Six Characters Looking for an Author

by Luigi Pirandello, translated by David Harrower

Day. A theatre stage. Curtain up as audience enter. Stage dark and empty, without wings or
flats so immediately from the start the impression of an improvised performance is given.

Two sets of steps from auditorium to stage, on either side. On stage, the hood removed from
the prompter's box, standing beside it.

Downstage, a table and the Director's chair. Two other tables, one with chairs around it ready
for rehearsal. More chairs scattered around right and left for the actors. Upstage, almost
hidden from view, a piano.

When the house lights go down a Technician enters, begins nailing some lengths of wood
together. At the sound of this, the Stage Manager enters quickly from direction of the dressing
rooms.

Stage Manager What're you doing?

Technician What's it look like?

Stage Manager It's half ten. The director's going to be here any minute.

Technician So when'm I supposed to do this?

Stage Manager Not now. There'll be time later.

Technician When?

Stage Manager When the rehearsal's over. Clear this away, c'mon. I've to set up for Act Two.

The Technician gathers his stuff, leaves. The company members drift in, in ones and twos, in
all, nine or ten, to rehearse Pirandello's The Rules of the Game. They greet each other and the
Stage Manager. Some go off to the dressing room, others, including the Assistant Stage
Manager holding the script, stand about talking. One has a cigarette, another complains about
his part, another reads out something from a theatrical paper. At some point, one of the actors
could start playing the piano, with others joining in.

Stage Manager All right. Enough. He's here.

Music stops. The Director enters down the central aisle of the auditorium, on to the stage.
4
Director Can we have more light? I can't see a thing in here.

The Stage Manager goes out. After a moment, the right-hand side of the stage where the
company are is lit by a bright white light.

Director Let's make a start then. Are we all here?

Stage Manager The leading lady.

Director No surprise there. (Looks at his watch.) We're running ten minutes late already.
Remind me to have a word with her, will you?

Before he's finished his reprimand, the Lead Woman's voice is heard from the back of the
auditorium.

Lead Woman Here I am. Here I am.

Director You always like to keep us waiting, don't you?

Lead Woman I'm sorry. I couldn't find a taxi anywhere.

Director Right then. The Rules of the Game. Act Two. Who's on?

The Actors go to sit on one side, leaving the three who are to begin rehearsing.

Director You're on, are you?

Lead Woman No. No, I'm not.

Director Then get off, for God's sake.

Assistant Stage Manager Leone Gala's house. A dining room-cum-study. A table and a
desk. A bookshelf. Door at the back. Door stage left goes into the kitchen. The hall is on the
right.

Director OK? The hall there. The kitchen this side. (To the Lead Man, playing Socrates.)
You'll enter and exit from there. (To the Stage Manager.) We'll need a flat at the back and
some curtains.
5
Assistant Stage Manager Scene One. Leone Gala, Guido Venanzi, Filippo, known as
Socrates. D'you want me to read the stage directions?

Director Yes, yes.

Assistant Stage Manager When the curtain goes up Leone, in an apron and chef's hat, is
beating an egg in a bowl. Filippo, also in a chef's outfit, is beating another egg. Guido sits,
listening.

Lead Man Do I have to wear a chef's hat?

Director That's what it says here.

Lead Man It just feels a bit stupid.

Director Stupid? Is it my fault there are no good plays any more and we're reduced to putting
on plays by Pirandello which you have to be a genius to understand? Writing that no
actors, critics or audience ever enjoy?

The Actors laugh. The Director shouts to Lead Man.

Director Yes, a chef's hat! And you beat the eggs. And if you think you're only beating the
eggs because you've nothing else to do, you're not. I want you to act the shells of those
eggs you're beating. (Laughter again.) Quiet! Listen to me when I'm giving notes. The shell
of the egg stands for reason, emptied of the yolk of instinct, blind instinct. It's a game of
assigned roles. You're reason, your wife's instinct, and you, by accepting that role, become
the puppet of yourself. D'you see?
Lead Man No.

Director No, neither do I. Let's just get on with it. We'll get to the end quicker. Just make sure
to play it out. With the abstruseness of the dialogue and not being heard by the audience,
we'll be done for. All right. Let's start.

An Usher enters the auditorium, approaches the stage, to inform the Director of the arrival of
the Six Characters, who follow behind him, looking around lost and perplexed. The Six
Characters mustn't look like ghosts but like real people who have been created, immutable 6
products of the imagination and therefore more real and consistent than the naturalness of the
Actors. Each has the facial expression of their particular predominating emotion. The Father
remorse, the Stepdaughter revenge, the Son scorn, the Mother sorrow.

Usher Excuse me.

Director What is it?

Usher There's some people here asking to see you.

The Director and Actors look down into the auditorium.

Director I'm rehearsing. No one is allowed in. Who are you? What d'you want?

The Father comes forward, followed by the others.

Father Sir, we are trying to find an author.

Director An author? Which author?

Father Any author will do.

Director There's no author here. We're not rehearsing a new play.

Stepdaughter (stepping on to the stage) Then we will be your new play.

Father But he said there's no author … (To Director.) Unless you would be prepared to …

The Mother, holding the Girl's hand, and the Boy, climb on to the lower steps of the stage.
The Son hangs back, sullenly.

Director Is this a joke?

Father No. The opposite, in fact. It is a tragedy we've brought to you.

Stepdaughter We'll make you a lot of money!

Director I want you to leave. I haven't time to listen to this insanity.

7
Father But you must know that life can be full of the most strange occurrences, that make no
sense whatsoever. In fact, do not need to make sense, precisely because they are true.

Director What're you talking about?

Father It is what your profession does – the opposite. It takes recognisable situations and
seeks to present them as the truth. You lie the truth. That could also be viewed as insanity.

Director So we're insane, are we?

Father You endeavour to make what isn't true true. You bring imaginary characters to life on
stage. And not because you have to, but purely for entertainment's sake.

Director The actor's profession is a noble one. Even if nowadays playwrights give us
nonsensical plays with puppets instead of real people in them. We have staged some of
the great works here.

The Actors applaud the Director.

Father Exactly. You bring characters to life. Not so real, of course, as living, breathing people
– but more true. We are talking of the exact same thing!

Director But you said …

Father No, excuse me, I said it because you shouted you had no time to waste on insanity.
But surely you of all people must know that the human imagination is nature's way of
pushing her creation on to greater achievements.

Director What exactly's the point of all this?

Father None. Only to show you that we can be born, we can come to life in many different
ways. As a tree, a stone, water or a butterfly … Or a woman. Or as a character.

Director You – all of you – you were all born as characters?

8
Father That is it exactly. Born alive, as you see us now.

The Director and the Company burst out laughing.

Father This is not a laughing matter. We hold within us a tragedy. Can you not see that? Look
at this woman. Deep in mourning.

Holds out his hand to the Mother, leads her solemnly across the stage. The Boy and the Girl
follow. The Son also, but he stands apart from them. The Stepdaughter remains on her own.
The Actors watch, momentarily mesmerised by them, and break into applause.

Director Quiet. Stop. (To the Characters.) Go. All of you. Clear the stage. (To Stage
Manager.) Will you get them out of here!

Stage Manager C'mon. Out.

Father No. Wait …

Director (shouting) We are trying to work here!

Lead Man Have you no respect?

Father (determined) I am amazed you don't believe me. Do you not yourselves bring
characters created by a playwright to life? Is it only because we are not in any text?

Stepdaughter We are six fascinating characters, believe me. Even if we are rejects.

Father Rejects, yes, because the author who created each of us lost the will – or did not have
enough talent – to form us into a work of art. And I find that criminal – because someone
who has the luck to be born a living character can laugh at death. They will never die. The
author, the creator, will die but never the character. They don't even have to have special
 powers or work miracles. What did Vanya ever do? Miss Julie? But because they had the
good fortune to begin life in the creative imagination of an author who cared for them, who
raised them, they will live for ever.
9
Director What is it you want?

Father To live!

Director For ever?

Father No. For only a moment. Through you.

Actor Hear that?

Lead Woman They're wanting to live through us … ?

Young Male (points to Stepdaughter) I'll have first go at her.

Father The play still needs to be written. We could work it out between ourselves now, if you
and your company are agreed to it.

Director We don't work anything 'out'. We stage drama here. Comedies and tragedies.

Father That's precisely why we've come to you!

Director And where's the script?

Father Here. In me. (Actors laugh.) The drama is in us. The drama is us. And we need to act
it out, the passion inside of us drives us to perform it.

Stepdaughter Oh, if you only knew my passion – for him!

Makes as if to embrace the Father, then bursts out into a piercing laugh.

Father Stay out of this! And stop that laugh!

Stepdaughter Ladies and gentlemen, it's only been two months since my poor father died.
Let me show you how I can sing and dance.

She spitefully hums, then dances, singing.

Les chinois sont un peuple malin

De Shanghai à Pekin,
Ils ont mis des écriteaux partout
Prenez garde à Tchou-Tchin-Tchou! 10

As she sings, the Actors, particularly the younger ones, move towards her as if drawn by a
strange power. The Company applauds her. She remains aloof and withdrawn.

Company Bravo! Very good! Lovely!

Director Quiet! (Takes the Father to one side.) Is she mad?

Father Worse than mad.

Stepdaughter Oh, I'm worse than mad. I'm much, much worse than mad. Let us show this
drama to you, then you'll see how I … When this little angel here … (Takes the Girl's
 hand.) Isn't she beautiful? My little darling. Who's taken by God from that poor mother. And
this stupid fool here … (grabs Boy) goes and does the most stupid thing. Then I leave, not
before time. I run and I keep on running. And believe me, I can't wait for that moment. After
what happened between him and me – that very personal thing … (Winks at the Father.) I
can't stand being around them, any of them, having to watch her being tormented by that
creep there … (Indicates Son.) Look at him! The legitimate son who couldn't care less
about her. And nothing but contempt for me, for him … (the Boy) or for the child there
because we're all bastards. He refuses to acknowledge his own mother, the mother of all of
us. Just looks down on her – all she is is the mother of three bastards. Sadist.

Mother (to Director) I beg you. For the sake of these two … (She wavers, about to faint.) Oh
God …

Director (rushes to support her) Someone get a chair.

Actor Is she really fainting?

Director A chair!

A chair's brought. The Actors gather round in concern. Seated, the Mother tries to stop the
Father from lifting her veil.

Father Look at her. Look at her.

11
Mother No. Don't …

Father Let them look at you!

He lifts her veil.

Mother (rising, covering her face) Stop him doing this. Please … I beg you. Don't let him to
do this. It's unbearable.

Director (bewildered) What's going on? I don't understand. Is she your wife?

Father Yes. My wife.

Director How can she be a widow then? You're alive!

The Company laugh out loud.

Father Don't laugh! Do not laugh at us! That is what her tragedy is. There was another man.
A man who should be here.

Mother No! No!

Stepdaughter Like I've told you already. He died two months ago. That's who we're in
mourning for.

Father But he's not here – not because he's dead – because … Look at her, you'll
understand. Two men loved her but she felt nothing for either of them. She's incapable of
love. All she showed was a small bit of gratitude and not to me, to the other man. She is
not a woman, she is a mother. Her tragedy, her great tragedy, is these four children she
has had by two men.

Mother I had them? You have the gall to say I had them? As if I had a choice. It was him. He
made me. He forced me to go off with that other man.
Stepdaughter (indignantly) That is not true!

Mother (astonished) What do you mean it's not true!

Stepdaughter It's not true. It's not true!

Mother What do you know about it?

12
Stepdaughter (to Director) Don't believe her! D'you know why she's saying this? (Points to
the Son.) For his sake. Because it's eating away at her, how much he doesn't care – it's
destroying her. She wants him to believe that she abandoned him at two years old because
he forced her to. (Points to the Father.)

Mother He did force me to! As God is my witness. (To Director.) Ask him if it's not true. Get
him to tell you! (To Stepdaughter.) You know nothing about it.

Stepdaughter I know you lived perfectly happily with my father till the day he died. You can't
deny that.

Mother I'm not denying it …

Stepdaughter He cared for you. (To the Boy.) It's true, isn't it? Say something, you stupid …

Mother Leave him alone! Why are you trying to make me sound ungrateful? I'm not criticising
your father. What I am saying is I did not walk out on him (the Father) and my son. I would
never have done that.

Father It's true. It was me.

Pause.

Lead Man This is some performance.

Lead Woman A bit melodramatic, isn't it?

Director Let's listen to this.

He walks down into the auditorium, stands facing the stage to watch from the audience's
viewpoint.

Son Yes. Listen to his great philosophising.

Father I'm sick of your cynicism. How many times have I told you? (To the Director.) He's
sneering at how I choose to explain my actions.

Son (scornfully) Words …

13
Father Words! Words! Doesn't everyone grab at them? Words that say nothing but can still
bring comfort to you.

Stepdaughter And let's not forget remorse.

Father Remorse? No. Words are not enough to stop my remorse.

Stepdaughter Money can help, though, can't it? Oh yes. Like the hundred lire, ladies and
gentlemen, he was going to offer me in payment.
The Actors are horrified.

Son (to Stepdaughter) That is sadistic.

Stepdaughter Sadistic? It was there, a hundred lire, in a pale blue envelope on a small
mahogany table in the back room of Madame Pace's shop. You know what I'm talking
about. The kind of woman who, under the pretence of selling glamorous clothes, entices
girls from good but poor families to work for her.

Son She thinks she can hold us all to ransom with that hundred lire he was going to pay —
which he had no cause, no cause whatsoever, to pay.

Stepdaughter Still, he came near enough. (Bursts out laughing.)

Mother Are you not ashamed of yourself!

Stepdaughter Ashamed? This is my revenge! I'm dying to relive that scene! The dresses, the
couch, the mirror and near the window, the table with the envelope with one hundred lire
inside it. I can see it so clearly. You should turn away, ladies and gentlemen. I don't have
much on. But I'm not blushing – leave that to him. (Indicates Father.) I was so pale then.
So pale. (To Director.) Believe me.

Director I'm totally lost here …

14
Father I don't blame you. After an attack like that. Let me speak. She desperately wants you
to believe that about me. Hear what I have to say.

Stepdaughter We're not here to tell stories!

Father This isn't a story. I'm going to explain to him.

Stepdaughter Explaining in your own way!

The Director comes back on to the stage to get things in order.

Father It's words – that's where all the trouble lies. Everyone has their own special world
inside of them, their own way of seeing the world. How then can we understand each other
when the words that I use to speak are full of my meaning of the world and the person who
is listening to me, inevitably, has their own world inside of them, attaches their own
meaning to my words. We think we understand each other – we don't really. (Indicates
Mother.) This woman, all the pity I have for this woman she takes to be a form of cruelty.

Mother But you drove me out.

Father You see! I drove her out. That's what she believes.

Mother He's good at talking; I'm not. Believe me, after he married me … who knows why? I
was a poor, simple woman.

Father That is precisely why I did marry you – your simplicity …

He sees she's attempting to contradict him; opens his arms in desperation at how impossible it
is to be understood by her; turns to Director.

See. She denies it. Because she is deaf – mentally deaf. A heart, yes, for her children, but
her mind is deaf, deaf to a frightening degree.
15
Stepdaughter But ask him how lucky we were to have his intelligence.

Father If we could only foresee the bad we do, when we think we're trying to do good.

Lead Woman notices the flirting between Lead Man and Stepdaughter.

Lead Woman Excuse me. What happened to our rehearsal?

Director I want to hear this to the end.

Actor It's fascinating, isn't it?

Lead Woman If you like that kind of thing.

Director Go on. I want to understand this better.

Father I had a man working for me, a clerk, an honest, simple man who fell in love with her.
They were very similar; they had an understanding, I could tell that. But there was no
bitterness, neither of them did any wrong, nor I would say did they even think it.

Stepdaughter So he thought of it for them!

Father That is not true. What I did was for their own good – and I admit, mine. It had got to
the point that whenever I said anything to either of them, they'd be glancing at each other,
giving each other understanding looks, as they attempted to keep me in good humour. And
that only exasperated me more. I was in a constant rage.

Director Why didn't you just tell him to go?

Father I did. I threw him out. Then I had to watch her wandering around the house, lost, like
an abandoned pet that you take in out of pity.

Mother Yes.

Father (to the Mother) It's true about the son, though.

Mother He took my son away from me.

16
Father Not out of cruelty. I wanted him to grow up, healthy and strong, in the country.

Stepdaughter And you can tell it really worked …

Father Is it my fault he's turned out like this! I had him brought up by a foster mother because
I didn't think she had strength enough to raise him, even though it's what her background
prepares her for. That is the reason I married her. It must sound strange, I know. What can
you do? In my life, I have always striven to achieve a certain moral standard.

Stepdaughter laughs wildly.

Father Stop it! Stop! I can't stand that laugh.

Director Quiet. Let me listen to this.

Father I could not be with this woman – not because of the tedium, the sense of suffocation I
felt – because of the compassion, the concern I felt for her.

Mother So he sent me away!

Father Well provided for. To that man. For her to be free.

Mother And to free yourself.

Father Yes. To free myself. But the consequences were horrific. I meant well. I swear it was
for her good I did it, more than mine. (Addresses the Mother.) Did I ever lose touch? Did I?
Until he moved you all away to another town, suspicious of my interest in them. I was only
keeping an eye on her and her new family. There was no ulterior motive. Tell them.

Stepdaughter I was only a child, pigtails down my back, in my little girl's knickers, and he'd
be there outside the school, keeping an eye on me, growing up …

Father That is an outrageous thing to say! That is vile!

Stepdaughter Why?
17
Father After she'd gone the house felt deserted. (Indicates the Mother.) It had been a
nightmare before but at least there was someone there. I was alone. I couldn't keep still. I
paced in and out of every room. (Indicates Son.) And then he returned – but he wasn't my
son any more. We had nothing in common, intellectually or emotionally. And so – and it will
sound strange – but I began to take an interest in this new family, that I had, in a way,
brought together. Thinking about them stopped the emptiness I felt. I had to know that she
was happy, enjoying every day as it came, well away from my tormented thoughts. To
reassure myself, I would go to watch her as a little girl, going home after school.

Stepdaughter And follow me home from school! Yes! I tried not to look – I didn't know who
he was. He'd smile and wave at me. I told my mother about him – she must have known at
once. She kept me away from school for more than a week. But guess who was there
again when I went back? Standing there, looking stupid, holding a big paper parcel. It was
a straw hat and he patted me and gave it to me. A straw hat with rosebuds on it.

Director Stop. This is nothing to do with theatre …

Father Agreed. This is the background. This will not be staged. She's not that little girl any
more …

Stepdaughter With pigtails and little girl's knickers …

Father The drama starts now.

Stepdaughter (serious, fierce) When my father dies …

Father (interrupting) They came back to the city but I had no idea. It was her, her stupidity.
(Indicates the Mother.) She's barely able to write, but she could've got her or that boy to
contact me and let me know the trouble they were in.

Mother How was I to know he suddenly had all these fine feelings?

Father That was always your problem. You never knew what I was feeling.
18
Mother After all that time and all that had happened …

Father Was it my fault he moved all of you away? (To Director.) He'd got a job somewhere
else, I couldn't trace them and so I gave up. It's when they return, that's when the drama
explodes. I still had needs. The torment of physical needs. I was not old enough to do
without a woman and not young enough to go out and look for one, without feeling
ashamed. It's horrific when a man realises that no woman will ever love him again. He
 should accept that. But then each of us knows that behind our dignified outward
appearance lie many unspeakable thoughts. We give in to temptation, then afterwards, pull
ourselves back up to our full height, full of dignity again, like a tombstone on a grave,
concealing every trace of our shame, every memory of it. It's the same with everybody.
Only no one has the courage to say it.

Stepdaughter They have the courage to do it, though, don't they?

Father Yes, they do. But in secret. That's why it takes all the more courage to admit it –
because you're labelled a cynic. But it's not true. I'm the same as everybody else, better
even, because I'm not afraid to reveal, with the light of intelligence, my own human needs,
which shame shuts its eyes to, so as not to see. Take a woman, for example. What does
she do? Leads you on with her eyes. So you put your arms around her, you hold her and
her eyes close. It's the sign of surrender. It says, 'I'm blind. Now you be blind.'

Stepdaughter And what about when she can't keep them closed any longer? When she
doesn't need to hide from her shame and can look straight at him, the man who's made
himself blind even without love. It makes you sick, all these intellectual theories that go on
about the beast inside a man and then want to excuse it, want to redeem him. I can't stand
it. Life reduced in that way, like an animal, all the human restraints got rid of – hope,
feeling, idealism, duty, modesty, shame – nothing sickens me more than their fake tears of 19
remorse.

Director Can we please get to the point?

Father A sack won't stand up when it's empty – the same with this. To make it stand up it has
to be filled with the reasons and the feelings that caused it. I didn't know that after the
man's death, they returned in dire poverty and to feed the children she went to work as a
dressmaker for Madame Pace.

Stepdaughter An expert dressmaker herself, you might like to know. To all appearances she
caters for society women but how it actually works is that they're at her service. She
doesn't have to trouble the ordinary girls.

Mother Believe me, I never knew that hag employed me only because she had her eye on
my daughter …

Stepdaughter Poor Mummy. When I took her dresses back to Madame Pace she said it was
shoddy work and docked money from her wages. So while she sat up all night sewing,
believing she was sacrificing herself for our good, it was really me who was keeping us.

Gestures and exclamations from the Actors.

Director And it was there, in that room, you met …

Stepdaughter Yes. Him. A valued customer. D'you see now what a scene this will be!

Father When she, the Mother, enters …

Stepdaughter Too late … !

Father (shouting) No! In time! She got there in time! And I recognised her in time! And I took
all of them back into my home. So imagine what it's like now, between the two of us. You
see how she is. I can't look her in the face.
20
Stepdaughter He wants me to behave like a well-brought-up young lady, virtue intact, after
that? After that shining example of his 'moral standards'?
Father This is a central point – this belief we are one person. We are not. We are many
people. We're one way with somebody, an entirely different way for somebody else. Yet we
go on believing, in everything we do, that we are just being ourselves, the same person we
always are. It is not true! And when we are caught in a certain act, when others insist on
seeing us in just one light we begin to realise how unjust it is. Our whole existence cannot
be summed up because of something that took place once. She is the sadist now. She
caught me in a place where she should not have known me, just as I should have been
nothing to her. And now that one shameful but brief moment is all I am. My only reality. This
gives a huge weight to the drama. But, there is also the situation of the others. His …

Son Leave me out of this. It's got nothing to do with me!

Father What do you mean?

Son I'm not going to be dragged into this. I don't belong with any of you.

Stepdaughter We're too common! He's too good for us! But watch, whenever I look at him –
in disgust – he turns away. Because he knows what he's done to me.

Son (avoiding her gaze) Me?

Stepdaughter Yes, you! I went on the streets because of you!

The Actors are horrified.

Stepdaughter All he showed us was contempt. No welcome, no hospitality. We were

intruders invading his kingdom. I wish you'd seen some of our scenes. He calls me a
manipulator but I had every right to live in that house. She's my mother as well as his.
21
Son It's easy for them to all stand against me. But imagine a son, in his own home, minding
his own business, suddenly being confronted by her. She asked to see my father –
wouldn't say why. Then she's back again, dragging that girl along with her, shameless as
ever, demanding money from my father, saying it was his duty to give it to her.

Father It was. My duty to your mother.

Son How was I to know that? I'd never seen my mother. You never talked about her. And the
next day she's there, with her and the children and I get told 'By the way, this is your
mother'. I had an idea why they'd moved in all of a sudden from the way she was carrying
on … (Indicates Stepdaughter.) What I'm feeling right now, what I'm going through, I can't
tell you. I don't want to tell you. It's a dark secret I don't even want to share with myself. So
no action can happen from me. I'm a character who's not 'realised' enough – and I hate
being in their company. So just leave me out of it.

Father It's because you are like this that …

Son What do you know about the way I am? When did you ever once think about me?

Father I admit it. But this is also part of the story. This coldness you have, it pains me and
your mother. She returns home, and sees you almost for the first time, a grown man. You
are her son and she doesn't know a thing about you. Look at her crying.

Stepdaughter (angrily) Like a fool.

Father He says it's nothing to do with him but the action turns on him. Look at the boy there,
clinging to her. That's because of him. His situation is the worst of all of us. He thinks he's
been taken in out of charity. He's like his father. Silent, uncomplaining …
Director I don't want any children. They can be a nightmare on stage.
22
Father He won't be on for long. Or her. She's the first to go, in fact.

Director All right. This is interesting … There's some good material here. There could be a
play in it.

Stepdaughter With a character like me!

Father (pushing her away, anxious for the Director's decision) Quiet!

Director You've got some nerve, haven't you? Bringing this to me like this …

Father You understand – us being born for the stage …

Director Are you an amateur group?

Father No. Born because …

Director You must have acted before, come on.

Father No. We play only the part each of us has been given or which others give us in life. In
my case, passion, that at times, when I am pronouncing on things, can become theatrical
…

Director I could put you in touch with an author …

Father No. You do it.

Director I have never written a play! I don't write plays!

Father You can do it now. It's simple. All of us are here, in front of you, alive.

Director It needs more than that …

Father You can watch us right here, living out our tragedy.

Director But you still need somebody to write the thing.

Father We only need someone to listen and write each scene down. We will make a rough
outline and then run through it.
23
Director (tempted; coming back on to the stage) I don't know … I really don't know … We
could give it a shot …

Father I can talk through the scenes to you right now.

Director Alright. Come with me to my office. Take a tea break, everyone. Back here in twenty
minutes. (To the Father.) We'll have a go. You never know. Something might just come out
of it.

Father (indicating other Characters) They should come with us too.

Director All right. All of you come with me.

The Director and the Six Characters leave. Actors left looking at each other, bemused.
Lead Man Is he serious? Where's he going?

Young Male He's lost it.

Actor He's not wanting us to improvise, is he?

Lead Woman Not me. Wasn't in my contract.

Actor Who the hell are they?

Young Male He's actually going to sit and listen to them?

Young Female He's wanting to be an author now. Along with everything else.

Lead Woman I don't believe this. We're meant to be rehearsing.

Actor Might be a laugh, you never know.

The Actors leave.

The Actors, the Stage Manager, the Assistant Stage Manager (ASM), and the Technician
enter on to the stage, appearing from the direction of the dressing rooms, the stage door, the
auditorium. At the same time, the Director and the Six Characters emerge from the
Director's room.
24
Director All right. Are we all here? Let's make a start. I want the scene set for the back room
of Madame Pace's shop. Two wings and a back flat with a door in it.

The Technician runs off. The Director begins to outline the show to the others.

Director We need a sofa as well.

Stage Manager We've got that green one.

Stepdaughter No, not green! It was yellow, with flowers on it, a great big thing.

Stage Manager We've nothing like that.

Director Doesn't matter. We'll use the green one.

Stepdaughter Of course it matters! This is Madame Pace's famous sofa!

Director And this is only a rehearsal. Calm down. (To Stage Manager.) See if you can find a
display case as well.

Stepdaughter The table – the mahogany table for the pale blue envelope.

Father A mirror.

Stepdaughter And a screen! I need a screen.

Director And some hatstands, is that right?

Stepdaughter Yes.

Director See what you can find and bring it all in.
The Stage Manager leaves. The Director continues talking to the Six Characters and the
Actors. The props are brought on and he places them where he thinks they should be.

Director (to ASM) As they play each scene, try to get the dialogue down – or at least the
most important lines. (To Actors. Clear the stage, ladies and gentlemen. And watch
closely.)

Lead Woman I'm sorry, but I …

25
Director Don't worry. I won't be asking you to improvise.

Lead Man What do you want us to do then?

Director For now, just watch and listen. Then you'll all get your written parts. We're just going
to do a rough rehearsal. Or they are. (Indicates the Characters.)

Father What do you mean a rehearsal?

Director A rehearsal. A rehearsal for them. (Indicates Actors.)

Father But we are the characters …

Director I know you're 'the characters', but characters don't act. Actors act. The characters
are in the script. When there is a script …

Father Precisely! There's no need of a script. The characters are here, alive, in front of you
…

Director You want to do everything yourselves? To act in front of an audience?

Father Just as we are.

Director Oh, that would be something …

Lead Man And we just stand around in the background?

Director So suddenly you know how to act now? (Laughs with the Actors.) You know how to
make us laugh. So we have to give out the parts. It's pretty straightforward. (To Second
Actress.) If you, my love, take the Mother. (To Father.) Now, we need a name for her.

Father Amalia.

Director But that's your wife's real name, isn't it? We can't use that.

Father Why not? It's her name … Oh, I see, if she's going to play her … (Indicates Second
Actress.) I see her as the Mother. (Indicates Mother.) Do what you want. I don't know 26
what to say to you … I'm starting to feel my words are … I don't know. They sound false.
They sound different.

Director Don't worry. We'll find the right tone. And if you want Amalia, it's Amalia – or we'll
find another name. (To Young Male.) You be the son. (To Lead Woman.) You, the
stepdaughter.

Stepdaughter (laughs) She's playing me?

Director What's so funny about that?

Lead Woman Don't laugh at me. Alright? Or I walk out of here.

Stepdaughter I'm not laughing at you. It's me. I can't see myself in you, that's all. You don't
look anything like me.

Father That's precisely it! Our way of expressing ourselves, you see, is unique …

Director Unique? No. It's material to us, the way you express yourselves. The actors take it
and make it their own. They'll give it a shape and a form. They've done the same with much
better material – if yours manages to stand up on stage, it'll be because of my actors.

Father I'm sure that's the case. But I have to tell you that it is agony for us to be like this, the
way you see us – these bodies, these faces …

Director Make-up will sort that out.

Father And our voices, our gestures …

Director Stop! An actor will play you. Here, you cannot be you! Now let's move on!

Father I'm beginning to realise why our author, who saw us alive, didn't want to put us on the
stage. I don't want to offend your actors but to see myself played by …
27
Lead Man By me. If that's all right with you.

Father It is an honour. But it doesn't matter how much understanding or ability you put into
trying to become me, you will …

Lead Man I will what?

Father Even if you are made up to look like me, you're so tall, it will not be me as I am. It will
be a version of me, of how you think it feels to be me. And whoever's going to watch this
should be aware of that.

Director He's thinking of the reviews already! Forget them. They can say what they like. All
we should be thinking about is making this play work. Is that the scene set? Out of the way
so I can see. (To Stepdaughter.) What d'you think?

Stepdaughter Doesn't look much like it to me.

Director For God's sake, we can't get it identical! The room was white, I know, and the
wallpaper wasn't striped, it had a flower pattern, but this's as good as you'll get for now.
Can you bring that table downstage a bit? And an envelope for him. (Indicates Father.) A
pale blue envelope if it's at all possible … Now. First scene's the young woman. (Lead
Woman steps forward.) No, my darling, not you. I meant her. You watch for now.

Stepdaughter How I live it.

Lead Woman Once I'm up there, I'll know how to live it too, don't you worry.

Director Quiet! First scene is young woman and Madame Pace. We don't have a Madame
Pace.

Father She's not with us.

Director What do we do then?

Father
But she is alive. She too is alive.

Director Where?
28
Father I'll see what I can do. (To Actresses.) Would you lend me your hats for one moment?

Actresses Our hats … ?

Director What d'you need those for?

Father To hang them here. And could I perhaps have some coats?

Actors Coats as well?

Why?

Father To hang them up for a moment also. Please.

The Actresses hang up their hats and coats.

Director What's this for?

Father To recreate her surroundings, then perhaps, drawn by the objects of her trade, she
may join us … (Points to door in back flat) Watch. Look!

The door opens and Madame Pace steps forward, garishly dressed. The Actors and Director
move back, staring at this apparition. The Stepdaughter goes to her, respectfully, as towards
an employer.

Stepdaughter This is Madame Pace.

Father (beaming) Didn't I tell you? I told you she was here.

Director What the hell's going on here?

Lead Man Where did she come from?

Young Female They were keeping her back till the right moment.

Lead Woman Some entrance.

Father Tell me, why do you want to ruin this miracle with your own vulgar truth? She is a
reality formed by the scene itself and she has more right to life than any of you. Because
she is truer than any of you. Who's going to play Madame Pace? Which one of you? The
actress will be nowhere near as true as this woman in front of us now. Look at my 29
daughter. She knew who it was at once. Now watch. Watch what happens between them.

The scene between the Stepdaughter and Madame Pace begins. They speak very quietly, in
a way that could never be done on stage. The Actors, watching Madame Pace, who has put
her hand under the Stepdaughter's chin to raise her head, strain to listen for a moment, then
give up.

Director Well?

Lead Man What're they saying?

Lead Woman Can't hear a thing.

Young Male Louder!

Stepdaughter (moving towards the Actors) Louder? You can't say these things out loud! I
only shouted before to humiliate him … (Indicates Father.) My revenge. I can't shout at
Madame Pace – it could incriminate her.

Director But we have to hear you! We can't hear you and we're on the stage! You'll have to
project more. It's just the two of you, alone in the back of the shop. Talk as loud as you
want.

Stepdaughter indicates 'no'.

Director What d'you mean, no?

Stepdaughter There's someone outside who'll hear us if she … (indicates Madame Pace)
speaks too loud.

Director No one else is going to appear, are they?

Father She means me. I am behind the door and Madame Pace knows it. I'll take my place.

Director (stopping him) Hang on. Wait. First …

Stepdaughter He has to be there now! I'm dying to live this scene. I've been waiting for it.
30
Director But we have to know what's gone on between you and her first! Do you not
understand that?

Stepdaughter You know that already. My mother's done a shoddy job, the dress is ruined
and if I want her to go on helping us out then I must be a co-operative girl.

Madame Pace That's it, señor. Because I no wanna take advantage.

Director She doesn't speak like that, does she?

Laughter from the Company.

Stepdaughter Yes. In that garbled language.

Madame Pace Is no good manner you laugh! I try to speaka good to you, señor.

Director No. You speak like that, Madame. Speak like that. It's perfect actually. Some
comedy to alleviate the awfulness of the situation … It's great.

Stepdaughter Of course it is! Great! To have suggestions made to you in that kind of
language, it almost seems like a joke. You really have to laugh when she tells me there's
an 'old señor' who wants to 'spend-a some-a time with you'. Wasn't that it, Madame?

Madame Pace But not so old, no, chica. Maybe you no like him, but this señor will be …
discretia, si?

The Mother rushes towards Madame Pace, to the surprise of the Actors, who had forgotten
about her. They hold her back, but are also laughing, as the Mother has managed to tear off
Madame Pace's wig and throw it to the ground.

Mother Hag! You hag! Murderer! She is my daughter!

Stepdaughter Mamma, no! Don't!

Father Calm down. Calm yourself. Sit down.

Mother Get her out of my sight!

31
Stepdaughter (to Director) My mother shouldn't be here.

Father They can't stand the sight of each other. That's why she wasn't with us when we
appeared. If they are together, the whole thing is given away.

Director It doesn't matter. This's only a quick run-through we're doing now so I can get an
idea of how everything fits together. (Leads the Mother over to her seat.) Don't mind her.
You just sit here. It won't take long.

Stepdaughter (to Madame Pace) Once again then, Madame.

Madame Pace No. No, grazias. I will do nothing. No while this woman sit here.

Stepdaughter Forget about it then. Let's jump straight to the old señor who wants to 'spend-a
some-a time' with me. (Imperiously addressing everyone.) This scene must be done now.
(To Madame Pace.) You can go.

Madame Pace Oh yes I go. I go … You bet I go.

She exits, incensed, picking up her wig, giving the Actors a dirty look. They applaud her.

Stepdaughter (to Father) Now you enter. Don't bother going round the back. You've just
come in – and I'm here, like this, my head bowed. Come on! Speak! That special tone you
used. 'Good afternoon, Miss.'

Director Hang on … Who exactly's directing here – you or me? (To Father, who's looking
puzzled, uncertain.) On you go then.

The Father does this looking troubled. Very pale but once affected by the reality of his created
life, he smiles, coming forward as if still unaware of the drama that's about to overwhelm him.
The Actors intent on the scene about to begin.

Director (to ASM) Get ready to write this down.

32
The scene.

Father Good evening, Miss …

Stepdaughter (hanging her head, repressing a shudder) Good evening.

The Father tries to catch sight of her face. Sees that she's very young. Exclaims to himself,
partly pleasantly surprised but also wary that this could be risky.

Father Oh … But … This is not your first time here, is it?

Stepdaughter No.

Father You've … done this before? (Stepdaughter nods.) More than once? (Pause. Looks
under her hat again.) Then everything will be fine. Don't be shy. Why don't we take your hat
off?
Stepdaughter (instantly, to stop him) No. I'll do it.

She quickly takes off her hat. The Mother watches the scene, with the Son and the other two
children, from the opposite side to the Actors. She follows the words and actions with a
changing expression – sorrow, contempt, anxiety, horror. She hides her face. She moans.

Mother Oh God … God …

The Father hears her moan, hesitates for a moment, then continues in the same tone.

Father Here, I'll take it. (Takes hat from her.) Such a pretty head deserves a better hat than
this. Why don't we pick one out for you later? No?

Young Female That's my hat he's talking about!

Director Ssh … ! Don't interrupt the scene. Go on.

Father Come on, please. I'll be hurt if you don't accept. There are some beautiful hats here.

Stepdaughter I won't be able to wear it.

33
Father You're worried what your parents will say when you come home in a new hat? Don't
worry. You'll know what to say to them.

Stepdaughter That's not it. It's because I'm … Can you not see for yourself? (She indicates
her black dress.)

Father In mourning. Forgive me. I see now. I am so sorry, believe me.

Stepdaughter (a bold air to cover her disgust) Forget it. I should be thanking you not making
you feel embarrassed. Forget what I've said. I should do the same. Forget I'm in black, in
these clothes.

Director (interrupting; to Prompter) Hold it. Not that last line. Leave it out. (To Father and
Stepdaughter.) That's good, that's very good. (To Father.) Now you go on as we said,
don't you? (To Actors.) Nice little scene that, wasn't it, with the hat?

Stepdaughter Why are we stopping? This is the best bit coming up now!

Director Just a moment … (To Actors.) Needs a lighter touch, of course …

Lead Woman And a simpler line through, I think. Shall we give it a go then?

Lead Man Why not? My entrance is from back here, isn't it?

He exits, ready to appear through the door in back flat.

Director (to Lead Woman) So the scene between you and Madame Pace's just finished. I'll
write it up properly later. So you're standing there, your head's bowed …

Stepdaughter She's not wearing black.

Lead Woman I'll wear black, don't you worry.

Director (to Stepdaughter) Watch this. You might learn something.

34
He leaves the stage to get a better impression of the scene. The door opens and the Lead
Man enters, easy and relaxed. The scene is played completely differently but is not parodic. It
should look like a highly polished version of the first. The Father and Stepdaughter, unable to
recognise themselves, express with gestures, smiles or open protest the impressions they
have: surprise, wonder, dismay, etc.

Lead Man Good evening, Miss …

Father (immediately) No … No …

The Stepdaughter bursts out laughing.

Director Be quiet! And you, stop that laughing!

Stepdaughter I can't help it. She's supposed to be me. I'd have cracked up if he'd said 'Good
evening' to me like that.

Father It's the stress … The tone …

Director Will you just stand back and let me watch this!

Lead Man If I'm meant to be an old man coming into a knocking shop …

Director Just go on with it. Take no notice. C'mon …

Lead Man Good evening, Miss …

Lead Woman Good evening.

The Lead Man repeats the Father's action of trying to get a closer look at the Lead Woman.
Expresses his pleasure first, then his uneasiness, making a clear distinction between them.

Lead Man Oh … But … This isn't your first time, I hope …

Father Not 'I hope'. 'Is it?' 'Is it?'

Director He's saying it should be 'Is it?' at the end there.

Lead Man I thought he said 'I hope'.

35
Director It's not a huge difference but … perhaps it makes it too loaded. Watch. 'Good
evening, Miss …'

Lead Woman Good evening.

Director 'Oh … But … ' (Gets Lead Man to note this.) He looks at her. He's surprised. How
young she is. He's unsure. Perhaps a bit uneasy. But there's definitely some excitement
there. (To Lead Woman.) 'This isn't your first time here, is it?' (To Lead Man.) See what I
mean? (To Lead Woman.) Then you: 'No.'

Lead Woman No.

Lead Man You've … done this before? More than once?

Director Wait. First she has to – you have to nod after 'You've done this before?'
The Lead Woman raises her head slightly, half closing her eyes in pain and disgust and when
the Director says 'Down', she lets her head droop twice.

Stepdaughter (suppressing laughter) Oh Christ! (Director turns to her.) Nothing. Nothing.

Director Go on.

Lead Man More than once? Then everything will be fine. Don't be shy. Why don't we take
your hat off?

The way he says the line, and the gesture, makes the Stepdaughter burst out laughing,
despite trying as hard as she can not to.

Lead Woman This is outrageous! I can't work with her here!

Director Stop it, will you! Stop it!

Stepdaughter I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Director You're stepping out of line now!

Father It's true, but forgive her. It's such a strange feeling.
36
Director What is?

Father I admire your actors, I do. But they're not us.

Director Yes, they are the actors.

Father Exactly. Actors. And they play our parts well. But it has a completely different feel. It's
trying to be the same but it isn't. It isn't ours any more.

Director Of course not! I've already told you that.

Father Yes, I understand, I understand …

Director So please, no more interruptions. (To the Actors.) Enough for just now. We'll
rehearse this by ourselves later. I never could stand rehearsing with the author in the room.
(To Father and Stepdaughter.) We'll carry on with the two of you. And no more laughing.

Stepdaughter I won't laugh. This is the best bit coming up now.

Director Now … When you say: 'Forget what I've said. I should do the same', you reply: 'I
understand, I understand', and then you ask –

Stepdaughter What? Ask what?

Director Why you're in mourning.

Stepdaughter No. No, it wasn't that. It wasn't that. It was: 'Why don't you just take the dress
off then?'

Director No, we can't have that. I don't want any of that.

Stepdaughter But it's the truth.

Director This is theatre! Truth's only allowed up to a certain point.

Stepdaughter So what's going to happen?

Director You'll see.

37
Stepdaughter You don't want to show my revulsion, do you? The reason I am like this. You're
going to make it sentimental. He'll ask why I'm in mourning and I'll reply, with tears in my
eyes, it's because my father died only two months ago. No, he has to say what he said:
'Why don't you just take the dress off then?' And I go across there, behind that screen,
shaking, in utter loathing of him and start to undo my corset, my dress …

Director For God's sake, what are you saying?

Stepdaughter (frenzied) The truth! The truth!

Director I'm not saying it isn't … and I understand what you're feeling. But you have to
realise we can't show that on stage.

Stepdaughter You and him decided back there what you wanted to show on stage. And I
know why. He wants to move on to where he can show off the spiritual torment he's going
through. But what about me! Me!

Director You're not the only one here, you know. We can't have one character dominating
everything, shouting down all the others. We have to get the right balance – and that's what
we show. There's a whole, unique life inside each of you and you want it brought out, I'm
aware of that. But we can only do it in relation to all the others. What we do use then has to
suggest the rest of the life that we can't show. It would be easy if every character just
delivered a monologue or a lecture to hand us on a plate everything we should know. (In a
kindlier tone.) You need to control yourself. Shouting hysterically like this gives a bad
impression especially now we know you've been with other men before him.

Stepdaughter You're right. But to me all those others are him.

Director What d'you mean?

38
Stepdaughter For someone who's fallen into sin, isn't the one responsible the one who
committed the first sin? Aren't they responsible for all the sins that follow? It's him – he is
the one – from before I was even born. Just look at him. See if it isn't true.

Director But what about the remorse he's feeling? Let him show that.

Stepdaughter How can he show all this wonderful remorse, all his moral torment, if you don't
have him holding a woman, trying to undress that woman, that woman who is the same
little girl he used to watch coming out of school.

She says these last words in a voice trembling with emotion. The Mother, who had begun to
moan on hearing her words, now weeps uncontrollably. Everyone is moved. Long pause.

Stepdaughter There's no audience here. It's only us. Tomorrow you can put on the
performance how you like, using us in your own way. But does no one want to see this the
way it did happen?

Director Alright. Yes. Let's see it to the end.

Stepdaughter In that case, send the Mother out.

Mother No! No! Don't let them do it!

Director But they're only doing it for me.

Mother I can't! I can't.

Director I don't understand. It's already happened, hasn't it?

Mother No, it's never-ending. It's happening now! Continuously. I am alive and I am here,
forever in this torment which goes on and on and on. My two children – have you heard
them speak a word? It's because they can't, they don't exist any more, but still they cling on
to me. The agony never goes away, you see. (Indicates Stepdaughter.) And she is gone
from me, too. She ran away. She left me.
But it's for the same reason she's here in front of me now – so that I go on suffering over 39
her as well as the children.

Father The eternal moment. Like I said. (Indicates Stepdaughter.) She's here to catch me in
this one brief, shameful moment and to leave me fixed in it for eternity. She has to do it and
nothing you can do can save me from it.

Director I didn't say I won't show it. It's essential to the whole drive of the first act – until she
appears … (Indicates the Mother)

Father Yes. Her final scream. My condemnation. Her scream which contains all our suffering.

Stepdaughter I can't get it out of my head. Her scream is driving me mad. You can show me
any way you want, even fully dressed, I don't care – just as long as my arms are bare.
Because I see a vein throbbing in my arm – I'm standing like this … (moves to the Father)
my head resting on him, my arms round his neck like this, and I see a vein throbbing and I
fix all my disgust on to that vein and I shut my eyes and … Scream, Mummy, scream!
Scream like you screamed then.

Mother (rushing to separate them) No! Daughter! Animal! Animal! She is my daughter! She is
my daughter!

The Director walks back to edge of stage, amid the bewildered Actors

Director Good … Excellent … And then curtain …

Father (hurrying over to him; frenzied) That's it. That's exactly how it was.

Director Yes, I see now. And, curtain!

The curtain falls, leaving the Director and the Father standing in front of it.
40
Director I didn't mean 'curtain'! I meant this is where the act ends! (To the Father, drawing
aside the curtain to get back on set.) Yeah. That's how it'll end. This is very good!

They disappear through the curtain.

Curtain up. The first rough set has been replaced by an ornamental garden pond. The Actors
are in a row on one side of the stage, the Characters on the other. The Director stands in the
middle of the stage, deep in thought, then suddenly snapping out of it.

Director Now. The second act. Everything as we decided earlier. Leave it to me.

Stepdaughter We move into his home … (indicates Father) which he doesn't like one bit.
(Indicates Son)
Director I know all that. I know what to do.

Stepdaughter Just so long as his resentment is made clear.

Mother For all the good it did …

Stepdaughter (rounding on her) It doesn't matter! The more misfortune we suffer, the more
remorse he has to suffer!

Director I know! I'll keep all that in mind, I promise.

Mother And make sure that I am always trying …

Stepdaughter To calm me down. Imploring me not to despise him as much as I do. (To
Director.) Show that. It's true. She's begging him, reaching out to him, and the more she
does it, the more he turns his back on her.

Director D'you want to start the second act or not?

Stepdaughter I won't say another word. All I will say is that it can't all take place in the
garden. (Indicates the Son.) He never leaves his room. He shuts himself away. And what
happens to this boy happens inside the house.
41
Director I'm not going to fly bits of set in and out. It distracts an audience.

Lead Man They used to do it once …

Lead Woman This's just me, but I actually think it helps the illusion.

Father (standing, with a start) Don't use that word. It pains us.

Director Illusion?

Father It hurts us. Can you not see that?

Director What d'you want us to say? We're creating an illusion for the audience. An illusion of
reality.

Father I understand. But you do not understand us. For you, this is all just a game. As it
should be.

Lead Woman This isn't a game for us! We're not children! We are serious about what we do.

Father But what I mean is that your art, your artistry, is a game by which – as he said – you
try to give a perfect illusion of reality. But we, we have no reality of our own, outside that
illusion. Ladies and gentlemen, that's how it is. What other reality can we have? The
illusion you're wanting to create is our only reality. And that doesn't only apply to us. Think
about it. (Looks Director in the eye.) Can you tell me who you are?

Director Who I am?

Father Suppose I said that, in fact, you are me.

Director I suppose I'd say you were mad.

The Actors laugh

Father Yes, you're right to laugh – after all, this is a place for games. (To Director.) And it's
only part of the game that this gentleman here (indicates Lead Man) who is 'himself' is to 42
be me – me who, on the contrary, is myself. You see, I've caught you out.

Director Look, we've been through all this …

Father No. I am asking you to leave behind your game … (anticipating Lead Woman) of art,
that you play here with your actors and to consider the question seriously: who are you?

Director (turning, astonished, irritated, to the Actors) Can you believe this? He turns up
claiming he's a character – then asks me who I am!

Father A character has the right to ask a man who he is. A character has a life of his own, his
own characteristics, he is always 'somebody'. A man, and I don't mean you in particular,
any man in general can be 'nobody'.

Director Who do you think you're talking to?

Father (very quietly) Once you were someone who believed certain things about himself; who
saw things in a certain way. Are you that same person now? If you think back to that time,
how things no longer seem the same as they seemed then, does that not make the ground
– I won't say the stage – but the ground under your feet seem unsteady? All the more when
you consider that the person you think you are now, all the present reality that you are
experiencing, will, in the future, come to seem illusion to you.

Director What point are you trying to make?

Father Only that if the six of us have no reality outside the illusion, can you really be so sure
of your own? The reality you breathe and touch today, like yesterday's reality, will reveal
itself as illusion tomorrow.

Director You're claiming that you, and this play you've brought here, are truer and more real
than me?
43
Father Of that I have no doubt. I thought you understood that from the moment we appeared.

Director You more real than me?

Father Like I've said, if your reality can change with each passing day …

Director Of course it changes! It's changing all the time! Everybody changes!

Father (triumphantly) But not us! We never change! That is the difference between us. I am
who I am for ever. This is the nightmare that we are in! It should make you shudder just
standing next to us!

Director (jumping up as an idea occurs to him) What I want to know is when has a character
ever stepped out of their part like this, to explain themselves … ?

Father You've never seen it because you never see what authors go through to create their
characters. And when those characters are alive, when they live in front of their author, his
only job is to follow their lead, take the words and actions they suggest to him. If he doesn't
he's in trouble. When a character is born, immediately they become totally independent,
even from their own author and people begin to imagine them in a whole host of situations
totally different from our original one. And of course, they can also acquire a significance
the writer never dreamt of.

Director I know all that.

Father Then why is this so surprising to you? Our author has abandoned us alive – but
without life. We have every right to do what we are doing. We did the same thing with our
author, over and over again, imploring him, goading him. Myself, her, sometimes that poor
Mother …

Stepdaughter I tried to tempt him so many times, at dusk, in that room of his. He'd just sit
there, no energy to even switch on the light, watching the shadows fall across the room – 44
and inhabiting those shadows, us, all of us, there to tempt him …

As if seeing herself there in the author's study, she turns on the intrusive presence of the
Actors.

I wish you'd just go! All of you! Leave us to ourselves! The Mother with her little boy, me
with the little girl, that solitary one there … then me and him … (Gestures to the Father.)
Then just me. In the shadows. Alone. Ah, my life! The scenes we went to him with. The
scenes we suggested to him. I was the one who implored him the most.

Father That's what it was … That's exactly what it was. Your insistence. You always go too
far.

Stepdaughter He made me what I am! (Confidentially, to Director.) The real trouble was that
he despaired of the theatre and the kind of theatre the public want to see …

Director Right! We're moving on! Let's get to what happens.

Stepdaughter More than enough happens when we move into his house. (Indicates the
Father.) But you don't want any scene changes.

Director I know. We'll dovetail some of what happens – distil the action. We can't do it how
you want it, your little brother coming home from school and wandering around the house
in a strange mood and meanwhile his little sister's playing all by herself in the garden. We
can't show all of that.

Stepdaughter The garden, in the sunshine, that's where she's happiest. I loved seeing her
like that. We'd come from utter poverty. The four of us slept in one room, sharing one bed.
Before she fell asleep, she'd put her arms round me, her small arms around my
contaminated body. In the garden, as soon as she saw me, she'd run to take my hand.
She'd been looking for the smallest flowers she could find and she wanted to show them to 45
me. The smallest flowers. She loved being in that garden.

She begins to cry, sobbing despairingly. The Director attempts to comfort her.

Director We'll show the garden. We'll set it all in the garden.

Calls for trees. Calls for sky and blue light to suggest moonlight.

(To Stepdaughter.) D'you see? So the boy wanders around the garden, instead of the
house, hiding behind the trees. It might be tricky finding a girl to play the scene where she
shows you the flowers. (Addressing the Boy.) Anyway. Come over here. Let's see if we can
work this out. (The Boy doesn't move.) Come on. Over here.

He brings the Boy forward. Tries to get him to hold his head up, but the Boy just drops it
again. Exasperated, he positions the Boy behind a tree.

So you're hiding behind there. You're trying to see what's going on. Poke your head out a
bit.
He stands back to look at this. The Actors are affected.

Good. Very good. What about the girl seeing him there and running over to him? Then
maybe he'll talk.

Stepdaughter He won't talk if he's here. (Indicates the Son.) You'll have to send him away
first.

Son I'm more than happy to go.

Director Where are you going? Wait!

The Mother to her feet, instinctively stretches out her hands to hold him back, without moving
from where she stands. The Director is trying to stop the Son from going.

Son I have nothing to do in this. Please let me go. I beg you.

Director You're part of this. I need you here.

46
Stepdaughter Let go of him. He won't leave.

Father He has to perform that terrible scene with his mother in the garden.

Son (determined, fierce) I'm not doing anything. I've told you that. (To the Director.) Let me
leave.

Stepdaughter Go on then. Leave. Go!

The Son moves towards the steps, but is incapable of going down them – as if he were held
back by some power. He tries the other set of steps, but again is unable to walk down them.
The Stepdaughter bursts out laughing.

Stepdaughter See that? He can't. He can't. There's no escape. He has to stay here. He's a
vital link in the chain. I'm the one who goes, later on, I'm the one who runs, when it
happens – because I can't stand the sight of him. But here I am for now. I have to put up
with him. If I'm here, how can he leave? He has no choice – he has to stay here with his
mother and father. The only child left … C'mon, Mummy. Come … Look. It's her – she's the
one that's holding him back. Come on … (To the Director.) The courage she has – to show
your actors what she's feeling. Her need to get close to him is so overwhelming. There.
See? She's desperate for the scene to start.

The Mother has approached the Son, opening her arms to show her readiness.

Son No. No. I won't do this. If I can't leave, I'll stay here. But I am acting out nothing, you
hear!

Father (angry; to the Director) You can force him to.

Son No one can force me to do anything!

Father I'll force you!

Stepdaughter Wait! Wait. The child at the pond first. (Goes to the Girl.) My sweet darling,
you look lost. Your lovely big eyes … I wonder if you know where you are? It's a stage, my
love, we're on a stage. What's a stage? A place where people play – play seriously. Where 47
you act a play. That's what we're going to do. Yes. Really. You as well. (She embraces her.)
Oh my love, what a play for you. What a horrible part's been thought up for you. You're
 playing beside a real pond. It's calm, the water's clear and there's lots of ducks paddling
around. And you want to catch one of the little ducks. (She screams, startling everyone.)
No, Rosetta! No! Your mother's forgotten about you – because of him over there! And me,
I'm thinking strange thoughts. And that one there … (Looks harshly at the Boy.) You're
always here with that miserable face. It'll be your fault too if she drowns. I brought all of you
into this house and I'm still paying the price for that, more than anyone. (Grabs him, forcing
his hand out of his pocket.) What've you got there? What're you hiding? (He's holding a
gun.) And where did you get this? You stupid fool, if I'd been you, I'd have killed one of
those two. Or both of them. Father and son. Instead of killing yourself.

She pushes him back behind the tree. Takes the Girl and puts her in the pond, face down. She
sits down by the side of the pond.

Director Great. (Turning to the Son.) And at the same time …

Son What do you mean at the same time? None of this is true. There was never a scene
between me and her. (Indicates the Mother.) Make her tell you how it happened.

The Second Actress and the Young Male both closely observe the Mother and the Son, in
order to play their parts.

Mother It's true. I had gone to his room.

Son My room. Hear that? Not the garden!

Director That's not important. Like I've said, the action will have to be condensed.

Son (to Young Male) Are you wanting something?

Young Male No. Just observing you.

48
Son (turning to Second Actress) And there you are too. Just waiting to act her role.
(Indicates Mother.)

Director You should be grateful for the interest they're taking.

Son Oh, should I? Then, thank you. Thank you so much. Does none of you understand you
can't put this play on. We're not inside you and you are looking at us from the outside. It's
like being in front of a mirror which not only wants to freeze us with the image of our own
expressions, but then present it back to us as something unrecognisable and grotesque.

Father It's true. That is true.

Director All right. Give them some room.

Son That won't work either. I still won't do it.

Director I want to hear what your mother has to say. (To the Mother.) What then? You went
in?

Mother Into his room, yes. I had to talk to him. To let him know how much I was suffering. But
as soon as he saw me …

Son There was no scene! I walked out. I didn't want a scene with her.

Director But we have to have this scene with the two of you. It's vital!
Mother
I'm ready. I'll do it. Anything for the chance to tell him what I am feeling.

Father (approaching the Son in a fierce way) You are going to do it! You are going to do it for
your mother's sake.

Son I'm doing nothing!

Father (grabbing him; shaking him) Do it! Do it! Can you not hear her? You're her son. Have
you no feeling for her?

Son Stop. Stop it.

49
General commotion. The Mother, frightened, tries to intervene and separate them.

Mother For the love of God … !

Father You will do it! You will obey me!

The Son comes to blows with the Father, finally throwing him to the ground, to everyone's
horror.

Son Does everyone need to know her shame – our shame? I will not be part of it. I'm doing
what the author wanted. Nothing of this will go on the stage.

Director But you came here, to us!

Son He came, not me!

Director But you're here, aren't you?

Son He was the one who wanted to come here. He dragged the rest of us along with him.
And now he's adding things that never even took place!

Director Then tell me what did happen! You tell me. You left your room without saying a word
to your mother?

Son I wanted to avoid a scene.

Director And what then? What'd you do then?

Son Nothing … I went out to the garden.

Director Uh-huh … The garden …

The Son raises an arm to hide his face.

Son Why are you making me say this? It's a nightmare!

The Mother is shaking, moaning, looking towards the garden pond.

Director The girl … ?

Son There. In the pond. In the water.

Father (points to the Mother) She'd followed him. She was behind him.
50
Director And then … What did you do?
Son I ran – to pull her out of the water … Then I saw him, the boy … My blood froze. She'd
drowned. He was standing, staring at her. His sister, drowned in the pond.

The Stepdaughter, who has been by the edge of the pond, hiding the Girl from view, begins
sobbing.

Son I started to walk over to him and then …

From behind the trees where the Boy is, a gunshot. The Mother screams, rushing to the trees.
Also the Son and the Actors. General confusion.

Mother My son! My son! Help! Help!

The Director tries to force his way through, amid cries and shouts. The Boy is carried off
behind the backdrop.

Director Is he shot? Did he shoot himself?

All except the Director and the Father go behind the backdrop. Then the Actors re-emerge.

Lead Woman He's dead. Poor boy … He's dead.

Lead Man (laughing) He's not dead. He's pretending. He's acting.

Actor He is dead.

Other Actor He's having us on. It's a trick.

Father (shouts) It's not a trick, ladies and gentlemen! It's real. It's real!

The Father goes behind the backdrop.

Director Fake. Real. Go to hell, the lot of you. Give me some light in here! Light!

Suddenly stage and auditorium are filled with light. All look at each other, bewildered and
perplexed.

A whole day lost. We'll finish there. There's not much else we can do now. Let's start again
first thing tomorrow.
51
Actors go.

Director Lights!

Almost before he's said it, the theatre's plunged into total darkness.

For God's sake, leave me a worker so I can see where I'm going!

A light comes on behind the backdrop, casting the shadows of the Characters, except the
Boy and Girl. The Director sees this, and rushes off. They enter. First, the Son, then the
Mother, her arms stretched out to him. The Father. They stand still. Lastly, the Stepdaughter,
looks at the three of them, bursts into laughter. Runs out of the auditorium, still laughing.
Copyright © Familiari Pirandello, Roma, 1979. Translation copyright © David Harrower, 2001

Enquire about performing rights at:

Casarotto Ramsay & Associates, 3rd Floor, 7 Savoy Ct, Strand, London WC2R 0EX [https://www.casarotto.co.uk]
 All rights whatsoever in this play are strictly reserved and application for performance etc. should be made before rehearsals to the
performance rights holder. No performance may be given unless a licence has been obtained. No rights in incidental music or songs
contained in the Work are hereby granted and performance rights for any performance/presentation whatsoever must be obtained from
the respective copyright owners.

All materials on this Website are the copyright of the publishers or are reproduced with permission from other copyright owners. All
rights are reserved. The materials on this website may be accessed solely for personal use. No materials may otherwise be copied,
modified, published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without prior written permission of the publisher.