Plays by Alexey Popov: the experimenting beginning in modern Komi drama
Introduction: the article is devoted to the study of creativity of Alexey Popov, the well-known playwright in the modern theater world of Komi. In the context of the Komi drama, his plays are characterized by a desire for experiment, revealing new opportunities for the Komi theater art in disclosure and evaluating the contradictions of the changing reality. In the genre and style direction, his texts develop the trends of the so called «new drama» in Komi literature, which at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries is tightly rooted on the stage of Russian theaters.Objective: to present the analytical review of A. Popov’s dramatic art.Research materials: drama works by A. Popov.Results and novelty of the research: the analysis of A. Popov’s works reveals the author’s attraction to the experiment, his desire to break away from the traditions that have developed in the Komi theatre art. New artistic phenomena for the Komi drama are the plays developed by A. Popov (and other playwrights of the turn of the XX-XXI centuries) with an enhanced metaphorical beginning, a play with elements of naturalism, the genres of tragicomedy, a play for reading, a remake play, and an absurdist play. In the dramas of A. Popov, the character of a hero and the ways of its construction change; to reveal the character of a hero, the author uses such artistic technique as intrigue. New for the Komi drama aesthetic phenomena reflect the crisis state of public consciousness of the turn time. The author’s artistic achievements precede new directions in the development of Komi drama.The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that for the first time it provides the systematic analysis ofPopov’s dramatic work, presents the genre and stylistic originality of his plays, shows the specifics of his characters and ways to build conflict in plays.