Olena Pchilka’s “The World Thing” in the Dimensions of the Metadramatic Paradigm

Abstract

The article analyzes Olena Pchilka’s play “The World Thing” in the light of metadrama theory. Even though traditionally metadramatic aesthetics is considered incompatible with the poetics of realism, the work of the Ukrainian author has become an example of the active use of various metadramatic elements. Methodology. The principles of metadramatic analysis are applied in the research and contribute to a deeper understanding of the Ukrainian national drama of the late 19^th century, revealing the nature of the interaction between the cultural context, folklore, dramatic traditions, and reading performative techniques. The latter are important factors of theatricalization and are realized at the level of individual cues, through internal staging and are a means of synthesizing metadramatic and realistic aesthetics. The scientific novelty is that this methodology has been applied for the first time to a little-studied play by Olena Pchilka. The purpose of the article. The article aims to demonstrate the peculiarities of combining traditional and innovative elements in the work by Olena Pchilka in the context of the development of Ukrainian metadrama in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Results. The play “The World’s Thing” depicts the birth of the idea of a theatrical production that has the potential of an inner play. The metacritical discourse is realized through the discussion about theatrical trends, acting roles (emploi), and the purpose of the theater. Anti-theatrical discussions have also a metadramatic character for they debunk everyday acting. Metadramatic poetics is based on performative elements: staging or reflection on wooing rituals, weddings, funerals, etc. Conclusions. The wedding and the trial, although not shown in the play, are phantom performances that, through constant reference to them in the characters’ remarks, contribute to the activation of cultural memory and the doubling of stage reality. The audience also acts as a metadramatic factor, whose reaction to the actions of the main characters becomes a moral and ethical catalyst.