the length of the play made it harder to grasp. The actors and actresses were on stage before the play, acting really odd and reciting random lines. It was almost like they were improvising, but I was unsure what to think about it. The play could have been much easier to understand if some of the scenes were presented more clearly. There was an underlying, but very evident message of anti-violence/anti-war. The actors did a very good job absorbing themselves into their characters in the short time that they had, but they could have done much more with more allotted time.

The major scenes in this play were very vague. There was a lack of a relationship between the actors and the message they were supposed to send and the audience. One character, Peirrot was very funny and really helped the play gain some laughs. Dan Beckman, who played Peirrot, did a good job connecting to the audience during his brief appearances on stage. However, the scene with Peirrot and Columbine was very confusing to me. They were interrupted quickly, and I was really unsure about what was going on. Thyrsis and Corydon then came on stage, and ended up killing each other over greed and selfishness, with their bodies being pulled underneath the table. Peirrot and Columbine then came back on stage and resumed their scene from before. It was very hard to follow at the time, but also very interesting.

Most of this play was spent in confusion for me, but it did send a meaningful message. Issues such as war, violence, death etc. were portrayed in a very short period of time, even if they were portrayed in such an unusual way. If you want to see something different and unique, this is a play the you’ll most likely enjoy.

"Aria Da Capo" which played at Duluth's Playground this past week had a straight forward playscript and was directed by Allen Voigt in a way that kept that same direct approach to telling a story.

The set was very moderate at most, a table, couple chairs, and a few props was all that was on stage, leaving the audience member to imagine everything else around it. This design was very much in the same scheme of the rest of the play.

The play only lasted about forty minutes but it was direct and to the point. It didn't need to use a multitude of scenes and a big cast to get the point across and with that it didn't need a huge, complicated set.

The way Allen Voigt used this small but very significant approach was very much appreciated because it shows that a play doesn't need to have a huge budget and a bunch of extra material objects. One could tell that Voigt knew exactly what he wanted out of this play and he did a great job of getting it.

"Aria Da Capo" was unlike any other production I have witnessed. It was shorter than most, had many underlying messages, and interacted with the audience. I was entertained, but my mind was also getting a workout.

It was very passionate, I felt that the cast felt deeply with the points they were trying to get across. I really like the fact that the cast interacted with the audience as if we were part of the show.

This play was full of drama, but had comedy balanced throughout, it was a very interesting piece, and I would love to see it again.

The Stage II production of "Aria Da Capo" was a very intriguing play. It was very short, at least shorter than the plays most people are used to. It was also done in a very intimate setting. The show lent itself to the actors interacting with the audience and that is just what they did. The engaged everyone and made the show very entertaining. The show really relied on the actors not on the set, or the script but on the actors ability to connect. While the play was very confusing at time and jumped from one scene to the next with very few cues it was still an great production and everyone there seemed to appreciate the non-traditional approach the play took. "Aria Da Capo" is like nothing you have ever seen and is a must for those interested in a theater. It maybe a little out of the box but still has a strong message and overall is worth seeing.