Rehearsals

Rehearsals for Comedy of Errors are underway. Actors are learning their lines and their entrances and exits. Director Joe Copley is setting the blocking - the position and movement of actors on the stage...or in this case, The Green.

Right now the cast is primarily focused on making sure the words ring out clearly. Catching all the nuances in Shakespeare's Elizabethan English can be a challenge for the audience. It's made more difficult if the actors don't pay attention to the Bard's script clues.

The cast will be "off book" on May 24. That means the words will live in each of the actors. The cast will no longer be tied to their scripts. That's the time to start adding the little touches that make the play come alive. Gestures. Working with props. Reactions. Creating each character's idiosyncrasies.

Unique to this production is a series of Interludes, wordless scenes that help connect and explain the scenes in the play. The Interludes will add another layer of zaniness to Shakespeare's fast-paced Comedy of Errors.

The Charlotte Shakespeare Festival (www.charlotteshakespeare.com) presents Comedy of Errors under the stars on The Green Uptown from June 3-20. Admission is free. Bring a blanket, food and drink and come early to enjoy Festivities, the special pre-show entertainment.

Next Post: Meet the actors learn about the challenges of The Green.