State Theaters set for Broadway debut

HATAY

The Turkish State Theaters (DT) is preparing for its first-ever tour to the United States, with plans to stage a Turkish play on Broadway within the next year, according to General Director Tamer Karadağlı.
Speaking during the inauguration of the Hatay State Theater stage in southern Türkiye, Karadağlı said the institution was in talks with multiple theaters in the United States, including venues on Broadway, to bring a production centered on Turkish stories and culture to American audiences.
“For the first time in the history of State Theaters, we will tour the United States,” Karadağlı said. “We will go with a Turkish play — one that tells our stories and reflects our culture. Within a year, we will stage a Turkish production on Broadway with Turkish actors.”
Karadağlı stated that meetings had already been held with representatives from approximately eight to ten theaters in the U.S. and on Broadway as part of preparations for the international initiative. He added that American theater officials involved in the discussions would also be invited to Türkiye in the coming period.
He emphasized that the production would feature a domestic script rather than an adaptation of a foreign work. “Most likely, we will travel to the United States with a new production by State Theaters, but it will certainly be a local Turkish play,” he said.
Karadağlı noted that the institution had previously toured “almost every country in the world,” but had never before staged a production in the U.S.
The Broadway initiative comes as Türkiye’s State Theaters continues to expand domestically.
Karadağlı announced that the Kars State Theater, in northeastern Türkiye, is expected to open within the next one to one-and-a-half months, following the launch of the Hatay venue.
“There will be a resident stage in Hatay; this will not be a touring region,” Karadağlı said, adding that the Culture and Tourism Ministry and State Theaters attached particular importance to the cultural reconstruction of the earthquake-hit province.
He also revealed that an additional theater stage would soon be opened in the city, expanding the province’s cultural infrastructure further.
“Hatay’s roads and buildings are being rebuilt, and it will also develop through art and culture,” he said.
“The people of Hatay deserve this renewal, this stage, and more. We will bring them art in the best possible way and very quickly.”
Regarding the planned Kars venue, Karadağlı said the theater would also operate with a permanent resident ensemble, though decisions on productions would be made after the opening.