"Darling," a play by Taryn Verley, performed by Little Falls Summer Musical, August 2021.

Little Falls Summer Musical Presents Darling, a New Play by Taryn Verley

True-Crime Play with Music Retells Story of Annie Kintop’s 1905 Murder

Little Falls, Minn., July 7, 2020: Local theatre company Little Falls Summer Musical August 5 through 8 will bring to the Charles D. Martin Auditorium stage Darling, a new true-crime play by Taryn Verley.

Darling retells the story of 24 year-old Morrison County woman Annie Kintop and her murder in 1905, as well as the investigation that followed. In addition to dramatizing facts of the case as they were reported at the time, Darling gives voice to a pioneering young woman whose life was cut short. Also, it depicts how members of the community coped with a heinous atrocity committed in their back yards.

Darling’s playwright, Taryn Verley of Minneapolis, grew up in Little Falls, where she first learned about the 1905 murder of Annie Kintop. She initially developed the Darling script in 2017 as the thesis for her Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing and play writing from Augsburg University in Minneapolis. She revised and finalized the play through a dramaturgical workshop process with LF Summer Musical in 2020 and 2021.

This premiere production of Darling features musical accompaniment, including an original instrumental theme and new arrangements of music from Central Minnesota’s past, performed by LF Summer Musical’s live orchestra. Some songs were sourced from the Morrison County Historical Society’s Weyerhaeuser Museum collections; others were drawn from such sources as the Minnesota Fiddle Tunes Project. “We selected pieces that provide a window into the early 20th Century in Morrision County,” said Lucas Burr, music director, composer, and arranger for Darling. “Many of these songs have scarcely been heard in 100 years. We’re excited to revive them for this show.”

Little Falls Summer Musical also collaborated with the Morrison County Historical Society to develop an exhibit based on the Kintop murder investigation. On display at the Weyerhaeuser Museum in Little Falls this summer, the exhibit will be installed in the lobby outside the Charles D. Martin Auditorium during the Darling production.

How to Get Tickets:
Online at lfsummermusical.com, or in person at Tony’s First Avenue Custom Framing in Little Falls. Any remaining tickets will be sold at the door on the night of the show. Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors.

Darling Cast:
Annie Kintop…………………………. Emma Ahlin (Little Falls)
Frank Coenan……………………….. Ross Harris (St. Cloud)
Alfred Fredrickson…………………. Henry Moore (Little Falls)
Julia Coenan…………………………. Jessica Scherer (St. Cloud)
Mrs. St Denis/Josephine……………. Rhonda Schmidt (Little Falls)
Sheriff Tanner…………………………. Allen Riedeman (Little Falls
Frank Lindbergh……………………. Tony Toepfer (St. Cloud)
Phil Kintop……………………………. Joseph Kurowski (Little Falls)
Doctor Chance………………………. Nate Moga (Royalton)

Ensemble:
Ellis Meyer (Reader 2) (Little Falls)
Kryston Wiseley (Reader 1) (Crosby)
Melissa Peterson (Reader 3) (Little Falls)
Nate Moga (Royalton)
Kevin Klawitter (Staples)
Angela Wright (Little Falls)
Mia Hoffman (St. Cloud)
Bailey Stalmer (Little Falls)

Darling Orchestra:
Lucas Burr (Little Falls)
Cary Armagost (Little Falls)
Madeline Wright (Little Falls)
Jenna Hanson (Brainerd)

About Little Falls Summer Musical: 501(c)3 not-for profit theatre company Little Falls Summer Musical was formed in 2019 to revive summer musical theatre performances in Little Falls. The organization supports arts enrichment and learning by bringing together the best pre-professional, amateur, and professional artists in the area to create first-rate musical theatre shows. www.lfsummermusical.com

This activity was made possible in part by grants from Five Wings Arts Council and Sourcewell.

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For more information, contact Michael Burr, producer, at lfsummermusical@gmail.com.

"Darling," a play by Taryn Verley, performed by Little Falls Summer Musical, August 2021.
“Darling,” a play by Taryn Verley, performed by Little Falls Summer Musical, August 2021.

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