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The 30th Istanbul Theatre Festival, organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV), opened with French director Caroline Guiela Nguyen’s play “Lacrima” at the Zorlu PSM Turkcell Stage in the Besiktas district. The production will be staged again on Oct. 23.
Nguyen, who directs the Theatre National de Strasbourg in France, created the work. It previously played at international venues including the Avignon Festival, the Barbican, the Odeon Paris, the Schaubühne, and BAM.
“Wind Tree” (“Ruzgar Agaci”), prepared jointly by the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet and MDTistanbul, will be staged on Oct. 24 and 25 at the Ataturk Cultural Center (AKM) Theater Hall on Taksim Square in Beyoglu district. Choreographer Fernando Melo, who works internationally, designed the piece for Danish Dance Theatre, and MDTistanbul dancers perform it at the festival.
The IKSV Young Artist Fund contributed to the production, sponsored by Yatirim Finansman and supported by the Brazilian Consulate.
“Sinners Behind the Lattice: Musketeer’s Daughter Lady Rabia” (“Kafes Arkasi Gunahkarlari: Silahsor Kizi Rabia Hanim”) is also staged on Oct. 24 and 25, at the Phebus Auction House in Asmalimescit in Beyoglu.
Based on historian Resad Ekrem Kocu’s work and directed by Lara Lakay, the site-specific production blends music and urban cabaret elements in a story set in 17th-century Istanbul. It follows the team’s earlier “Circassian Ridvan’s Wardrobe” (“Cerkes Ridvan’in Dolabi”), which also drew on Kocu’s historical narratives.
“A Dowry Contract” (“Bir Ceyiz Sozlesmesi”) will be staged on Oct. 30 and 31 and Nov. 1 at the Yenikoy Panayia Greek Orthodox Church in Sariyer district of Istanbul.
Elif Ozge Maltepe prepared the play, inspired by archive research by historian Orhan Turker. Murat Daltaban directs the site-specific work, which addresses property, labor, and memory through a document that survived from a 19th-century marriage in Yenikoy.
“And the Fire Consumes Us” (“Ve Ates Bizi Tuketiyor”) will be staged on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at the Bakirkoy Leyla Gencer Opera and Arts Center in Bakirkoy district.
Adapted by Muge Oskay from Murat Gulsoy’s novel of the same name and directed by Mehmet Birkiye, the play follows an elderly man lost on Istanbul’s streets at midnight and explores memory, forgetting, and selfhood. The production uses masks, puppets, music and choreography.
The festival also includes “Festival Plus” (“Festival Arti”), a section of free events. Its program of workshops, talks and masterclasses features “Book Club” (“Kitap Kulubu”) sessions focused on the festival’s literary adaptations and “Memory Stage” (“Bellek Sahnesi”) meetings, which examine the history of performing arts through current productions.
Curated by Mehmet Birkiye, the festival continues until Dec. 3. The program and details of the free events are available at tiyatro.iksv.org.
Tickets are sold on the Passo ticketing website and mobile app,asso and at its sales points. A limited number of student tickets are offered for ₺50 under the Eczacibasi Young Ticket project.
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