The fourth Istanbul International Women Playwrights Theater Festival, organized by State Theaters, has opened this year with a ceremony held at the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) Theater Hall.
The festival, which features works by women playwrights from nine countries, began with the play “Sevdalinka,” staged by the Bursa State Theater and adapted from the novel of the same name by Ayşe Kulin.
Speaking to members of the press before the performance, Istanbul State Theaters General Director Mehmet Fatih Dokgöz commemorated those who lost their lives in the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, describing the current period as one marked by shared grief and collective testimony.
Emphasizing the sensitivity reflected in the works of women playwrights, Dokgöz said they often articulate disasters, ruptures and losses through everyday life, focusing on what is unseen and unspoken.
Referring to the scope of the festival, Dokgöz noted that it has grown into a polyphonic and international gathering with the participation of productions from various regions of State Theaters as well as private theater companies.
He added that the program also includes “Memory,” a dance performance by the Alan Antakya Dance Collective, founded in Hatay by Didem Koban Demirkol and Süleyman Demirkol. The performance, created together with young earthquake survivors, addresses memory, healing and collective rebuilding in the aftermath of disaster.
Running for 10 days, the Istanbul International Women Playwrights Theater Festival aims to transform theater into a shared and emotionally resonant encounter rather than a solely observational experience.
The festival features productions by theater groups from Kazakhstan, Russia, Spain, Peru, Tunisia, North Macedonia, Colombia, Georgia and Hungary, alongside performances by State Theaters from different regions and private theater companies.
A total of 19 plays will be staged during the festival, accompanied by talks and workshops.
Additionally, the exhibition “Women on Stage,” curated and designed by State Theaters Technical Director Hakan Dündar with stage designers Büşra Eroğlu and Mustafa Mahdum, and prepared with contributions from the State Theaters Archive Department, invites audiences at AKM to reflect on their own lives, memories and roots throughout the festival.
