Six Characters in Search of an Author

Six fictional characters, abandoned by their creator, invade a rehearsal in progress and demand to be brought to life by a new author.

The Father explains that they are unfinished characters in search of an author to finish their story. The Director initially believes them to be mad, but as they begin to argue among themselves and reveal details of their story, he begins to listen. While The Director is not an author, he agrees to stage their story despite disbelief among the jeering actors. But the characters’ existential agenda collides with the more light-hearted ambitions of these theatre artists, whose open rehearsal “audience engagement event” becomes darkly entangled with the characters’ tragic story.

This intimate adaptation of Luigi Pirandello’s absurdist classic highlights the comedic tension between melodrama and the contemporary sensibilities of the acting company, all while prompting us to question our own perceptions of reality.

“A seminal play that allows actors to dig deeply into the text and explore the many facets of theatre and the relationship between actor and character, character and audience, audience and actor.” – Ben O’Brien-Limmer, The Court Theatre Education and Engagement Manager