The men wear giant powdered wigs, short pants and tights, while the women sport long dresses and elaborate hairstyles. The set design also adds to that effect. The stage is enclosed with four walls to give the impression of looking down on Argan s isolated existence. Characters enter the stage from doors in the floor that, to the actors, were on that fourth wall. The bed, the chair and the windows have angled corners to keep the illusion of looking down.
Shadows often play a role in the play.
In one scene, the audience sees the shadow of Toinette listening in the doorway as Argan talks with the apothecary. And throughout the play, the actors keep the eyes of the audience moving by prancing to every corner of the set. Every aspect of The Imaginary Invalid meshes well, creating a kind of animated cartoon on stage. Being sick never seemed so fun. Final shows of The Imaginary Invalid will run May 21 through 23 at 8 p.m. in the Curry Student Center s Studio Theater.