Shifting in and out of reality, “Six Characters in Search of an Author” tells the story of theatrical characters who want an author to bring their roles to life.

The play, which opened Nov. 1 and is directed by theater lecturer, John DeMita, will run for three more showings tomorrow and Saturday at 8 p.m. as well as Sunday at 3 p.m.

“Basically you leave reality at the beginning of the show with [a] weird flicker of lights and video,” Katie Villanueva, 18, stage director, said. “As the characters walk in there is a transition, and you never leave that scene until the end of the show.”

“Six Characters in Search of an Author” examines the process of bringing something to life. Is a character vitalized when someone acts out their role or should characters be able to speak for themselves and dictate their development?

“Although the play was confusing, the acting was very entertaining and the combination of video effects and lighting really made the performance that much better,” Norva Tejega, 20, theater major, said.

Like any production, the cast and crew faced challenges in bringing their script to life. Often times they gained experience through trial-and-error.

“When we got to tech week it was hard because I was used to 20 queues in high school,” Villanueva said. “Then I got here it was roughly 100 to 120 queues of lights, sounds and four different sources of videos, sometimes calling them all at once.”

The actors’ improvisational skills helped smooth the play when mishaps or malfunctions occurred during the performance rehearsals, which made the mistakes look as if they were apart of the play, she added.

Among the play’s many unique characters, Madame Pace, played by Giovanna Diaz, is a seamstress and owner of a brothel.

“When the actress comes out in this real flamboyant, French dress and she steals the scene, it’s out of control and I really like it,” Dash Porter, 26, theater major, said.

“I have to say this play is different from all the other ones I’ve performed in because it’s more intimate and challenging,” Porter said.

Other members of the production enjoyed it for its nuance and intricacies.

The complexity of this play’s reality within a reality reminds me of “Inception” in a way, Villanueva said.

Some of the cast jumped outside their comfort zones in order to better understand their roles within the play. The challenges they overcame in rehearsing offered a lot of experience.

“When I was filling in as a father it was challenging because I’m not used to playing an older guy,” Porter said. “I’m more used to playing characters my age. To play the father was a big step for me.”

In the end, the students behind “Six Characters in Search of an Author” are hopeful about its appeal.

“It’s really cool,” Villanueva said. “It’s fun to watch as long as you understand it.”