This article reveals the stylistic peculiarity of modern literature to expose its metaliterary dimension in the theatrical form of narrative construction. Two types of comic discourse are analysed: parody and satire. Based on the texts of two Lithuanian authors, Petras Tarulis (1896–1980) and Petras Cvirka (1909–1947), it has been showed that the parody, striving to mock the literary reality, is more playful and uses theatrical devices for constructing the form of narrative. Meanwhile the satire in criticising real issues of the living world is built on evaluation and is less oriented to metaliterary games. It uses theatrical principles mostly on the thematic level of the narrative
