The motif of loneliness in Deborah Brevoort's play "Blue Moon Over Memphis."

The article explores the features of the motif of loneliness in the play "Blue Moon Over Memphis" by contemporary American playwright Deborah Brevoort. The mentioned work represents a unique example of cultural dialogue, where the realities of American pop culture of the mid- and late 20th century and the legendary figure of Elvis Presley are embodied in the canonical form of the traditional Japanese Noh theater. The aim of the study is to identify the artistic originality and methods of explicating the motif of loneliness, which arises at the intersection of Western perception and the aesthetics of the Far East. The objects of study include: the evolution of the motif of loneliness, which undergoes a transformation from a cultural dominant in the national literature of the USA to a metaphysical category of "imprisonment" of the spirit, characteristic of the Noh theater canon; the imagery of the work, including the characters (anthropomorphic figures) and symbols (material, spatial, natural, ritual); the philosophical and religious basis of the composition; and the poetics of Noh drama as a key artistic instrument for conveying the alienation and isolation of the characters. The methodological foundation of the article consists of a comprehensive approach that combines: a comparative-historical method aimed at comparing elements of ancient Japanese theater with phenomena of American mass culture; motif analysis, which allows tracing the evolution of the motif of loneliness in diachrony and revealing features of its functioning, as well as its connection with other categories of poetics in Brevoort's play; and intertextual analysis. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that it for the first time in domestic humanities undertakes a detailed examination of Brevoort's play "Blue Moon Over Memphis" within the paradigm of motif direction. Furthermore, this work fills the existing gap in domestic literary studies regarding the study of contemporary foreign "women's drama." Ultimately, the author argues that in the play "Blue Moon Over Memphis," the motif of loneliness acquires a new metaphysical interpretation through the appeal to Eastern aesthetics. The conclusion of the article states that the synthesis of facts from 20th-century American culture and elements of Noh theater not only enhances the aesthetic value of Brevoort's text and action but also contributes to the emergence of a unique artistic model, where loneliness is conceived as a price for recognition in the realm of global mass culture.