Metadrama in contemporary theatre (posing the problem)

The article poses the question concerning the sphere of application and content of the concept Metadrama in contemporary Literature studies. The author of the article endeavors to draw the line of demarcation between the cognate concept Metatext and the concepts Metadrama and Metatheatre as well as to feature the stages of metadramatic experiment of the 20th century, the main landmarks of which are considered to be the works by L.Pirandello, B.Brecht, S.Beckett and outstanding postmodernists T.Stoppard and C.Churchill. Finally, in the article there is a hypothesis of the essence of metadrama is formulated and its means of employment both in dramatic text and on stage are regarded.