An analysis of theatrical scripts in Kyrgyz literature based on the Epic of Manas

This dissertation examines theatrical texts in Kyrgyz literature that are derived from the Manas Epic, with the aim of revealing the intertextual relationship between the epic and its stage adaptations. The corpus includes Kasım Tınıstanov's Academic Nights, the opera libretto Ayçürök by Coomart Bökönbayev, Cusup Turusbekov and Kubanıçbek Malikov, Bökönbayev's play Semetey, Malikov's libretto Seytek, the play Manas and Almambet by Tügölbay Sıdıkbekov and Kalim Rahmatullin, the opera libretto Manas by Malikov and Aalı Tokombayev, Calil Sadıkov's trilogy Ayköl Manas, Semetey Son of Manas and Seytek, as well as two Turkish plays: Recep Bilginer's Manas the Immortal Hero and Türel Ezici's The Kyrgyz Hero Manas. Adopting a qualitative, text-oriented and comparative approach, the study analyses these works in terms of their intertextual links with the Manas Epic (quotation, transformation, rewriting), dramatic structure, construction of time and space, plot organization, character system and ideological layers. It is observed that Soviet-period texts foreground themes such as collective labour, class ideology and official discourse, whereas post-independence plays emphasize national identity, cultural heritage and historical memory. Turkish adaptations, on the other hand, reposition Manas as a common cultural legacy of the Turkic world and highlight the cultural proximity between Kyrgyzstan and Turkey. Overall, the study demonstrates that Manas-based theatrical texts function not merely as literary adaptations but as powerful instruments for reconstructing Kyrgyz cultural identity, historical consciousness and national memory on stage. In this respect, the dissertation offers a comprehensive perspective on the circulation and transformative impact of the Manas Epic within contemporary performing arts.