Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author, translated by Edward Storer, is praised for its innovative narrative that blends reality and fiction, challenging traditional theatrical forms. Critics note its intellectual depth but warn it may be dense and confusing for some readers. Storer's translation captures the essence, though some nuances may be lost.

Readers who enjoy introspective and meta-theatrical works like Luigi Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author would appreciate its exploration of reality and fiction. Comparable to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard and Luigi Pirandello's own Henry IV, this play appeals to fans of existential themes and innovative narrative structures.

In Six Characters in Search of an Author by Luigi Pirandello and translated by Edward Storer, an acting troupe rehearsing a Pirandello play is interrupted by six characters—a family—who claim to be abandoned by their author and demand their story be completed. The Manager agrees to stage their incomplete narrative, leading to a chaotic blend of fiction and reality as the characters' painful truths unfold. The play contains discussions of a coerced sexual relationship, child death, and suicide.

Mysterious / Contemplative / Challenging / Emotional

- Six Characters in Search of an Author by Luigi Pirandello is considered a pioneering work of metatheater, meaning it explores the boundaries between fiction and reality within its own narrative structure.
- This play, first performed in 1921, was initially met with disapproval and confusion from audiences, yet it later gained recognition and was praised for its innovative approach to theater.
- Edward Storer was one of the early translators of Pirandello's work, contributing to the spread of Pirandello's influence in the English-speaking world through this translation.

**The Father**  
A man around 50 years old who is the estranged first husband of the Mother and the biological father of the Son. He is deeply involved in the philosophical debates about theater and reality presented in the play.

**The Step-Daughter**  
A striking and beautiful 18-year-old woman who is the daughter of the Mother and another man, making her a half-sister to the Son. She is focused on portraying her perspective and emotions through dramatic reenactments.

**The Manager**  
The head of the theater company who represents conventional theatrical practices and attempts to structure the characters’ chaotic narrative into a traditional play. He is often challenged by the characters on his views.

**The Mother**  
A woman who is emotionally expressive and exists in a perpetual state of grief, mourning her estranged relationships and past tragedies. She remains deeply affected by her experiences as if they are constantly happening.

**The Son**  
A 22-year-old man who is the offspring of the Father and the Mother and their only biological son. He struggles with his family relationships and resists participating in the dramatization of their story.

Luigi Pirandello

Transl. Edward Storer

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