How does Pirandello’s Sei personaggi in cerca d’autore break with traditional theatre

representation?

The initial reaction to the first production of Sei personaggi in cerca d’autore in Rome in 1921
was one of disbelief and disappointment, implying that Pirandello’s play was unique in both
content and style and unlike no other that Italian audiences had witnessed before. Lorch writes
that, “The event was described as a ‘battle’, the most violent and noisy ever experienced in the
Teatro Valle.”*1 Sei personaggi, a product of Pirandello’s fascination with identity and
relativity, is inundated with various levels of philosophical reasoning, which ask us to question
and break free from traditional theatre. By looking at the different themes, including the shifting
levels of reality, the problems of representation, the reality of truth, as well as the boundaries of
the stage, we can see exactly how Pirandello challenged the traditional notion of theatre
representation.

At the beginning of Sei personnagi, when the stage does not seem to be prepared, the audience
immediately notices the unconventional layout of the theatre. Throughout the play, we are
constantly reminded of the boundaries of the stage and the dichotomous nature of the Actors and
the Characters. The invisible boundary that exists between the groups becomes more and more
apparent and the Director serves as a bridge between the two. The Characters, who in fact are
more like essences, can never occupy the stage at the same time as the Actors, who in turn have
their roles to play. According to Fergola, “Formalmente nulla cambia nei confronti della
teatralità tradizionale. La divisione spaziale tra palcoscenico e platea viene rispettata, e gli attori
recitano di fronte al pubblico per un tempo continuo la cui durata, ritmata dall’evento
enunciativo, corrisponde al presente dello spettatore. Per questo, nonostante tutto, c’è
rappresentazone teatrale.”*2 Despite this, it would seem that Pirandello’s play does in fact break
away from traditional theatre representation in several ways. This concept is very clear in the
scene where the Son tries to leave but is bound to the stage. In the stage directions, Pirandello
writes, “Il Figlio resterà proteso verso la scaletta, ma, come legato da un potere occulto, non
potrà scenderne gli scalini…”*3

The friction between the Actors and the Characters shows to us Pirandello’s desire to illustrate
the problems of representation on the stage, which in itself, causes his play to challenge the
traditional theatre. The Characters are destined to the cyclical and never ending existence which
their author chose for them by deciding that they should never be put on stage. In fact, Illiano
writes that, “The sudden and unexpected appearance of live characters who claimed to belong on
the stage and could actually be seen and heard, was like a bombshell that blew out the last weary
residues of the old realistic drama. It took everybody by surprise – and confused, as it still does
today, both audiences and critics.”*4The Actors on the other hand, are more real in terms of their
existence, but less true to themselves. They are also much more traditional. Consequently,
Pirandello presents to us the issue of illusion versus reality. When the Characters are re-enacting
the scene in the house, the Father says, “Quella che per loro è un’illusione da creare, per noi è
invece l’unica nostra realtà.” *5 The Actors are creating an illusion, pretending to make the
scene real, whereas the Characters are not just acting it out; they are living their own reality.
There are further problems when the Actors proceed to recreate the Characters’ scenes,
particularly that of the Father and Step-daughter in Madame Pace’s shop. These problems arise
once the Characters realise that they will have to be interpreted by the Actors. Once the Step-
daughter is made aware that the Leading lady will be acting as her, she laughs hysterically and
says, “…non mi vedo affato in lei, ecco. Non so, non…non m’assomiglia per nulla!”*6 Both her
and the Father cannot come to terms with the Actors’ interpretations. Moreover, the Manger fails
to understand why the Father would want to use the Mother’s “[…]vero nome,”*7 that is,
Amalia, when put on stage by the Actors. Consequently, this obvious on stage confusion that
arises between the Actors and Characters further explains why Pirandello’s play is said to break
away with traditional theatre representation.