Alec Walberg, freshman theatre major, and Katie Pelegrin, sophomore theatre major, act out a scene in which their characters reenact lines from a Shakespeare play at rehearsal for “Six Characters in Search of an Author” on Thursday in King Hall. The play is directed by Nathan Short, a student director, and starts at 7:30 p.m. from March 1-4 in the Bruder Theatre.
The production of “Six Characters in Search of an Author” debuted yesterday in the Karl C. Bruder Theatre in King Hall. It is the first full production Nathan Dale Short, senior theatre major, has directed.
“The play explores a lot of different themes,” Short said. “Like identity and perception versus reality.”
The play was originally written by Luigi Pirandello in 1929 and was an important play from the super realist movement of Italy. However, a modern adaptation written by Steve Moulds was chosen.
“It is Metatheatre, meaning the play is about itself,” said Jim Bartruff, director of theatre.
The action of the play, according to Bartruff, is set in real time in the theatre.
“The modern adaptation brings to a light a lot of new humor but also keeps the story very much dramatic,” Short said.
The play follows six characters who interrupt a rehearsal of actors and a director while in search of an author to write their play, which leads to confusion and surprise of the actors. The actors whose rehearsal is interrupted are played by themselves, while the characters are from an original, fictional universe.
Short volunteered to serve as director, after the play was chosen via committee made up of theatre students and faculty. The committee, according to Bartruff, deliberated and explored various titles to choose for the season. After going through the application process, Short was chosen by the committee to head the production.
“The greatest challenge (of directing) has been finding the balance between being a peer and being a director,” Short said. “It is a very thin line between that.”
Sydney Main, senior psychology major, who portrays the mother character in the play, said the greatest challenge was having to be off script a week after starting.
“Overall we did a good job buckling down and getting what we needed done,” Main said.
The play will feature two child actors, Julian Lerch Davila a sixth grader from Emporia Middle School and Rachele Dean, a sophomore from Emporia High School. Casting and directing child actors brought about a new challenge beyond simply directing a play, according to Short.
“It’s been rewarding, having to audition students from our school and other schools,” Short said. “The biggest thing has been balancing schedules. It has been challenging.”
The reward, according to Short, is being able to introduce younger students to college level theatre.
“Both of them wanted to be a part of this and I think it’s great that younger people want to get involved,” Main said.