Really Reality? - An Overview of Criticisms of Pirandello's "Six Characters in Search of an Author"... particularly the setting.

Reality? Illusion? William Shakespeare prophetically captures the essence of drama when he wrote, "All the world's a stage." When Pirandello's "Six Characters in Search of an Author" was first performed in 1921, it was far ahead of its time because the theme was so original and astonishing. Imagined but uncompleted characters burst into reality from Pirandello's creativity and verisimilitude - creating an appearance of reality. The setting of a theatre within a theatre explores the relationship …

…the audience(s) are the characters, then the stage must be the world. Lastly, Bentley sees drama as a "coming to life" because theatre signifies reality. Throughout the play, the sense of illusion versus reality is challenged. Overall, Pirandello is saying that the tradition of reality in the theater is false, but an attempt to its construction. Subject to self-interpretation, Pirandello leaves the audience with the same question I will ask you. What's really reality?