LIMINAL STRATEGIES IN CONTEMPORARY THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE: FROM TRANSITION RITUALS TO CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION

Abstract

The article examines liminal strategies in contemporary theatrical art as a significant mechanism of cultural transformations, particularly emphasizing the interplay between the phenomena of liminality, emergence, and Douglas Hofstadter’s concept of the “strange loop”. The authors develop an integral theoretical model that synthesizes these three conceptual approaches to explain complex transformative processes in theatrical performance. Liminality is considered as a threshold space for destroying established social structures, emergence explains the appearance of qualitatively new properties from the interaction of system elements, and the “strange loop” reveals the recursive mechanism of self-awareness. Through the analysis of performances from Ukrainian and international theatre spaces, the relevance of these concepts within postdramatic theatre contexts is explored. The study provides detailed analysis of recursive mechanisms in theatrical interaction: spatial recursion (spectator becomes part of the action space), temporal recursion (penetration of real time into scenic time), semantic recursion (mutual influence of actors’ and spectators’ interpretations), and bodily recursion (physiological reactions as part of performance). Using Natalia Vorozhbit’s play “Viy. Docudrama” as an example, the mechanism of double reflection of traumatic experience through mixing documentary material with mythological elements is demonstrated. The authors’ production “Ostriv Buyan” illustrates the creation of an “identity strange loop” through synesthetic recursion and work with smells. The activities of festivals “Kurbalesia” and “Me and Sela Brook” are analyzed as examples of network emergence at the institutional level. The international project “A Pie of Parallel Realities” is considered as a demonstration of the universality of liminal mechanisms in intercultural dialogue. Perspectives for integrating digital technologies to expand the possibilities of liminal practices are outlined. It is proven that synthesizing the concepts of liminality, emergence, and “strange loop” provides an effective conceptual framework for analyzing complex processes of cultural and artistic transformation in contemporary conditions.