Lisa Sarti (Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY)

In recognition of the 100-year anniversary of the first performance of Luigi Pirandello’s landmark 1921 play, Six Characters in Search of an Author, this panel will consider the role that experimental theatre played during the years of the historical avant-garde and the broader implications of that experimentation across the 20th century and today.

Luigi Pirandello’s theatrical innovations were important for the modernist transition away from naturalist and realist conventions. He engaged with numerous avant-garde figures who were active in that shift, and he influenced generations to follow.

The panel will welcome proposals that consider metatheatre, absurdist theatre, and other forms of experimental performance (dance, performance art, etc.) that are in conversation with Pirandello and the historical avant-garde figures who effectively broke conventional staging practices.

This panel aims to recognize the role that Pirandello’s theatrical innovations played in influencing and shaping Experimental Theater during the years of the historical avant-garde. As Pirandello’s works and thought contributed to the modernist shift from naturalist and realist conventions, the panel will investigate the broader implications of experimentation across the 20th century and today.