Possibilities and limitations of theatrical dialogue in the context of the theory of speech acts

The article deals with theatrical dialogue in the context of the theory of speech acts. The specificity of intrinsic and extrinsic dialogue is analysed. The article also tries to present potentials and limitations of the operation of theatrical dialogue in the context given. It demonstrates that the theory of speech acts supposes the model of Classical dialogue, which is parallel to the speech situation in the intrinsic dialogue between the characters in a play and supposes the revelation of a dramaturge's or a director's intentions in the process of perception in the extrinsic dialogue between a scene and the spectators. As a result, a performance takes the risk of becoming a scenic reconstruction of a drama. The article also shows that the theory allows us to speak about the selection of subjective means by which significance is created, but does not include a definition of performance as autonomous production and the ontological status of performance. Otherwise, the theory of speech acts enables us to treat dialogue as a type of social and communicative activityVytauto Didžiojo universiteta