The 21st-Century Drama and the New Reality of Social Networks

Abstract

The article examines the impact of social networks on modern theatre by looking at the case of drama transformation. Discussed are the peculiarities of reportage plays versus traditional plays, emphasising the various forms of so-called Facebook plays. The author shows that while Facebook plays have become a major feature of theatrical life in the 21st century, their proliferation has also revealed social networks’ negative effects on social communication. This has found its apt reflection in dramatic texts. The study concludes with an argument that although the impact of social networks on drama has of late tended to wane, the changes that have occurred in the structure of texts over the last decade or so appear to be largely irreversible.