DOCUMENTARY STYLE AS AN ARTISTIC DEVICE IN CONTEMPORARY UKRAINIAN THEATRE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31652/3041-1017-2026(8-1)-21Keywords:
documentary theater, documentary, artistic text, documentary turn, artistic interpretation, semantic spaceAbstract
The article explores the specifics of documentary as an artistic technique in modern Ukrainian theater in the context of social transformations and wartime reality. It analyzes the features of the development of documentary theater as a form of performing art, based on the use of real events, eyewitness accounts, interviews, archival materials, and verbatim techniques. It is argued that in the context of a full-scale war, documentary theater becomes particularly relevant as a tool for recording collective memory, understanding traumatic experience, and forming national identity. The main stages of the formation of documentary theater in Ukraine are considered and its connection with modern cultural processes is determined, in particular, the transition from postmodern convention to metamodern emotional openness and direct artistic testimony. The role of independent theater platforms and projects that work with documentary forms, combining stage action with public discussions and social reflection, is highlighted. Considerable attention is paid to the analysis of the activities of such theaters as PostPlay Theater, Theater of the Immigrant, Wild Theater and other artistic initiatives that actively integrate documentary practices into the modern cultural space. The article characterizes the key artistic techniques of documentary: verbatim, stage reconstruction of real events, bodily documentary, the use of multimedia technologies and the integration of authentic material into traditional theater. It is proven that documentary in modern Ukrainian theater goes beyond the mechanical reproduction of facts and appears as a complex process of artistic transformation of documentary material. The main stages of this process are identified: selection and fixation of testimonies, dramaturgical montage, performative interpretation, stage mediation and the formation of the effect of authenticity in the audience's perception. It is concluded that documentary theater in Ukraine performs not only aesthetic, but also social, educational and therapeutic functions, forming a space for social dialogue, critical reflection on reality and cultural memory..References
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