When Reality and Fiction Collide

What happens when fictional characters become more real than reality itself? In 1921, Italian playwright Luigi Pirandello shocked the theatrical world by bringing six abandoned characters onto a stage, demanding their story be told. “Six Characters in Search of an Author” wasn’t just another play – it was a theatrical earthquake that challenged everything audiences thought they knew about reality, fiction, and the nature of truth itself.

Quick Facts

• First performed: May 9, 1921, at Teatro Valle in Rome
• Original title: Sei personaggi in cerca d’autore
• Runtime: Approximately 2 hours
• Structure: Three acts, play-within-a-play format
• Notable fact: The premiere was met with shouts of “Manicomio!” (Madhouse!)
• Awards: Multiple international revivals have won Tony and Olivier Awards

Just want to read the play?

Mark Musa translation

Most accessible for newcomers to Pirdanello.

Martha and Mary Ann Witt translation

Contains the writings that formed the genesis of the play along with a new translation.

2002 Broadway production directed by Stacy Keach

The Nicholas Rudall version is often preferred for performance.

Felicity Firth translation

Includes also Henry IV, Caps and Bells, Right You Are (if You Think You Are), The Jar, and The Patent

.Free version? Try the version on Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/42148/42148-h/42148-h.htm

Historical Context

When Pirandello wrote “Six Characters,” Europe was still reeling from World War I’s aftermath. The certainties of the pre-war world had crumbled, and new artistic movements like Surrealism were challenging traditional reality. In Italy, Fascism was on the rise, and questions about truth, reality, and authenticity were becoming increasingly urgent.

The play emerged during the modernist movement, alongside works by Joyce and Proust, who were also experimenting with narrative structure and the nature of reality. Pirandello, who would later win the 1934 Nobel Prize for Literature, was deeply influenced by his personal life – particularly his wife’s mental illness, which forced him to confront the thin line between reality and delusion.

Plot Overview

The play opens on a theater company rehearsing Pirandello’s “Mixing It Up” (a meta-theatrical joke from the start). They’re interrupted by the arrival of six mysterious figures: the Father, Mother, Son, Stepdaughter, Boy, and Little Girl. These are abandoned characters from an unfinished play, seeking an author to complete their story.

What follows is an increasingly complex exploration of their tragic tale: The Father had sent his wife (the Mother) to live with his male secretary, only to have her start a new family. Years later, the Father encounters his Stepdaughter at a brothel, nearly leading to an incestuous encounter. The characters demand that their story be told, but conflict with the theater company about how it should be presented.

Themes & Analysis

Reality vs. Fiction

The play’s central question – which is more real: the actors or the characters they portray? – becomes increasingly complex. The Characters argue they are more “real” because they are unchanging, while the actors will die. Their pain is eternal, fixed in artistic form, while human suffering is temporary.

The Nature of Identity

Each Character is fixed in their moment of drama, unable to change or evolve. The Father particularly grapples with how others perceive him versus his self-image, leading to the famous line: “How can we ever come to understand each other if I put in the words I utter the sense and value of things as I see them… while you who listen to them necessarily put in them the sense and value which you have in yourself?”

Theatrical Illusion

Pirandello constantly breaks the fourth wall, not as a gimmick but to explore fundamental questions about art and reality. The play’s structure becomes increasingly complex, with scenes being rehearsed, interrupted, and reinterpreted, until the line between performance and reality completely blurs.

Revolutionary Elements

The play’s innovative elements include:

• The play-within-a-play structure taken to new metaphysical levels
• Characters who are aware they are characters
• The blending of rehearsal and performance
• The questioning of theatrical conventions while using them
• The use of immutable Characters versus changeable actors

Cultural Impact

“Six Characters” influenced virtually every experimental theater movement that followed. Its DNA can be found in:

• Absurdist theater (Beckett, Ionesco)
• Postmodern plays (Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead”)
• Meta-theatrical works (Michael Frayn’s “Noises Off”)
• Contemporary works like “The Author” by Tim Crouch

Staging & Performance

The play presents unique challenges:

• The Characters traditionally wear masks or have fixed expressions
• The distinction between Characters and Actors must be clear but not cartoonish
• The ending’s ambiguity must be handled carefully
• The multiple levels of reality must remain clear to the audience

Modern productions have approached these challenges in various ways, from traditional staging to multimedia interpretations. Mark Lamos’s 1995 production at Lincoln Center used video screens to explore the nature of reality, while Julien Temple’s 2012 film version set the story in a modern television studio.

Reading Guide

Best Translations

• John Linstrum’s version (most performable)
• Eric Bentley’s translation (most literary)
• Mark Musa’s translation (most accessible)

Reading Tips

• Pay attention to the stage directions – they’re crucial to understanding the play’s reality levels
• Notice how the Characters’ stories conflict with each other
• Watch how the style shifts between melodrama and naturalism
• Consider how each Character represents a different theatrical genre

Contemporary Relevance

In our era of reality TV, social media personas, and deep fakes, “Six Characters” feels more relevant than ever. Its questions about authenticity, identity, and the nature of truth resonate powerfully in a world where the line between reality and fiction becomes increasingly blurred.

Discussion Questions

• Who is more “real” – the Characters or the Actors?
• Is the Father’s story truthful, or is he manipulating events?
• What does the play say about the nature of truth in art?
• How does the play’s structure reflect its themes?

Fun Facts & Trivia

• Pirandello claimed the Characters actually visited him in his study
• The play was initially a commercial failure but became an international success
• It influenced the development of the “Theater of the Absurd”
• The original audience’s hostile reaction included shouts of “Send them to the asylum!”

Why This Play Endures

“Six Characters” remains powerful because it addresses fundamental questions about human identity, reality, and truth. Its innovative structure and philosophical depth continue to challenge and intrigue audiences. In a world increasingly concerned with authenticity and the nature of reality, Pirandello’s masterpiece feels more relevant than ever.

Additional Resources

• Pirandello’s essays on theater and humor
• Jennifer Lorch’s “Pirandello: Six Characters in Search of an Author”
• Robert Brustein’s “The Theatre of Revolt”
• The 1976 BBC television adaptation

Whether you’re a theater enthusiast or a newcomer to drama, “Six Characters in Search of an Author” offers a mind-bending exploration of reality, identity, and the nature of truth itself. It’s not just a play – it’s a philosophical journey that will change how you think about theater, reality, and yourself.