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EDUCATION RESOURCE PACK created by Anna Ledwich commissioned by Mousetrap Theatre Projects Six Characters in Search of an Author Education Resource Pack Contents Introduction 3 Luigi Pirandello - a biography 4 Six Characters in Search of an Author From disaster to success 5 A Synopsis 6 The cast 9 Who’s who: The Characters 10 Who’s who: The Film-makers 11 Docu-Drama and Drama-Documentary Is it fact or fiction? 12 Docu-Drama Glossary 13 The Production The Director 14 The Designer 15 Interview with Rupert Goold and Ben Power 16 Further Resources Bibliography and Weblinks 18 Mousetrap Theatre Projects 19 w w w. m o u s e t r a p . o r g . u k 2 Six Characters in Search of an Author Education Resource Pack Introduction This pack has been developed to help you to get the best out of your visit to see Six Characters in Search of an Author. It is full of essential material to enable students to understand the narrative and themes of the play as well as the contemporary context of this production. There are suggestions for follow up activities and an interview with Ben Power and Rupert Goold. With thanks to: Elaine Grant Ben Power Kelly Duffy Rehearsal and show photography: Manuel Harlan Main Six Characters Image Design: Aka Creative Advertising Produced by Michael Edwards and Carole Winter for MJE Productions The Gielgud Theatre is a Delfont Mackintosh Theatre w w w. m o u s e t r a p . o r g . u k 3 Six Characters in Search of an Author Education Resource Pack Luigi Pirandello A Biography psychological shock. She never fully recovered. Pirandello harboured thoughts of suicide, but began intensive work on a novel. By the time the First World War broke out, he had published three novels and numerous short stories. It was not until 1916, however, that he turned his attention to the theatre. He was remarkably prolific, turning out as many as "I am a child of Chaos and not only nine plays in one year. But as Pirandello's allegorically" fame as a writer increased, his private life deteriorated. Antonietta, plagued by Luigi Pirandello was an Italian dramatist, suspicion and obsessive jealousy, began to novelist and short story writer. He was born turn physically violent, becoming so on June 28, 1867 in Caos, on the island of volatile that she was in need of Sicily. His father owned a prosperous institutionalization. Against the advice of sulphur mine and his mother was from a doctors Pirandello instead chose to keep wealthy family. He received his elementary her at home. Their daughter was so education at home, and by the age of disturbed by her mother's illness that she twelve had already written his first tried to take her own life. The illness had a tragedy. profound effect on Pirandello's writing as well, leading him to explorations of In 1880, Luigi completed his high school madness, illusion, and isolation. It was not education and fell in love with his cousin until his plays finally began to prove Lina. While initially disapproved of, Lina’s profitable around 1919 that he was able to family demanded that Luigi abandon his send Antonietta to a private sanitarium. studies and dedicate himself to the sulphur business so that he could immediately In 1921 Six Characters in Search of an marry her. Luigi went to work in the Author was staged in Rome. In 1922 Six sulphur mines with his father for a time, Characters was translated into English and but he grew increasingly unhappy. The performed in London and in New York. In marriage to Lina, was called off and 1925, Pirandello was appointed artistic Pirandello moved to Rome to continue his director of the Teatro d'Arte di Roma by studies. Mussolini. As the company flourished Pirandello met actress Marta Abba, for In 1894, Pirandello married a shy, whom most of his later plays were written, withdrawn girl from a respectable family: and his troupe began touring extensively Antonietta. They had two sons and a throughout Europe and America. daughter and Pirandello began publishing novellas and a collection of poems. Mussolini's support allowed Pirandello’s work to reach an international audience, But in 1903 Pirandello’s life was shaken by yet for the remainder of his life, Pirandello a calamitous event: the sulphur mines was tainted by the stigma of being flooded. His father had invested an associated with the Fascist Party and enormous amount of his own money, into remained under close surveillance by the the venture. The family financially Italian secret police. collapsed and Antonietta suffered profound Pirandello was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1934. He died alone in his home in Rome on the 10th of December, 1936. w w w. m o u s e t r a p . o r g . u k 4 Six Characters in Search of an Author Education Resource Pack Six Characters in Search of an Author: From disaster to success "Oh the dramatic theatre! I will conquer However, a review the next day by an it. I cannot enter into one without influential critic pronounced that the experiencing a strange sensation, an production was “a success imposed by a excitement of the blood through all my minority on a bewildered, confused public veins..." who were basically trying hard to Luigi Pirandello understand. From today, we can say that Pirandello is one of the most deserving precursors of tomorrow’s genius if Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an tomorrow ever comes.” Author was a defining moment in the history of drama because its form and Six Characters, was a great success when content were so revolutionary. presented at Milan later that year and in 1922 Six Characters was translated into But when it was first staged in Rome in English. It was performed in London and 1921 it was a resounding failure. From the New York, thus extending Pirandello’s fame outset things started to go badly. The beyond the shores of Italy. audience came into the theatre and were shocked to discover that the curtain was raised and that there was no scenery. Some spectators were appalled by this crude presentation: stagehands could be clearly seen and actors milled about the stage if they were not really in a play. The arrival of the “characters”, and their assertion that they were more real than the actors proved to be even more bewildering. All this served to infuriate those spectators who had gone to the theatre for pleasant evening’s entertainment. The audience were polarised: outraged and delighted. The first jeers were followed by shouts of disapproval, and when the opponents of the play realized that they were in the majority, they started to chant in unison. Ingmar Bergman’s 1955 production of Six Characters The production had its supporters, but their in Search of an Author defense of Pirandello’s play created even more confusion. Audience members, actors Other notable plays by Pirandello: and critics ended up exchanging blows, spilling out into the street. The evening As You Desire Me (1930) culminated in a general riot and Pirandello, Henry IV (1921) attending the performance with his Right You Are (If You Think You Are) (1917) daughter, was forced to escape out of the theatre through a side exit in order to avoid the volatile crowds. w w w. m o u s e t r a p . o r g . u k 5 Six Characters in Search of an Author Education Resource Pack Six Characters in Search of an Author (2008) A new version by Rupert Goold & Ben Power A Synopsis Freya Parker as The Girl (left) and Denise Gough as The Step-Daughter Prologue/Act 1 The play begins in a disused office in their author and are seeking another to Denmark. A documentary filmmaking team, complete their story. They argue that (a Producer, Editor, Actor and Actress) are without an author to give them life they watching a rough edit of their film. Their are unable to achieve lasting immortality. film follows the story of a 14 year-old Convinced that they are mad, the British boy, Andrew who, suffering from an filmmakers try to eject them from the un-named terminal disease, has decided to office but the Father and Step-Daughter proceed with assisted suicide at a Danish plead with them to listen to their story. clinic. The Father proceeds to tell the filmmakers A television Executive has flown to their story but the other characters Denmark to see the results of their work. It interject, disagreeing over details. They is clear that the film is lacking significant demand that the Producer film their story footage of the boy and his family. The so that the full truth can be revealed. Executive upbraids the Producer for the sterile and dull nature of the film. The Their passion and willingness to expose team is at a loss how to proceed when their darkest secrets convinces the there is a knock at the door. Producer that their story is intriguing enough to warrant filming. To the surprise Six strange people enter the office. They of the other filmmakers the Producer are a family and they claim that they are decides to abandon the original film and characters. They have been abandoned by tell the characters’ story. w w w. m o u s e t r a p . o r g . u k 6 Six Characters in Search of an Author Education Resource Pack Jamie Bower as The Actor and Christine Entwistle as The Actress Act 2 The filmmakers and characters begin crew.