The Short Play and Postmodernist Stage Directing: A Virtual Experiment with Pirandello’s Cecè

Abstract

The one-act play Cecè (1913) by Luigi Pirandello belongs to the playwright’s early production and has been rightly praised for its perfect comic mechanism. Yet, it has heretofore attracted little attention in the academic world. Despite containing one of the first instances of the author’s approach to the instability of self, one of the reasons why its depth appears limited, resides in its brevity when compared to Pirandello’s major works. However, its very economy may allow a director to be experimental and offer multiple versions and perspectives to the audience in a single evening, showcasing a variety of critical theories.