Metadrama in V. Mirzoev’s Works

Abstract

This paper deals with the specifics of metadrama in Vladimir Mirzoev's works. The metatextual aspect of the communicative structure of Mirzoev’s plays is based on uti-lizing traditional actants of the dramatic intrigue, including kings, jesters, army officers, magicians, Hamlet, Don Juan, etc. Mixing references to classic and contemporary literature, Mirzoev’s texts take palimpsest (G. Genette), pastiche (R. Dyer) as a basis for developing dramatic action and tension. For example, The Tower decon-structs the archetype of Don Juan by combining the elements of the traditional plot with the iconography of the Tarot, references to well-known Russian classics, and elements of avant-garde aesthetics. Moreover, another “layer” of the “palimpsest” is formed by interactions with the “absurd authors of the past” (Harms, Pinter), weaving the position of interpretation (philological, directorial) into the discursive structure. Overall, the usage of palimpsest and pastiche corresponds with the dramatic intrigue of metamorphosis, the depiction of an absurdist cosmogony of a fictional world that stands on the deconstruction of cultural cliches and re-shaping the consciousness of both the characters and the recipients.