THE EXPERIENCE OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN DIRECTOR AND COMPOSER IN CONTEMPORARY UKRAINIAN THEATRE (BASED ON THE EXAMPLE OF MUSIC FOR OKSANA DMITRIEVA’S NEWEST STAGE PRODUCTIONS)

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to reflect on and systematize the experience of creative interaction between a director and a composer in Ukrainian theatrical art of the 21st century, using the latest productions of Oksana Dmitrieva (2024– 2025) as a case study. The research aims to identify the principles of collaborative development of the musical concept of a performance, as well as to define the role of the composer as a subject of creating sound dramaturgy, who directly participates in forming the semantic and emotional structure of the stage production. The research methodology is based on a comprehensive art history approach. The systemic method allowed for considering the musical solution as an integral component of the theatrical synthesis; the typological method was used to classify sound techniques; the semantic analysis method was applied to reveal the meaningful content of leitmotifs and quotations. A special place in the study is occupied by the method of scientific self-reflection, which allowed for analyzing the experience of collaboration with the director from within the creative process and substantiating the logic behind specific compositional strategies. A significant role is played by the structural-functional analysis method, which helped determine the significance of the author’s musical contribution to the architectonics of the analyzed performances. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the first attempt in Ukrainian art history to theoretically comprehend the experience of collaboration between a director and a composer as an integrated creative strategy within the context of the contemporary theatrical process (2024–2025). Conclusions. As a result of the study, models of interaction between the director and the composer are systematized, where the latter emerges as an active participant in creating the artistic integrity of the performance. It is revealed that the composer’s role consists not only in the sound design of the stage action but also in the development of the deep semantic layers of the performance. The main approaches to organizing the auditory space are identified: from building an immersive «soundscape» to utilizing a leitmotif system. It is proved that systemic cooperation, based on conceptual unity, allows for the creation of multi-layered musical-stage structures that become a tool for comprehending current themes of identity, memory, and personal experience