State Theaters (DT) will open its curtains this time for babies and their mothers with the launch of the “Baby Theater” project, hosting 10 babies aged 1.5 and 3 and their mothers for the first time.
DT will introduce the first example of Baby Theater with the wordless play “Parla,” designed with dance and video mapping, to its youngest audience.
The play, staged by Ankara State Theater at Akün Stage, allows mothers and babies to enter a large tent on stage after removing their shoes and storing their bags in locked lockers. In the production, featuring performers Cansunur Şimşek and Gizem Eskiduman, young audiences experience a wordless, fairy-tale drama while interacting directly with the actors.
Speaking to state-run Anadolu Agency, the play’s director and writer, Servet Aybar, described Baby Theater as a special area and noted that they received consultancy from child development expert Ezgi Fındık, focusing on psychomotor and social skills for this age group.
Aybar, who closely follows Baby Theater worldwide and has conducted research both nationally and internationally, said, “There is a criterion for approaching babies on stage, from those who have completed toilet training and started walking to children up to 36 months. This is a very special audience, so we worked extensively.”
Aybar explained that in “Parla,” children will watch a story set in a forest and lake world inside the tent.
“Our little audience will discover the movements and sounds of creatures such as frogs and oysters and feel the rhythm of music and light. Baby Theater is a sensory experience. Babies and actors perform together using arena theater logic. Inside the tent on cushions, parents and children will sit in a circle while two actors perform in the middle. During the play, the actors will naturally invite participation from babies and parents, for example, when a frog appears on stage, a baby wanting to imitate the sound may be invited, but there is no pressure. Family cooperation is very important and we are eager for their participation,” he said.
Aybar added that a text was prepared for families in the foyer to read before the show so that parents would not face surprises. He said the play was written using the logic of physical and dance Theater, but the main element is video mapping.
The play focuses on direct eye contact, touch and communication, and the tent structure limits the audience to a small number of children. “We accept 10 babies and 10 parents. Our goal is to reach as many children as possible. The play will last 25 minutes, based on the attention span of our young audience,” Aybar said.
He noted that Baby Theater has a long tradition in Europe since the 1980s, with ongoing debates in academic circles about whether it is primarily a form of theater or a child development performance. He said the aim is first to introduce the concept to Turkish children and later represent both the State Theaters and the country at international festivals.
The set and costume design for "Parla” is by Şana Güney Ceyhan, lighting by Mahir Köksal, music by Kemal Günüç, choreography by Zeynep Ok, and video mapping by Parla Aybar and Emir Zeren. The play premieres today at Akün Theater and will return for another performance on March 15.
