The power of the eyes is unmistakeable. Whether a person is happy, tormented, or full of joy, the eyes really are a window to the soul and an indication of what's happening on the inside, mentally and emotionally. On a recent venture to ol' Lyric Opera, a cast of singers presenting a new production of Rinaldo was a show not only of musical beauty but one containing an emotional integrity worth mention, made especially evident through the use of eyes from the entire cast!Not until this production did I witness the power of "the eyes" first hand. Granted, I had good seats, still no where near the stage, but with every aria I was compelled at the emotion behind each singer's eyes. Cheryl Studer is a particular name springing to mind when considering the effective use of eyes as a unit of technique. The cast performed at a level beyond the black and white of the page; their characters were real, alive, and feeling.
This is great a enigma for the performer: how to make the character come to life without standing in the way of this process or confusing personal circumstance with that of the characters we create? Bottom line, eyes help audiences understand the character, their thoughts, and all the things that the voice is not be able to completely express.
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