Mixtape dramaturgy : the case of Jan Klata

In her chapter, Anna R. Burzyńska applies concepts and theories derived from DJ culture to theatrical works by Polish theatre director Jan Klata. Klata likes to use expressions like ‘remix’, ‘sample’, ‘dub’, or ‘scratch’ to describe his method of work: various operations on cultural texts (theatre plays, novels, screenplays) he adapts on stage. Burzyńska argues, however, that the most inspiring reference point to his performances is a mixtape. Klata often prepares mixtapes to help him work on his performance's dramaturgy. Sometimes he uses them only during the initial phase of conceptual thinking; sometimes during the rehearsals (to help his actors get in the mood and find their rhythm); sometimes, they operate as a performance playlist. Referring to the semiotics of music and theatre, the author reflects on such matters as the components of a theatrical work (and their hierarchy or lack thereof), the problem of originality and authorship in contemporary art, as well as the question of the sender and recipient of a theatrical mixtape and the political potential of it. The analysis of Jan Klata's artistic practices is accompanied by a reflection on questions of musical meaning and music as a medium of communication.