Orkun ÖNGEN

This study critically examines the frequently referenced concept of theatricality in theatre theory through the method of conceptual deconstruction. The phenomenon of theatricality often tends to generate tautological discourse, closing in on itself within theoretical discussions. Consequently, the transformation of theatricality into an abstract signifier, detached from the aesthetic context it intends to convey, constitutes the main focus of this research. The study analyzes academic texts that address the notion of theatricality, employing deconstruction to explore how the concept loses its theoretical validity and becomes a contentious signifier. In theatre art, the concept of theatricality produces a tautological discourse that merely renames the inherent structural characteristics of theatre rather than providing new theoretical insights. Particularly, theoretical debates on theatricality tend to neglect the representational relationship fundamental to theatre, thereby generating conceptual ambiguity. Furthermore, technological changes that begin to shape the essence of artistic forms are altering the essential qualities of theatre, distancing it from its original aesthetic form. This shift renders the representational nature of theatre secondary, leading to its transformation into alternative aesthetic forms. Such an intervention into the representational nature of theatre necessitates a shift of focus—from what is considered theatrical to what the representational relationship in theatre signifies today. This study argues, based on qualitative assessments, that defining theatre solely through the concept of theatricality transforms its inherent representational nature into a tautological proposition, resulting in a conceptual loss of meaning. Accordingly, the theoretical discourse constructed around the concept of theatricality is not aimed at understanding the true essence of theatre, but rather evolves into a cluster of signifiers that obscure its actual reason for being. This is demonstrated through qualitative evaluations in the conclusion of the study.

Keywords: Theatre theory, critical theory, theatricality, tautology, deconstruction