This year marks the 26th anniversary of the Ankara International Theater Festival. Thanks to the quarter-century-long efforts of the Foundation for Social Research, Culture, and Arts (TAKSAV), the festival has become a cornerstone event in Ankara. It hosts ensembles from various regions of the country, offering artists a chance to test their productions in front of new audiences and providing the capital's theatergoers a glimpse into the nation's diverse theatrical offerings. The festival also plays a key role in bringing foreign productions, especially from neighboring countries, to Turkey. Each year, the festival awards an honorary prize and a labor prize.

With the theme "Art for a Livable World," this year's festival, held from November 17 to November 27, features over twenty plays across eleven different stages. The stages of the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality are once again a crucial support for the festival. Ticket prices are set at an affordable level to accommodate the average theatergoer. This year, seven performances are planned to be presented free of charge. The festival includes an array of participants – municipal theaters, university theaters, private theaters, and amateur groups – and takes special care to appeal to young audiences.

"Art for a Livable World"

This year, two artists from Ankara have been selected for the awards. Orhan Aydın has been honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Beginning his theatrical journey at the Yeni Mahalle Community Center, Aydın continued his professional career in theater as an actor and director in numerous private theaters in Ankara and Istanbul. Known for his long career in radio and roles in cinema and television, Aydın is a dedicated artist fighting for the political independence of theater.

The labor award was presented to Mehmet Ulusoy, a graduate of the acting department at the DTCF Theater Division. Ulusoy, who rose to fame with his roles in various productions of the Ankara Art Theater, has also significantly contributed to the Ankara Theater Factory productions. He is a sought-after actor in AST and other private theaters in the capital and is involved in television acting and directing.

The festival opened with a dazzling music and dance performance titled "After the Night" by the Bosphorus Players Folklore Group. On November 18, the Middle East Technical University (METU) Players presented their production of "Roots Rising to the Sky," adapted from George Bernard Shaw's famous play "Androcles and the Lion." The highlight of November 19 was Batuhan Yalçın's "Sabit Efendi or the Unknown History of Toilet Paper," a Theater Ciddibazlar production. It was particularly heartening to see new playwrights' works being staged, mainly by Ankara ensembles.

The Festival Continues

Among this year's entries are two Shakespearean plays. Çankaya Stage presented "Othello" on November 19 with a young cast. On November 27, Kulis Theater's production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" will take the stage. Other eagerly anticipated plays include Ankara Metropolitan Municipality City Theater's "I Close My Eyes, I Do My Duty" (November 23), Ali Haydar Aliyev Tbilisi State Azerbaijan Drama Theater's "Morphine" (November 25), Bosphorus University Players' "The Gypsy's Song" (November 26), and the acclaimed "Gomidas" by Istanbul Yolcu Theater (November 27).

Enjoy the show!

In Memory of Metin Uca

We mourn the untimely loss of Metin Uca, a cultural and artistic figure who observed the world and society with a critical, yet humorous eye. Uca was a highly talented television personality, an energetic journalist, a brilliant entertainer, and a master of the Turkish language. In the 1990s, at the start of his career, he went to great lengths to personally experience key cultural events across the country to enrich his skills. He was a man who combined his sharp intelligence with creativity and dedicated himself to his craft through hard work.

Who could have foreseen that he would be such an early loss, a star gone too soon...