12th State Theaters - Sabanci International Adana Theater Festival

The Sabanci International Theater Festival Begins With A Spectacular Show

Held with the cooperation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the General Directorate of State Theaters and the Sabanci Foundation, the 12th State Theaters Sabanci International Theater Festival began on March 27th, World Theater Day, with a spectacular show by the Italian Studio Festi ensemble.

Studio Festi is known across the world with their fascinating visual performances and dramatic creations orchestrated in city centers, natural surroundings and historical sites, and their show for the Festival opening viewed by thousands of people with great interest.

The one-hour “Concert for Elements” performed on the Seyhan River featured Studio Festi dancers defying gravity atop huge planets and model ships rising to the sky.  Dancing with fire, water sphere choreographies and the fireworks show were among other captivating spectacles performed by the group.

The opening ceremony of the festival was held at the Adana HiltonSA hotel with the attendance of Ertugrul Gunay, Minister of Culture and Tourism; Ilhan Atis, Governor of Adana; Guler Sabanci, Chairman of the Sabanci Foundation Board of Trustees; Husnu Pacacıoğlu, General Manager of the Sabanci Foundation; and Lemi Bilgin, General Manager of State Theaters, in addition to many distinguished guests.

The State Theaters-Sabanci International Adana Theater Festival reaches more than 20 thousand spectators every year, and features 21 performances by 12 foreign and 6 Turkish ensembles this year.  In addition, 5 ensembles will perform their plays at the Sabanci University Performing Arts Center, bringing the festival spirit to Istanbul.

General Manager of State Theaters Lemi Bilgin said, “We are proud to have the 12th Theater Festival in Adana.  Starting on World Theater Day, this festival is first in a series of festivals by the State Theaters.  We are as excited as we had been a decade ago.  We are delighted to be depicting the sacred face of drama.

We are happy to blend peoples and traditions of various countries.  Finally, we are blissful that art is making its mark on the fertile lands of Adana.  We would like to thank the people of Adana for supporting drama and their festival.”

Chairman of the Sabanci Foundation Board of Trustees Guler Sabanci noted their pleasure in helping thousands of people enjoy drama through the State Theaters-Sabanci International Adana Theater Festival, which she said was supported by the foundation to help spread the outreach of social, cultural and artistic events in Turkey and uphold traditional values.

Sabanci added that the State Theaters-Sabanci International Adana Theater Festival breathed new life into the artistic and cultural facet of Adana, and said, "I am proud that what began as a local event is now an international festival.  This is an important step in making Adana a center for culture and the arts," and continued, "The Stone Bridge is a part of the festival again.  The festival is now a part of the way the people of Adana live."

Minister of Culture and Tourism Ertugrul Gunay expressed his pride in the success of international festivals held in various cities of Turkey, and continued, “I would like to thank the Sabanci family and the Sabanci Foundation for their customary and unlimited support of the State Theaters International Adana Theater Festival, and everyone who plays a part in enabling these select works of drama meet wide audiences.”

The master of ceremonies for the night was actor Ali Dusenkalkar, and the World Theater Day Declaration was read by Derya Keyf.

Sakıp Sabanci Lifelong Achievement Award Goes to Musfik Kenter

The Sakip Sabanci Lifelong Achievement Award is being given since 2005 to recognize and pay homage to the masters of the art of drama.  The Sakip Sabanci Lifelong Achievement Award 2010 went to Musfik Kenter.

Speaking at the ceremony, Musfik Kenter said, "I am honored and proud.  Speaking onstage is something; speaking at this ceremony is something alltogether different."

The 12th Adana Theater Festival Concluded with a Musical Carnival

The 12th State Theaters-Sabanci Adana Theater Festival concluded with carnival in the streets: The French Transe-Express Theater, performing for the first time in Turkey, began its street spectacle “Freedom of Violins” at the Ataturk Park, and ended at the train station, offering an unforgettable experience to spectators.

The rhythmic cortege accompanied by vocalists melted into the crowd, playing electronic music like a medieval techno parade. Suspended by an outsized pendulum, two acrobats alternately beat the hide of a vast drum, while violinists suspended 100 feet in the air caused suspense to linger in the air.

The 12th State Theaters-Sabanci International Adana Theater Festival began on March 27th, World Theater Day, and hosted 11 foreign groups from 9 countries in addition to three state theater ensembles, three private theaters and one municipal theater, who performed 21 plays in total.

Foreign participants of the festival were: France: Théatre de la Huchette and Trans-Express Street Theater; Germany: Theater Freiburg; Switzerland: Markus Zohner Theater; Japan: Pappa Tarahumara Theater; Cuba: La Luna and Unforgettable Women Theaters; Republic of Tuva: Tuva State Music and Drama Theater; Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus: Nicosia Municipal Theater; Spain: Tatiana Garrido Flamenco Ensemble and Italy: Studio Festi.

Domestic performers were the Kenter Theater, Dostlar Theater, AYSA Production Theater, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Theater, Ankara State Theater, Istanbul State Theater and Konya State Theater.

Stage plays were performed at the Haci Omer Sabanci Cultural Center, while outdoor performances appealed to a greater number of viewers: In addition to the opening performance of the Italian Studio Festi ensemble on the Stone Bridge, the Spanish flamenco group performed their “Fuego y Arena” show at the Central Park, and the closing performance by the French ensemble Transe Express was staged at the Ataturk Park and the train station.  The Stone Bridge hosted other events during the festival.  In addition, two foreign and three domestic ensembles staged their plays at the Sabanci University Performing Arts Center in Istanbul, drawing audiences from Istanbul into the festival spirit.