Pirandello: Six Characters in Search of an Author Six Characters in Search of an Author

A study of the history of performances of Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author.

Since its explosive premiere in Rome in 1921, Six Characters in Search of an Author has gained worldwide recognition. Pirandello's challenge to the very notion of stage representation was taken up by the leading directors of the time. The playwright incorporated details from the early performances into his revised text, which he directed himself in 1925. Jennifer Lorch examines the two texts in the context of different theatrical traditions and traces Pirandello's growing awareness of the development of advanced theatrical facilities outside Italy. She also offers an analysis of selected productions of the play in Italy, England, France, the USA, Germany and Russia in both commercial and avant-garde theatres. This comprehensive study includes a production chronology, bibliography and illustrations from major productions.

Introduction; 1. The Play; 2. The first production (1921); 3. Two early productions in London and New York (1922); 4. Pitoëff's production in Paris (1923); 5. Reinhardt's production in Berlin (1924); 6. Pirandello's production of the 1925 text (1925); 7. Six Characters on the Italian stage (1936–93); 8. Two English productions (1929 and 1963); 9. Becoming part of national theatre in France and England; 10. Making Six Characters accessible: Robert Brustein and Richard Jones; 11. Pushing at the frontiers of theatre: Grüber and Vasiliev; 12. A brief look at Six Characters in other media; Conclusion; Select production chronology; Bibliography; Index.

Since its explosive premiere in Rome in 1921, Six Characters in Search of an Author has gained worldwide recognition. In this illustrated account, Jennifer Lorch examines the impact of the play through close analysis of individual productions in the context of theatre history and practice.