EDEBI HATIRATLAR IŞIĞINDA TÜRK TIYATROSU (1860-1918)
TURKISH THEATRE IN THE LIGHT OF LITERARY MEMOIRS (1860-1918)

Summary/Abstract: Turkish theatre acquired both a literary and social form during the period spanning from the Tanzimat to the Second Constitutional Era. The construction of theatre buildings and the arrival of European theatre companies in Istanbul during this period made significant contributions to the institutionalisation of theatre and the Turkish audience's introduction to this art form. As a result of Sultan Abdülmecid's interest in theatre arts, the construction of theatre buildings and incentives for writing plays in Turkish, the first example of modern theatre in Turkish literature emerged; subsequently, with the translations that followed, theatre entered a process of literary and cultural development. Memoirs reveal many elements, such as the formation of theatre institutions, stage practices, acting approaches, censorship, audience profiles, and cultural transformations, through subjective but vivid testimonies that go beyond official documents. Memoirs examine the aesthetic and institutional changes theatre underwent during the period from the Tanzimat to the Republic within the context of the intellectual climate of the time. This study focuses on theatre writings in memoirs; literary texts and stage practice or collaborations are analysed through these testimonies. Based on literary memoirs covering the period 1860-1918, they are considered fundamental sources that fill the gaps in Turkish theatre history, reveal what goes on behind the scenes, and complement official historical narratives.

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