Clarification: This story incorrectly states the start time of No Refund Theatre's performance of Six Characters in Search of an Author. The show starts at 8 p.m.

Students will question what is reality this weekend as No Refund Theatre performs Six Characters in Search of an Author in 111 Forum.

Written by Italian playwright Luigi Pirandello, Six Characters in Search of an Author is a play in which the audience is confronted with the unexpected arrival of six characters during the rehearsals for a play. These characters have been abandoned by their author and are searching for another to finish their story.

"It is mildly absurdist. It's about a group of actors who are interrupted by a group of characters who are tangible and whose author stopped writing. They need someone to finish the play. It makes you question who is more alive, the characters or the actors," Brad Einstein (sophomore-Spanish), co-director of the show, said.

Susan Martin, co-director, said the play is interesting because its purpose is to entertain as well as to generate questions. She said the actors had to grip these ideas that the play creates in order to fully get into character.

"There is a clear distinction between the group of actors and the group of characters. It depends a lot on body language and the movement of the other actors," Martin said. "Each cast member has to be aware of themselves in relation to the others and how they play in space."

Martin said she first read the play when she was a sophomore and was fascinated by the layers of meaning and reality. She also loves the technical aspects of the play.

"I love to do stage lighting. [The Forum] is a challenging space to work in. We've been experimenting with the lights," she said. "This is a personal project, and it's really interesting to see it come to life."

Warren Smith (senior-architecture) plays the stage manager and said the rehearsals have been nothing but fun.

"I love it because I get to have fun," he said. "It was easy to get into my role because my character is much like my daily life. I get to act like myself. How would you react if six random people walked into your rehearsal?"

Martin said an interesting thing about the play is the two non-speaking roles.

This has proven to be difficult because the actors are on the stage almost the entire time, and they have to remain in character although they do not speak.

She said the cast has really gotten into the roles, which shows they have succeeded.

"There is a difference between intellectually knowing the role and emotionally getting into the role," Martin said. "I am riveted by what is happening on stage and that's when I know we've gotten it.

"It's a turn between comedy, drama and tragedy. It can be awkward to find the balance between the three but the cast has really learned how to suck in the audience," she added.

Martin said the audience will have to discern what is real and theatrics.

"How more or less real is a character compared to a person? Are they more real? It also asks the audience to consider the impact of story and theater itself," she said. "Does it have an effect on the audience or are they unchanged? How does what we see feed into ourselves?

"Like the Greek tragedies, this play has a function. And the audience will have an entertaining experience that is thought-provoking and will hopefully make them think about theater in a new way," she said.