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| About Turkish Theatre TURK TIYATROSU ÜZERINE... |
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| A FEW WORDS ON TRADITIONAL TURKISH THEATRE |
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ORTAOYUNU (Play in the Middle) The kind of Karagöz, which had been put on stage, had started to develop since 15th century and had gained its dramatic character in the first half of the 19th century. It has this name since the spectators are surrounding it when it is being performed. The main characters of the “middle play” of the City Public Theatre are Kavuklu and Pisekar. The Middle Play mainly focuses on the speech duet of these two characters. Kavuklu seems to be ignorant and confused and Kurnaz is a merry man from society. Pisekar is an educated and efficient old man who is able to see which is good or bad. The other characters of Karagöz show, other than Kavuklu and Pisekar are able to be seen in middle play (such as Acem, Karadenizli, Arnavut, Tuzsuz Deli Bekir, Zenneler etc.). The folding screen, which is named as “New World”, represents the house and the round table represents the shop. The two chairs complete the décor. |
| MEDDAH (Story Teller) Meddah, (Public story teller and mimic) Being a meddah, who is a storyteller, is an art of mimic. It’s a show whose curtain, curtain, stage, decors and costume are only assembled on an artist. Meddah (the storyteller) sits on a chair and tells stories. His subjects are events of daily lives, tales, epics, stories and legends. The accessories of a meddah are a handkerchief and a walking stick. He generally begins with cliches of stories from which funny, moral and literary results can be drawn out such as “raviyan-ahbar” and “nak‡lan-I asar” and “muhadd‡san-I rüzigar ?öyle rivayet ederler ki” and begins to tell his story listing his characters. Meddah is the person who makes his story’s characters speak in the language and dialect of his suburb. Meddah is the only artist and player of a theatre work which has more than one players. This art could be seen in the Ottoman Palace, cities, towns on ramadan nights, in circumcision feasts and cates especially when reading was not developed but when listening was more popular. The continuation of this art today is the showmen who make stand-up comedies. |
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KÖY SEYIRLIK OYUNLARI/ (Willage Shows) Village shows known as “villager theatre” are ceremonial plays performed to celebrate the new year and for wealth and health under the name of “making play” “performing a play” on certain days of the year. These plays are performed in the rooms in winter as well as in open spaces. These plays which have been inherited from primitive societies were plays that were consciously performed for a productive life and for expressing the gratitude to supernatural forces to god or to gods. These plays whose bases are different believes and myths have the traces of old Anatolian civilizations, of cultural elements that our people living in Anatolia have brought from Middle East and the traces of a cultural synthesis of Islamic elements that have been combined with other elements after the acceptance of Islam. These shows are examples of a primitive theatre. These are functions in social and religious aspects rather than the art aspect.These shows are formed of plays in which daily lives (tinner, barber, ploughing etc.) in which the animals (camel, bear, fox, eagle etc.) are imitated and the plays which are performed for a change of seasons, years and plays which are performed for wealth and fertility (collecting sheep taxes, ceremonies of adding a ram, jamel play etc.) and plays to make the rain fall (rain charm bride).Jamel Play: is played on the first day when the seed is thrown into the soil. Adding a ram: is controlling the period of bringing forth young of the animals’ babies, since they are vulnerable to cold and hunger in winter. This is kind of a season celebration. Face of the camel, face of the sheep: is played when the baby in the womb of the animal is beginning to grow feathers. |
| KARAGÖZ Traditional Shadow Play Karagöz is a shadow play whose true form is the moving of beings named as designs made from skin of a camel or cow with sticks on a white curtain by reflecting light behind them. The play takes its name from its main character “Karagöz”.The source of shadow plays is accepted as southeastern Asian countries. There are different views about it coming to Turkey. One of the views is that the plays such as “ember armlet” and “dream tent” known in Middle East are shadow plays and they’ve been brought to Anatolia during migrations. Other view is that the shadow play has come into Turkey after Yavuz Sultan Selim, who had conquered Egypt in 1517, had brought the shadow play artists to Turkey. Karagöz had become one of the most enjoyed entertainment methods of public, which mainly focused on public types beginning from the 18th century. Karagöz is played depending on the talent of an artist. Moving the design on curtain, voicing them, dialects or imitations are all made by the artist. The subjects of Karagöz plays are funny elements. Double meanings, exaggerations, verbal plays, imitating accents are the main elements of the comedy.1. The beginning section in which Hacivat comes to the curtain singing semai and Karagöz’s calling him after saying a lyric poem and in which Karagöz and hacivat quarrel is called “Mukaddime”. In this section, the play’s philosophical and Islamic mysticism and showing the realities are underlined by the lyric poem Hacivat said. 2. In the “muhavere” section, there’s a one-to-one conversation apart from the series of events based only on word of Karagöz and Hacivat. Muhavere may be in rigmarole. In this section the personal characteristics and opposite natures of Karagöz and Hacivat are underlined. Muhaveres may both be related or not be related to the play. Besides there are Muhavere with double Karagözs inconstant muhavere or middle muhavere types. 3. The section where the story is mainly expressed and the other characters come on the curtain is the “fas‡l” section. The play takes its title according to the subject of this section. The players leave the curtain in any way toward the end of the play. Only Hacivat and Karagöz remain on the curtain. 4. At the ending part of the play, the ending is informed with the conversation of Karagöz and Hacivat and apologies are made for any mistakes of the event to the spectators and the announcement of the following game is made and the play ends. In Karagöz play, there’s satire and irony. These ironies may reach to the state administrators with a humorous style. The main characters of the play are Karagöz and Hacivat. Karagöz represents the public’s morals and common sense. He speaks as he is. Hacivat is educated in Moslem theology school and he’s unreliable and following the order. The other characters are Tuzsuz (Salties) Çelebi, Drunk, Baberuhi, Albanian, Jewish, Circassian, Kurdish, Laz, Addictive, males taking female parts etc.Karagöz was interested and supported by the Palace. Karagöz had took place in the festivals and circumcision ceremonies of princes. Karagöz is especially integrated with the Istanbul centered Ottoman culture. It is possible to see the life of Istanbul in Karagöz plays. Aghas, Great Marriage, Boat and Tahmis are Ferhad and ?irin, Fisher, Leila and Majnun, Wrong Marriage Tahir and Zühre, Yalova Pleasure, Karagöz’s Clerkship, Karagöz’s Love, Karagöz’s doctorate etc.The Technique of KaragözThe white curtain on which Karagöz is played is named as “mirror”. At first the curtains were 2x2.5 m. then they began to be made in 110x80 m. size. In the inner side, below the curtain there is an “edging wood”. There are also cymbals, tambourines, canes, pipes and lamps to illuminate the curtain. These are on the edging wood. The designs used in the play are 32-40cm sized and they are generally made from the skin of camel or cows. The skins are made transparent with a special method. Then they are embroidered with sharp painted blades called “nevregan”. The pieces are tied with ropes named rafters or catgut. Then the designs are painted with Indian ink or root paints. Karagöz, which was the most important entertainment of Ottoman period, was played in ramadans, circumcision feast festivals, coffeehouses and gardens. Karagöz, which is known to address to social events of the period, criticizing them, were prevalently played in Istanbul. This was spread to other parts of Anatolia by the artists going on tours. Today, Karagöz that is one of the most introductory elements of our country are played in the tourist hotels and restaurants. But spectators generally reach it by television. The studies related to the art of Karagöz that is tried to be continued by a limited number of artists are conducted by the Presidency of Turkey National Center of International Puppet and Shadow Play Union (UNIMA) and the Ministry of Culture.
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KUKLA Traditional Puppet The puppets, meaning baby, such as korçak, kudurcuk, kaburcuk, ko?urcak, lubet etc. are one of the oldest shows still living in Anatolia. The puppet named “Korkolçak” “Çadir Hayal”(stringed puppet) is also the same in Eastern Asia and is thought to be brought from Eastern Asia.The show is seen in its original simple technique and which is known as puppet show in the cities of Turkey since the 17th century is generally known as “bebek, çömce gelin, karaçör” between the villages of Anatolia. The puppet show whose subject is made up of examples of daily lives and literary stories is a show of action and volume. It is known that it’s been played since the 14th century. The main characters of the play are Ibis and the old man. †bi? is sly and quick-witted. The old man is a wealthy person. The art of puppets known as stringed, hand, wagon, and chair type puppets in our country had begun to lose its importance at the end of 19th century. A limited number of artists had been trained in the Period of Republic. Today, Ihsan Dizdar, Selim Basegmez, M. Tahir Ikiler, Haluk Yüce and Duygu Tansi are still trying to continue this art. |
| TURKISH THEATRE IN THE LAST TWENTY YEARS In the 1970's, Turkish theatre made use of the techniques in the west while preserving its own traditional structure. National and universal tendencies are observable in the work of playwrights, directors, and in the concepts of acting. After the 1972-1973 theatre season however, private theatres in Turkey started closing down, and within a couple of years were considerably reduced in number. Subsidies led to the opening of new theatres, and the state theatre especially began a new period of stability in Bursa and Izmir in the 1971-1972 season, and in Istanbul in the 1978-1979 season, and increased the number of its directorates. At that time the State Theatre had five theatres in Ankara: Büyük Tiyatro, Küçük Tiyatro, Yeni Sahne, Altindag Tiyatrosu, and Oda Tiyatrosu. In 1978 theatre tours in Turkey started to be made to all the big cities, and they were continued regularly every season. The Istanbul city theatres were made into five separate divisions with regulations issued in 1976. Each division had a group art director affiliated to the general art director. Together with Tepebasi, Harbiye, Fatih, Kadiköy and Üsküdar city theatres, a traveling theatre group was formed. These divisions continued until 1980. However, many of the private theatres established after 1970 were not long lasting. Kardes Oyuncular and Ankara Oyunculari in Ankara, and Grup Oyunculari, Çevre Tiyatrosu, Üsküdar Oyunculari, Ulvi Uraz toplulugu, Abdurrahman Palay Tiyatrosu, The Theatre of Turkish Writers and Hasmet Zeybek's Gazete Theatre are some of the theatre groups established up until 1974. The Nisa Serezli-Tolga Askiner group which was established in 1971 continued its work, and a group of artists who left the Ankara Art Theatre the same season established the Petek Players Group. After a short time the Yeni Ankara Theatre and Asaf Çigiltepe Groups were established, replacing the former group. The Ali Poyrazoglu Theatre established in Istanbul at the 1972-1973 theatre season still performs its plays, which once attracted a great deal of attention. In the following years the Revolutionist Ankara Theatre (DAST) established by Erkan Yücel, who had previously left the Ankara Theatre together with a large group, took the name "Folk Theatre". Then, artists belonging to the Association of Short Period Artists established the "Çagdas Sahne" or Modern Stage. Çagdas Sahne operated as a multi-cultural institution, administered the Ankara Cinematique Association, and arranged plays and concerts. This theatre gained a distinguished position by staging children's plays among certain age groups. Other important groups are the Levent Kirca Theatre and Pioneer Stage. Akbank Children's Theatre , the Anatolian Children's Players under the direction of Ümit Denizer, the Ankara Children's Theatre under the direction of Salih Kalyon all put the past into a modern context. The contents of plays have concentrated on such topics as workers, civil servants, slum dwellings, events of recent history, current problems, and documentary studies after the 1970s. There are various topics taken from the War of Independence, the years of the Second World War, legends and tales. Ismet Küntay tells stories from the war years in "Tozlu Çizmeler" or Dusty Boots, people from various environments in "Evler... Evler" or Houses...Houses, workers constructing highways in "403 Kilometres". Ali Tuygun's "Legend of Agri Mountain", adopted from Yasar Kemal, was compiled from a legend. Basar Sabuncu's "Life Story of Paymaster Ali Riza Bey", Tarik Bugra's "Ibis's Dream", Rifat Ilgaz's "Hababam Class", Melih Cevdet Anday's "Insiders", Bilgesu Erenus's "Double Game", Turhan Selçuk's "Abdülcanbaz", Kemal Bekir's "Falling" and Cevat Fehmi Baskut's "Who died" plays were written after the 1970s. Erol Günaydin and Cemal Resit Rey's "Howl 70" and "Balloon World" are musical plays. Orhan Aslan's "Hunting in Chile" and Güngör Dilmen Kalyoncu's "Blonde Gods" took their subject from global problems. Ergin Orbey's documentary plays "First Liberation" and "Independence War Through Documents" tells about the National War of Independence. Vasif Öngören's "Rich Kitchen" and "How to Play" created new styles. Oktay Arayici's "Futile World" and Aziz Nesin's "What Yasar Needs To Live" reflect the problems of oppressed people. Nezihe Araz's "Plain Praise", Vasfi Uçkan's "Sorrowful Soil", Orhan Asena's "Bald Mehmet From Atça", Ülker Köksal's "Ways Ended" and Erdogan Aytekin's "Ebekaya" deal with the issues of rural areas. Ali Yörük describes a local wedding feast in "Turkman Wedding". Ferdi Merter criticizes war in "Guns and Flowers". Erol Toy's "Adulater" is a contemporary example of traditional Turkish theater. Kerim Korcan's "Lynching" and "Tatar Ramazan" and Lale Oraloglu's "Women's Prison" deal with prison conditions. Hasmet Zeybek's "Alpagut Event" and "Wedding Drum", Okay Arayici's "Social Anatomy of A Death", Erdogan Alkin's "Red Street' Suzan" and Haldun Taner's "Commotion in Moonlight" are examples of the period. In the 1980s the State Theatre continued to spread over the country through opening new theater directorates in various cities and increasing the numbers of permanent cadres. Every directorate established within the structure of the State Theatre goes on tour. The Ankara, Izmir, Istanbul, Bursa, Diyarbakir, Adana and Trabzon theatres make tours in their regions every month. The number of theatres in Ankara rose to six by opening the Sinasi Stage in place of the former Modern Stage during the 1987-1988 season. The Irfan Sahinbas Stage, opened on 4 April 1990 is used as an experimental theatre. The repertoires of State Theatres and Istanbul City Theatres contain classic, contemporary and local plays. The Hadi Çaman Yeditepe Players, Enis Fosforoglu Theater, Hodri Meydan Cultural Center and the Ferhan Sensoy Comics are among private theatres established recently. Ankara Art Theatre, Dormen Theatre, Kent Players, Dostlar Theatre, Nisan Serezli-Tolga Askiner Theatre, Ali Poyrazoglu Theatre, Gazenfer Özcan-Gönül Ülkü Theatre, Nejat Uygur Theatre, and the Levent Kirca Theatre have been active since the 1960s and 1970s. Several children's theatres from this period are Reha Bilgen's Tale Reality Theater, Idil Yazgin's Idil Abla Children's Theatre, Children"s Section of the Tevfik Gelenbe and Nokta Theatre in Istanbul, and the Ali Hürol Children"s Theatre, Çan Theatre, Children Section of the Folk Theatre and the Anatolian Art Center. Of the plays written after 1980, some can be mentioned as follows: "Resimli Osmanli Tarihi"(Illustrated Ottoman History), Bir "Sehnaz Oyun" (A Compound Play), "Töre" (Custom), "Ah Su Gençler" (Those Youth) by Turgut Özakman; "Rumuz Goncagül" (Sign Goncagül) by Oktay Arayici, "Misafir" (Guest) by Bilgesu Erenus, "Utanç Dünyasi" (A Shameful World) by Recep Bilginer, "Agri Dagi Efsanesi" (Mt. Agri |
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