Theater Professor Designs Set for Opera Maine's Biggest Production Ever

Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi wrote Aida in the late nineteenth century, setting the tragic romance about a princess, an army general, politics, passion, love, and betrayal in an Egyptian kingdom. It was first performed in Cairo in 1871.

Cárdenas-Alaminos, assistant professor of theater, told the newspaper, "If you listen to the score, it feels bigger and epic. So you ask yourself then, what does epic look like?"

In preparation, Cárdenas-Alaminos "researched the architecture of ancient Egypt, as well as the way art history has portrayed this place and time period. He considered the shapes of hieroglyphs and the texture of papyrus," reporter Megan Gray writes.

"His original design was more complex, but the final version is simpler, less literal, and supplemented by a creative use of projections. He focused less on presenting Egypt as it appears in popular culture and more on making the production feel true to a contemporary audience."

At Bowdoin, Professor of Theater Davis Robinson said his colleague inspires students who never knew they had an interest in theater to get immersed in the creative major. Robinson mentioned a recent graduate who took a class on stage craft with Cárdenas-Alaminos and proceeded to build her own design track in the department. "He's really helped build an interest in design in the department," Robinson added.

Cárdenas-Alaminos has a master's in fine arts degree in scenic design from the Yale School of Drama and since moving to Maine five years ago, has worked on productions at Bowdoin and around the state, including the Theater at Monmouth's Amphitryon, Portland Stage's Clyde's, Opera Maine'sThe Flying Dutchmen, and Bowdoin's Valor, Outrage and Woman.

Aida will be performed at Merrill Auditorium on July 25 at 7:30 p.m. and on July 28 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are free for operagoers twenty-five and younger, veterans, and first responders. General admission starts at $35.