'6 Characters' Vividly Come to Life in HRDC Production

Audiences unanimously exclaimed “Madhouse!” when Luigi Pirandello’s “Six Characters in Search of an Author” was first performed in Rome in 1921, and it’s no wonder why. The show is full of twists and turns as its characters—some aware of their identity as fictional beings and others ignorant—reveal secrets to each other and the audience as they try to explain the significance of drama.

The Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club (HRDC) production of this show—which ran from October 21 to 23 in the Loeb Experimental Theater and was directed by Jesse T. Nee-Vogelman ’13—proves a gut-wrenching rendition. Aided by the impeccable performances of its main actor and actress, “6 Characters” successfully portrays the poignant storyline of an almost-century-long show in a fun and modern context.

The play starts with a ruthless director (Nee-Vogelman, who plays his own technical role onstage, as does the rest of his staff) bossing around the comically incompetent actors in his show, when six individuals who claim to be perpetual characters enter and demand to have their story performed. This strange family—which consists of a mom, a dad, and four children from two different fathers—is clad entirely in black and white, creating a striking difference between them and the other, more vibrantly dressed actors on stage.

The issues in their interpersonal relationships are immediately obvious, as the older son (Benjamin A. Silva ’14) refuses to look at or acknowledge the rest of his family. The plot further thickens when nuances of deception and incest are detectable between the father character (Daniel W. Erickson ’14) and his step-daughter (Renee R. Donlon). Throughout the play's 95 minutes, these characters struggle through their deep-seated issues with one another in order to explain the importance of their story. A crushing discovery at the end reveals the true source of their devastation and the reason they must remain characters, instead of real people.

“6 Characters in Search of an Author” is so bizarre at some points that this show might not have worked if its main actors aren’t completely dedicated to their roles. Erickson and Donlon are, in a word, captivating. They fully embody the actions of their characters, whether through maniacal laughter or displays of deepest remorse. Their riveting performances bring energy to both the stage and the other actors upon it. They also effectively find a balance between being ridiculous and serious, evoking laughter from the audience in one scene and then sophisticated thought in another. Displaying their range of talents, Erickson and Donlon even perform a musical duet toward the beginning of the show, with Erickson playing violin and Donlon singing.

Their performances don’t trump those of the other actors, but certainly give them a run for their money. Silva, who maintains a dark and disturbed air throughout the production, also entertains, while the regular actors on stage provide comic relief. Cracking jokes at each other in a presumably improvisational style, these actors keep performing throughout all of intermission, the funniest by far being the Lead Actor (Cyrus Dahmubed).

A simple set, which is supposed to resemble a stage in a theater, accents the show. However, intense theatricality is not missed, as the relatively small venue in which “6 Characters” is performed allows the actors to come right into the audience with ease.

What is kept plain in this production is made up for in modernism. The play was originally written in Italian by Pirandello and then translated for this performance by Brandon J. Ortiz ’12. This new translation allows for some creativity with regard to specific lines and costumes, such as references to Lady Gaga and the flannel-shirt-clad stage crew, effectively updating the show while maintaining its original themes and messages.

Full of both profound messages about the world of theater and subtle nuances, “6 Characters in Search of an Author” proves highly entertaining for such a modest production. The script keeps both viewers and actors on stage guessing until the very end, and the powerful performances of several main characters create a captivating energy. Audiences may walk out still confused about the truth of what happened in the story, but as the Director exclaims, “The truth? This is theater, the truth is what we say it is.”