Pirandello è di scena? traduzione, ricezione e messinscena del teatro di Pirandello in Cina

Luigi Pirandello, Italian writer and dramatist who won the Nobel prize in 1934, is well-known in Chinese literary circles since the 30s. The first Chinese translation of his most famous play, Six Characters in Search of an Author, was published in 1929, only 8 years after the première in Italy in 1921. But surprisingly enough, we had to wait until 1992 to watch it on stage in Beijing. This paper outlines the history of the Chinese translations and performances of Pirandello, focusing on the reception of this Italian author in contemporary China. Although his innovative drama has been constantly raising the interest of the Chinese critics and researchers, his plays have been rarely staged in China. Both Chinese academics and theatre staff - directors, actors, etc. – greatly appreciate Pirandello. But at the same time, they believe that Chinese audience would neither understand nor appreciate his plays. Following the theoretical debate on Pirandello’s drama in the Chinese academic journals and the analysis of the Pirandello performances in China, this paper sketches out the Chinese image of this playwright and the reasons why, according to such a specific perception of this Italian author, Chinese directors and producers conclude that Pirandello’s drama is unable to reach Chinese audience.