Project P presents two ‘punch-out’ plays

Double features are  long gone from the world of movie theaters, but this weekend Theatre of the People will bring the double feature back with something old and something new.

TOP’s “Project P: The Property Line Punch-Out” features two satires — 15th-century-inspired “Aria da Capo” and “A Sandcastle in the Sky” by Bloomington playwright Albert Powell.

Shows start at 8 p.m. Friday and continue April 10 and 15 to 17, with additional shows at 2 p.m. on April 10 and 17. Performances are at the John Waldon Arts Center Rose Firebay and tickets are $10.

“Aria da Capo” follows four people, two “haves” and two “have nots” who clash when class issues and the fickleness of human nature turn them against each other. Co-Director Adam Bradley said he appreciates how the play deals with the human condition.

“Given almost no prompting whatsoever, best friends will literally stab each other in the back, families would kill each other,” Bradley said.  “Human beings are capable of the most animalistic tendencies and are also capable of the most beautiful love. Both are there all the time.”

“A Sandcastle in the Sky” will premiere after “Aria da Capo.”

In the play, Ms. Jane and Mr. Joe fight over the border between their two homes. They drag in more and more officials and bureaucrats to try to win until the fight is totally in the hands of the bureaucrats and they are totally helpless.

Director, actor and senior Jared Miller said he wanted “Sandcastle” to have many meanings so it would be accessible to all audience members.

“In my mind, I know what I’m thinking of when I approach this piece, and I know how it connects with me,” Miller said. “And I’m pretty sure it would be different from others though it’s the same thing. I think some people might read that message differently than others.”

Patty Blanchfield, junior and co-director of “Aria da Capo,”  said she is excited to see how audiences react to the double feature.

“In ‘Aria da Capo’ and ‘Sandcastle in the Sky,’ there is a boundary that separates the characters. It’s not a real wall, but it creates disagreements and arguments and strife,” Blanchfield said. “I saw that parallel and I really liked it. So I’m really excited to see how these two plays complement each-- other.