Abstract

Metatheatre and social media are important to be a rich and complex material for investigation in modern American drama. The intersection of social media and metatheatre reflect the complexity of modern communication. In a time where personal live interaction is dominated by digital engagement, theater has changed to integrate with these aspects and question conventional narrative structure by using new techniques to attract audience. This paper investigates metatheatrical elements in relation to social media and its effect on today life . It tackles two contemporary plays of Annie Baker's "The Flik" (2014) and Lauren Gunderson' "The Silent Sky" (2016). Annie and Gunderson' works utilize metatheatre as a device to engage the audience in reflecting their own experiences with social media. They use self- referential technique to illuminate the boundaries between illusion and reality to encourage the audience to compare their visual interaction with their real daily live. In both plays metatheatrical moments explore the effect of social media in societal issues.