13th State Theaters - Sabanci International Adana Theater Festival

Sabanci International Theater Festival Kicks Off With A Glamorous Show

Upon cooperation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, General Directorate of State Theaters and Sabanci Foundation, the 13th State Theater- Sabanci International Adana Theater Festival kicked off on March 27, World Theater Day, with an astounding opening show staged on the Seyhan River and Stone Bridge by Italian ensemble Studio Festi.

Studio Festi’s show “Water Symphony” was greeted by thousands of people with great enthusiasm.

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 Pacacıoglu, General Manager of the Sabanci Foundation and Lemi Bilgin, General Manager of State Theaters, in addition to many distinguished guests. The master of ceremony was the actor Zafer Algoz.

Chairman of the Sabanci Foundation Board of Trustees Guler Sabanci noted in her speech that as people of Anatolia, a cradle of several cultures, they bore significant responsibility for the dissemination of culture and arts around Turkey. Sabanci underscored the Foundation’s efforts to increase the number of art viewers in Turkey and to ensure future generations to embrace the cultural legacy. She also remarked that the Foundation was content to contribute to the promotion of the cultural wealth of Anatolia to the rest of the world.

Asserting that the Festival integrates more with the city of Adana each year, Sabanci added, "Today our city Adana is taking firm steps to transform to an international center for arts and culture. We feel proud to open a window to the world through the bountiful land of Adana thanks to the State Theater-Sabanci International Adana Theater Festival".

General Manager of State Theaters, Lemi Bilgin who took the floor at the ceremony said, "We feel proud to organize the 13th Adana Theater Festival this year, an event that elevates human values by way of arts. The Festival, which commenced on March 27, World Theater Day, represents the first loop of the State Theater festival chain.

We are very happy to present the ensembles from various countries who exhibit the most exquisite examples of their cultures here. As life flows at dizzying speed, such festivals add meaning to our lives. We want to take this opportunity to thank art lovers of Adana for cherishing and embracing arts."

Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ertugrul Gunay, expressed the success of international festivals organized in various provinces of Turkey. "I would like to thank Sabanci Family and Sabanci Foundation for their ongoing support for State Theaters Sabanci International Adana Theater Festival, and to everyone else who have enabled the staging of various local and foreign works of theater to meet the audiences".

Sakip Sabanci Lifetime Achievement Award Goes to Gulriz Sururi

“Sakip Sabanci Lifetime Achievement Award” has been offered since 2005 to pay homage to masters who have played a profound role in the development of the art of drama. This year’s award went to Gulriz Sururi.

A Fantastic Closing from 13th Adana Theater Festival

State Theaters- 13th Sabanci International Adana Theater Festival bid farewell to Adana art lovers with a splendid show.

An international theater ensemble, Close Act from the Netherlands, staged a glorious show that integrated with the spectators with its impressive cast composed of dancers, musicians, acrobats as well as giant props and remarkable costumes. Creating a fantastic atmosphere independent of time and space, Close Act staged an unforgettable performance titled “Malaya” on the streets of Adana.

The show that set out from Ataturk Park and ended in the Train Station featured an oracle in the leading role and a cart that was triggered by a metal globe and that carried passengers from the future. The passengers resorted not only to insanity and aggression but also to beauty and charm as means of self-expression, and they embarked on an adventurous journey with the leadership of the oracle and the participation of the viewers.

Great drama from “My Poplar in a Red Scarf” to “Anna Karenina”

Among works performed during the festival were Chinghiz Aitmatov’s unforgettable “My Poplar in a Red Scarf” by the Gabit Musrepov Kazakhstan State Theater Child and Youth; “Electra” by the National Theatre "Radu Stanca" Sibiu from Romania; “Enigma Variations” by the Vakhtangov Theater from Russia; “The Crime of Cura Tato” by the Plankton Theater Collective from Chili, “Anna Karenina” by the Anzelika Cholina Dance Theater from Lithuania and “Malaya” by the Close Act Theater from Netherlands.

Other performances staged at the festival include “The Diary of a Mad Man”, “Karbala” and “Eleven Snapshots from Nazim Hikmet's Human Landscapes from My Country” by the Ankara State Theater; “Bury the Dead” by the Istanbul State Theater; “House of Leyla” by Theatre Kare; “Flame Days” by Istanbul Public Theater; “Woman and Officer” by Besiktas Culture Center; “Uncle Vanya” by Theatre Studio; “Dress Rehearsal for a Suicide” by the Istanbul Municipal Theater and “Azizlikler (Where are we going?)” by the Dostlar Theatre.

461 artists from 17 ensembles (10 local and 7 foreign) performed outdoor shows as well as street shows during the opening and closing of the festival, whereas the rest of the plays took stage at Adana Haci Omer Sabanci Cultural Center again this year. As the Festival’s second leg has been held in Istanbul since 2005, five plays were staged at Sabanci University Performing Arts Center.

The festival which enjoyed great attention from day one has attracted more than 60.000 viewers this year.