After celebrating its 60th anniversary in the 2009-2010 season, the Turkish State Theaters' goal is to bring theater to all Turkish provinces, General Director Lemi Bilgin says, adding that new stages mean new seats and more viewers. ‘The number of viewers increases automatically in parallel with the number of seats,’ Bilgin tells Anatolia news agency
 Last season, the State Theaters welcome 1.6 million spectators to their performances, Bilgin said. |
The Turkish State Theaters organization is looking forward to opening four new locations around Turkey in 2011 as part of its ultimate strategy of bringing plays to all of Turkey’s 81 provinces, according to its general director.
The theaters performed on 54 stages around the country in the 2009-2010 concert season, the state organization’s 60th, but the four new additions, in the Aegean provinces of Denizli and Manisa, the Black Sea province of Ordu and the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri, will bring the total to 58 for the coming year, General Manager Lemi Bilgin told Anatolia news agency last week.
Bilgin said the theaters were adding more and more stages every year, especially in the last two years in big cities like Ankara, Istanbul and İzmir.
“Besides our tours, we are opening the curtains on 54 stages at the moment. We have a strong infrastructure and team. We sometimes work so fast that we can renovate a building in 15 days and open the curtain soon after,” he said.
After seeing big success in terms of audience and performance numbers, the theaters’ ultimate aim is to introduce theater to all Turkish provinces, Bilgin said.
With a 93 percent increase in the number of stages since 2000, the organization has also seen a serious increase in the number of audience seats, growing from 10,187 in 2000 to 17,932 in the 2009-2010 season.
Last season, the State Theaters welcome 1.6 million spectators to their performances, Bilgin said.
Various provinces have contacted the state institution, asking for theaters to be established in their areas as well, but Bilgin said it was difficult meeting the demand, adding that the group has sometimes performed in places that lack a proper stage.
“We’ve previously performed even in wedding salons. Cultural centers have been opened recently both by the ministry and municipalities in many provinces. This is a very good development. Cities are changing thanks to theaters,” Bilgin said.
“I want theaters to exist in all 81 provinces by the 70th-75th year of the State Theaters. It doesn’t matter if it’s Şırnak, Hakkari or Uşak, east or west. This is not a big dream. We did it in eight-10 cities within a very short time and we can also do it in 81 provinces. This is my mission for the next 10 years,” he said.
“The number of viewers increases automatically in parallel with the number of seats. It doesn’t mean that theaters were empty in the past but full now,” he said.
He said he has always encouraged performers during recitals to raise their voices so that even viewers in the back row can hear the play. “This is why we reach full capacity as even the seats in the worst places are sold.”
Elazığ State Theater celebrates anniversary
Bilgin also said he often receives many emails from theater aficionados.
“A group of viewers sent me an email from Elazığ. They told me that they celebrated our second anniversary in the city with a cake. Even the actors on the stage did not know about it. They also took photos and sent them to me. It makes me happy that they are very interested – they did not even forget the anniversary of the theater. One of the viewers said, ‘You can’t imagine what it means to us to see the poster for a play on the window of a shop in Elazığ,’” he said.
The theaters performed on 54 stages around the country in the 2009-2010 concert season, the state organization’s 60th, but the four new additions, in the Aegean provinces of Denizli and Manisa, the Black Sea province of Ordu and the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri, will bring the total to 58 for the coming year, General Manager Lemi Bilgin told Anatolia news agency last week.
Bilgin said the theaters were adding more and more stages every year, especially in the last two years in big cities like Ankara, Istanbul and İzmir.
“Besides our tours, we are opening the curtains on 54 stages at the moment. We have a strong infrastructure and team. We sometimes work so fast that we can renovate a building in 15 days and open the curtain soon after,” he said.
After seeing big success in terms of audience and performance numbers, the theaters’ ultimate aim is to introduce theater to all Turkish provinces, Bilgin said.
With a 93 percent increase in the number of stages since 2000, the organization has also seen a serious increase in the number of audience seats, growing from 10,187 in 2000 to 17,932 in the 2009-2010 season.
Last season, the State Theaters welcome 1.6 million spectators to their performances, Bilgin said.
Various provinces have contacted the state institution, asking for theaters to be established in their areas as well, but Bilgin said it was difficult meeting the demand, adding that the group has sometimes performed in places that lack a proper stage.
“We’ve previously performed even in wedding salons. Cultural centers have been opened recently both by the ministry and municipalities in many provinces. This is a very good development. Cities are changing thanks to theaters,” Bilgin said.
“I want theaters to exist in all 81 provinces by the 70th-75th year of the State Theaters. It doesn’t matter if it’s Şırnak, Hakkari or Uşak, east or west. This is not a big dream. We did it in eight-10 cities within a very short time and we can also do it in 81 provinces. This is my mission for the next 10 years,” he said.
“The number of viewers increases automatically in parallel with the number of seats. It doesn’t mean that theaters were empty in the past but full now,” he said.
He said he has always encouraged performers during recitals to raise their voices so that even viewers in the back row can hear the play. “This is why we reach full capacity as even the seats in the worst places are sold.”
Elazığ State Theater celebrates anniversary
Bilgin also said he often receives many emails from theater aficionados.
“A group of viewers sent me an email from Elazığ. They told me that they celebrated our second anniversary in the city with a cake. Even the actors on the stage did not know about it. They also took photos and sent them to me. It makes me happy that they are very interested – they did not even forget the anniversary of the theater. One of the viewers said, ‘You can’t imagine what it means to us to see the poster for a play on the window of a shop in Elazığ,’” he said.
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