Eyes Have It


eyeglasses
Problem: What to with two sets of identical twins running about the city of Ephesus in a production in which the actors involved looking nothing alike?

Solution: Outfit them with distinctive eyewear, of course! For this year’s Summer Shakespeare production, Comedy of Errors: The Amazing One-Joke Play, director Jeffrey Stegall decided that glasses would be the perfect choice to convey the twin relationships. This design choice quickly spread to other characters in the show. Take a close look, and you’ll find they establish or enhance qualities of each character: bold, quirky, or nerdy. Pair that with all the striking colors in the costumes—including some wild and crazy nun’s habit fabric from Mood Fabrics in NYC—and even the starkest black frames pop. (In the picture at left, Antipholi Philip Eoute and Johnathan Schofield rehearse with their production glasses on; at right, a selection of eyewear for the choosing.)

Finding the right look in eyeglasses is quite personal. Actors try on and sometimes rehearse in the glasses before deciding upon the perfect pair. Once a pair is chosen, the lenses are usually removed both to eliminate any vision correction that would blur the sight of the actor and to get rid of glass glare for the audience.

So when you come to watch the show, keep an eye out. Who knows? This production of Comedy just may prove to be a spectacle the likes of which you haven’t seen before! (by GSC intern Meagan Ingersoll)

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