SDSU Theatre’s “Six Characters in Search of an Author” blurs the lines between performers and audience

‘Six Characters in Search of an Author’ “is unlike anything else you’re going to find on San Diego stages right now,” said play director Dr. Katie Turner, a theatre lecturer at San Diego State University.

From the puppets to the custom 3D-printed masks, to the earpieces for the audience, this show challenges the conventional norms of theatre and intertwines cultural messages within the performance.

The play, presented by the School of Theatre, Television, and Film, runs on the Prebys Stage Friday, Feb. 21 through Sunday, Mar. 2. Performances are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. 

“It’s interactive, it’s funny, it’s serious and it asks some very provocative questions about our relationship to art and media at a time when we are all consuming so much media,” Turner said.

The play, by Luigi Pirandello, tells the story of a fantastical cast of “characters” from an unfinished play that have come to a theatre in hopes of having their story completed. When the “characters” make their case, the theatre director sees the potential of their strange drama and instructs his company to begin staging it.

“Prepping for this play has been one of the most fun and challenging things I’ve ever done,” said Braxton Bell, a cast member and fourth-year theatre arts performance major at SDSU. “I play one of the six characters who are masked in the show, so to prepare for this, the entire cast did a mask workshop to learn how to act while wearing a mask.”

Bell said the audience's point of view will be from three sides of the stage, rather than just the traditional, single front-facing view. This has proven to be another fun challenge for Bell, as he must make sure to include all sides of the audience as he plays his role of The Father.

The play has a cast of 22 people, larger than most shows, and with the majority of them being on stage most of the time, it prompts some improvisation from the actors.

“Improvisational acting is one of my specialties since I love to see actors really digging into that,” said Turner, who said improvisation gives the actors the opportunity to make “very touching choices” on stage.

One of the most out-of-the-ordinary aspects of the show is that 12 audience chairs will be located on stage and actors will interact with the people in those seats during the play. Additionally, audience members will be able to use earpieces to listen to what members of the ensemble are saying when they improvise, allowing viewers to experience the stage in its entirety.

“‘Six Characters in Search of an Author’ is a play for everybody,” Bell said. “It’s funny, it’s heartfelt, and full of drama. The entire cast and crew are putting so much work into the show, and the sense of community that this piece is creating is extremely important.”

Kelan Yang, a graduate student at SDSU in the MFA program for Design and Technology with an emphasis in costuming, is working as the costume designer for the show, bringing her unique and creative talents to this outside-the-box production.

Yang’s “ideas for the characters and the mask designs especially are going to make this a visually stunning production, so it’s been a pleasure to collaborate in that process and see her designs come to life,” Turner said.

On Sunday, Feb. 23, immediately after the matinee performance, Arts Alive SDSU will present “Reality vs. Illusion in Media,” a panel discussion exploring how media shapes perception, disinformation, and the challenges of distinguishing truth from fiction. The panel will feature insights from Turner, Media Studies Professor Noah Arceneaux, Online Learning Librarian Rebecca Nowicki, Theatre Professor Shelley Orr, and Danielle Mages Amato: a literary manager at The Old Globe and guest lecturer for THEA 515 Dramaturg.

Panelists will discuss topics such as how easily people can be manipulated by images and videos and what social responsibilities content creators will have going forward to present accurate and true information in this rapidly changing media landscape.

“What I’ve loved about being a part of this show is its central theme of what is fake, and what is reality,” Bell said. “This is a great topic to look at today, especially when it comes to media literacy. This is an old text, but it still is extremely relevant to the world we are living in today.”

SDSU’s interpretation of this classic, originally written and performed in 1921, will bring new ideas to the table that no other production has done before, according to Turner, and she encourages people to come enjoy the show and be part of theatre history with them.

For more information on the play or to purchase tickets, visit the PSFA website.