Six Characters in Search of an Author is an opera

Opera

Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...

 in three acts by composer Hugo Weisgall

Hugo Weisgall

Hugo David Weisgall was an American composer and conductor, known chiefly for his opera and vocal music compositions...

. The work uses an English libretto

Libretto

A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...

 by Denis Johnston

Denis Johnston

Denis Johnston was an Irish writer. He wrote mostly plays, but also works of literary criticism, a book-length biographical essay of Jonathan Swift, a memoir and an eccentric work of philosophy. He also worked as a war correspondent, and as both a radio and television producer for the BBC...

 that is based on the play of the same name

Six Characters in Search of an Author

Six Characters in Search of an Author is a play by the Italian writer Luigi Pirandello.The play is a satirical tragicomedy. It was first performed in 1921 at the Teatro Valle in Rome, to a very mixed reception, with shouts from the audience of "Manicomio!" .Subsequently the play enjoyed a much...

 by Luigi Pirandello

Luigi Pirandello

Luigi Pirandello was an Italian dramatist, novelist, and short story writer awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1934, for his "bold and brilliant renovation of the drama and the stage." Pirandello's works include novels, hundreds of short stories, and about 40 plays, some of which are written...

. The opera was commissioned by the New York City Opera

New York City Opera

The New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...

 under the leadership Julius Rudel

Julius Rudel

Julius Rudel is an American opera and orchestra conductor who emigrated to the United States from Austria at the age of 17 and studied conducting at the Mannes College of Music in New York City. He then forged a 35-year career with the New York City Opera, from 1944 to 1979, and was the Music...

. It premiered at New York City Center

New York City Center

New York City Center is a 2,750-seat Moorish Revival theater located at 131 West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in Manhattan, New York City. It is one block south of Carnegie Hall...

 on April 26, 1959 in a production staged by William Ball and using sets and costumes designed by Gary Smith.

The work was mounted in 1990 by the Lyric Opera of Chicago

Lyric Opera of Chicago

Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. It was founded in Chicago in 1952, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox, Nicolà Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, with a season that included Maria Callas's American debut in Norma...

's Lyric Opera Center for American Artists in 1990, a production which was recorded and released on the New World Records

New World Records

New World Records is a record label based in New York City specialising in American music. The label was established in 1975 through a Rockefeller Foundation grant to produce a 100 disc anthology covering 200 years of American music....

 label. The production was conducted by Lee Schaenen and starred Kevin Anderson as 'The Director', Bruce Fowler

Bruce Fowler (tenor)

Bruce Fowler is an American classical tenor who has had a major international performance career in operas and concerts since the early 1990s. He is particularly known for his appearances in bel canto operas. His first recording, as the tenor soloist for Handel's Messiah with Telarc, was nominated...

 as 'The Tennore Buffo', Andrew Schroeder as 'The Accompianist', Michael Wadsworth as 'The Basso Cantante', Philip Zawisza as 'The Stage Manager', Elizabeth Futral

Elizabeth Futral

Elizabeth Futral is an American coloratura soprano who has won acclaim throughout the United States as well as in Europe, South America, and Japan....

 as 'The Coloratura', Susan Foster as 'The Prompter', Joslyn King as 'The Mezzo', Dianne Pritchett as 'The Wardrobe Mistress', Paula LoVerne as 'Madame Pace', Robert Orth as 'The Father', Gary Lehman

Gary Lehman

Gary Lehman is an American operatic tenor, specialising in the Heldentenor repertoireHe initially trained as a baritone at Youngstown State University, continued his studies at Indiana University, and as a member of the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists gave 90 performances with the Lyric...

 as 'The Son', Elizabeth Byrne as 'The Stepdaughter', and Nancy Maultsby

Nancy Maultsby

Nancy Maultsby is an American operatic mezzo-soprano.-Recordings:*Henry Purcell: Dido and Aeneas Nancy Maultsby , Russell Braun ; Boston Baroque , Martin Pearlman...

 as 'The Mother'.

Another professional production was mounted in 2000 at the McCarter Theater in Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...

 for the
Opera Festival of New Jersey.

Oberlin College

Oberlin College

Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...

 and the Manhattan School of Music

Manhattan School of Music

The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...

 mounted student productions in
1974 and 1995, respectively.

Roles

Role	Voice type	Premiere Cast, April 26, 1959 (Conductor: – Sylvan Levin Sylvan Levin Sylvan Levin was an American concert pianist and conductor. He notably served as the assistant conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York City Symphony under Leopold Stokowski for many years... )
The Director	tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...	Ernest McChesney Ernest McChesney Ernest McChesney was an American tenor who had an active singing career in operas, musicals, and concerts during the late 1920s through the early 1960s...
The Tennore Buffo	tenor	Grant Williams Grant Williams Grant Williams was an American film actor and operatic tenor. He is best remembered for his portrayal of Scott Carey in the seminal science fiction film The Incredible Shrinking Man , which has since become a cult classic.-Early life:Born John Joseph Williams in New York City to a Scottish father...
The Accompanist	baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...	Craig Timberlake Craig Timberlake Craig Timberlake was an American stage actor, singer, author, and educator. A talented bass, Timberlake performed in operas and musicals in theatres throughout North America in addition to acting in plays from the 1940s through the 1980s.-Biography:Born in Oil City, Pennsylvania, Timberlake was a...
The Basso Cantante	bass Bass (voice type) A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...	John Macurdy John Macurdy John Macurdy is an esteemed American operatic bass. Among his teachers was the contralto Elisabeth Wood, who was also the pedagogue of Norman Treigle.- Début in New Orleans :...
The Stage Manager	baritone	Arnold Voketaitis Arnold Voketaitis Arnold Voketaitis is an American bass-baritone of Lithuanian descent who had an active singing career performing in operas, concerts, and recitals from the late 1950s through the 1990s. He enjoyed a particularly successful partnership with the New York City Opera and has performed with most of the...
The Coloratura	soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...	Beverly Sills Beverly Sills Beverly Sills was an American operatic soprano whose peak career was between the 1950s and 1970s. In her prime she was the only real rival to Joan Sutherland as the leading bel canto stylist...
The Prompter	soprano	Anita Darian Anita Darian Anita Darian is an American singer and actress who has had an active career since the 1950s. Aa a soprano, Darian has performed roles with the New York City Opera and been a featured soloist with the New York Philharmonic. She has also performed and recorded several roles from musicals during her...
The Mezzo	mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...	Regina Sarfaty Regina Sarfaty Regina Sarfaty is an American operatic mezzo-soprano who had an active career during the 1950s through the 1980s. Sarfaty first rose to prominence through her work at the Santa Fe Opera and the New York City Opera during the late 1950s...
The Wardrobe Mistress	contralto Contralto Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above...	Elizabeth Mannion Elizabeth Mannion Elizabeth Mannion is an American operatic mezzo-soprano who has performed at opera houses throughout the world. A celebrated voice teacher, Mannion has served on the music faculties of the University of Michigan, Indiana University, Florida State University, Bowling Green State University, the...
Another tenor	tenor	Anthony Balestrieri
The Father	baritone	Paul Ukena Paul Ukena Paul Ukena was an American operatic baritone who had an active career during the 1950s through the 1970s...
The Son	baritone	Robert Trehy Robert Trehy Robert F. Trehy was an American baritone who had an active career singing in operas, concerts, and recitals during the 1940s through the 1980s.-Early life and education:...
The Stepdaughter	soprano	Adelaide Bishop Adelaide Bishop Adelaide Bishop was an American operatic soprano, musical theatre actress, opera director, stage director, and voice teacher. She began her career appearing in Broadway musicals as a teenager during the early 1940s...
The Mother	mezzo-soprano	Patricia Neway Patricia Neway Patricia Neway is an American operatic soprano and musical theatre actress who had an active international career during the mid-1940s through the 1970s. She is particularly remembered for creating roles in the world premieres of several contemporary American operas, most notably Magda Sorel in...
Madame Pace	contralto	Ruth Kobart Ruth Kobart Ruth Kobart was an American performer, whose six-decade career encompassed opera, Broadway musical theatre, regional theatre, films, and television.-Life and career:...
The Boy	speaking role	Marc Sullivan
The Child	speaking role	Barbara Becker
The Seven Deadly Sins	soprano, soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto, tenor, baritone, bass	Mary LeSawyer Mary LeSawyer Mary LeSawyer was an American opera singer of Ukrainian descent who had an active international career during the 1940s through the 1960s. A lyric soprano, LeSawyer studied opera at the Juilliard School before beginning her singing career... , Jennie Andrea, Lou Rodgers Lou Rodgers Lou Rodgers is an American opera singer and opera director. A mezzo-soprano, she began her career in the late 1950s singing roles with the New York City Opera. She notably appeared in the world premiere of Hugo Weisgall's Six Characters in Search of an Author with the company on April 26, 1959... , Rita Metzger, William Saxon William Zakariasen William Zakariasen was an American operatic tenor and music critic.-Biography:Born in Blue Earth, Minnesota, Zakariasen began his career as a classical tenor in the late 1950s, appearing in operas and in concerts. He sometimes performed under the name William Saxon... , George del Monte, Peter Sliker Peter Sliker Peter Sliker was an American operatic bass-baritone who had a lengthy career performing at the Metropolitan Opera from 1961 through 1989. He specialized in portraying comprimario roles and was admired for his comic timing...
Chorus Mistress, Wardrobe Assistants, Carpenters, Prop Men	Opera Chorus