The Southwest Baptist University Theatre program opens the 2016-2017 season with “Six Characters in Search of an Author,” a play by Luigi Pirandello and adapted by Steve Moulds. The show will be presented at 7 p.m. Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in the Davis-Newport Theater on the Bolivar campus.
“‘Six Characters in Search of an Author’ is one of theatre's most unique and challenging
pieces, both for the performer and for the audience,” said Jonathan Wehmeyer, theatre
instructor and director of the play. “It constantly questions our reality and the
role that theatre and storytelling play in our lives."
Six fictional characters, abandoned by their creator, invade a rehearsal in progress and demand to be brought to life by a new author. However, the character's existential agenda collides with the career ambitions of these theatre artists. This intimate adaptation of Pirandello's absurdist classic foregrounds the comedic contrast between the life-or-death melodrama of the characters and the free-wheeling farce of the acting company – all while asking us to consider just what we believe to be real.
"Even though the play asks some tough questions and deals with some heavy themes, I think that this will just be fuel for a great post-show discussion we will be hosting at Kaldi's Coffee on the SBU campus following the performance each night," Wehmeyer said.
Prior to the performance on Sept. 29, there will be a 20-30-minute pre-show talk at 6 p.m. given by faculty members Carla Kirchner, Todd Sukany and Curtis Goss from SBU’s Department of Language and Literature. “Whose Words Are These?: Three Writers on Authorship” will address issues of authorship connected with issues addressed in the performance.
Tickets are $8 for general admission, $5 for SBU alumni, senior citizens, and other students, and $3 for SBU students and children. Tickets may be purchased at the Box Office in Jester Learning and Performing Center, over the phone at (417) 328-1691, or online at https://www.sbuniv.edu/theatre.
For more information about the production and SBU Theatre, contact Wehmeyer at (417) 328-1954 or jwehmeyer@SBUniv.edu.