This article presents the possibilities of analysis of theatricality in prose discourse. The concept of theatricality is often defined using popular E. Bentley's formula: 'A impersonates B while C looks on'. Generally speaking, this universality of the concept enables to use it as basis for paradigmatic analysis of various cultural spheres. Although usually the relation between theories of theatre and linguistics is built on speech act theory, much deeper relation was revealed in semiotic account of actantial model. As famous semiotician A.J. Greimas has noticed, the nature of actantial model is that of dramatis personae and this suggestion draws an analogy between the structure of theatrical spectacle and the logic of enunciation. In such a way the production of meaning in discourse has a structure of theatrical performance. In literary discourse lexems belonging to theatrical paradigm indicate the presence of theatrical code. The prose discourse may be considered as theatrical when the elements of theatrical paradigm perform certain functions and form an entire isotopy. The discourses with theatrical isotopy can be viewed as having metafictional or self-reflexive discourse level and very often belong to modern and especially postmodern literature
