Luigi Pirandello
Luigi Pirandello (Italian: [luˈiːdʒi piranˈdɛllo]; 28 June 1867 – 10 December 1936) was an Italian dramatist, novelist, poet, and short story writer whose greatest contributions were his plays.[1] He was awarded the 1934 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his bold and ingenious revival of dramatic and scenic art" [2] Pirandello's works include novels, hundreds of short stories, and about 40 plays, some of which are written in Sicilian. Pirandello's tragic farces are often seen as forerunners of the Theatre of the Absurd.
Luigi Pirandello
28 June 1867
Girgenti (now Agrigento), Sicily, Kingdom of Italy
10 December 1936 (aged 69)
Rome, Kingdom of Italy
Writer
1893–1933
- The Late Mattia Pascal (1904)
- Six Characters in Search of an Author (1921)
- Henry IV (1922)
- One, No One and One Hundred Thousand (1926)
Legacy[edit]
On 14 July 1930, a version of his short play The Man with the Flower in His Mouth, adapted and produced by Lance Sieveking, co-produced with John Logie Baird's company and starring Val Gielgud and Lionel Millard, became the first drama broadcast in both picture and sound when the British Broadcasting Corporation showed it for London audiences.[15][16]
Pirandello was nominated Academic of Italy in 1929, and in 1934 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature after he had been nominated by Guglielmo Marconi, member of the Royal Academy of Italy.[5][17] He was the last Italian playwright to be chosen for the award until Dario Fo won on 9 October 1997.[18][19]
Pirandello died alone in his home at Via Bosio, Rome, on 10 December 1936.[20] He refused a State funeral offered by Mussolini and only in 1947 were his cremated remains buried in Sicily.[21] The Via Luigi Pirandello in Acquaviva delle Fonti is named after him.
In the context of playwriting during the early and mid-1900s, Pirandello's impact is notable. Pirandello inspired playwrights such as Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter to write plays that echo the themes of existential exploration and metaphysical questioning that he focused on in his works.[22][23] However, his influence goes beyond playwright; French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre was also heavily inspired by Pirandello's ideas to dive deep into one of the main pillars of his philosophy: existentialism. The playwrights's portrayal of fractured identities and the ambiguity of existence in his plays served as inspiration for Sartre's concepts of freedom, authenticity, and existential angst. Pirandello's character narratives and metaphysical themes not only aligned with but also enriched Sartre's philosophical discourses, creating a link between existential thought in both theater and philosophy, where each medium deepened and reflected upon the complexities and theories of the other. Thus, the dialogues between self and other, freedom and responsibility, authenticity and bad faith, found ground in the intersection of their respective domains. His legacy pushes further reflection into the complexities of characters, human consciousness, and identity.[24]
Pirandello's contributions to theater and philosophy provide a rich tapestry of existential themes interwoven with detailed character narratives. His thorough and insightful examinations of the intricacies of the human psyche and identity have left a mark that is palpable in contemporary theater and academic circles. This influence, while rooted in a specific historical context, manages to bridge the gap between past and present. The careful juxtaposition of simplicity and depth in his works not only invites but stimulates discourse, resonating deeply with modern artists, playwrights, and thinkers. As a result, discussions on existential concepts, identity, and the nature of reality continue to be enriched by Pirandello's foundational ideas.[25]
