ÖTEKİ TİYATRO
Öteki Tiyatro was founded in Ankara in 1998 by Ahmet Mümtaz Taylan, Yücel Erten, and Murat
Karahüseyinoğlu. Since its foundation, the company has produced original theatrical works that
reinterpret classical and contemporary texts, establish new relationships between literature and
theatre, and particularly explore the relationship between the individual, power, and society.
In 2000, Öteki Tiyatro presented its first production outside its own venue, Azizname, directed by
Yücel Erten. On 29 October 2003, the company opened its own theatre venue in Ankara's Maltepe
district with the festival “40 Days 40 Nights.”
One of the company's founders and its Artistic Director, Murat Karahüseyinoğlu, graduated from
the Theatre Department of Ankara University, Faculty of Languages, History and Geography. His
artistic practice focuses particularly on rereading existing texts, adapting them for the stage,
rewriting them, and bringing them into dialogue with different theatrical forms and traditions. His
work on Shakespeare, Beckett, Oğuz Atay, Kafka, Camus, and various writers of Turkish literature
are important examples of this approach.
Among Öteki Tiyatro's Shakespeare productions are Hamlet forever, Aman Şekspir Duymasın!,
Venedikli Tacir, and Soytarı Kral Lear. The company approaches Shakespeare's texts not only
through conventional staging, but also through rewriting, dramaturgical transformation, and
intercultural theatrical forms.
An important part of this research is Karagöz, the traditional Turkish shadow theatre. Godot Bize
Gelmez, developed from Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, brings the Karagöz tradition into
dialogue with contemporary theatre by replacing Vladimir and Estragon with Hacivat and Karagöz
in a new adaptation.
Venedikli Tacir, adapted from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, directly brings Shakespeare
into dialogue with the tradition of Karagöz for adult audiences. The production relocates
Shakespeare's story to Ottoman Istanbul and re-examines concepts of law, justice, and power within
a different cultural context. The production was created as a collaboration between Öteki Tiyatro
and Hayali Tasvir.
SELECTED PRODUCTIONS / REPERTOIRE
• Soytarı Kral Lear — based on William Shakespeare; adapted and directed by Murat
Karahüseyinoğlu — 80 min.
• Venedikli Tacir — adapted and rewritten from William Shakespeare by Murat
Karahüseyinoğlu — Karagöz — 60 min.
• Hamlet forever — William Shakespeare; reworked, translated, and directed by Murat
Karahüseyinoğlu.
• Aman Şekspir Duymasın! — based on William Shakespeare; adapted for the stage and
directed by Murat Karahüseyinoğlu.
• Godot Bize Gelmez — based on Samuel Beckett; rewritten and directed by Murat
Karahüseyinoğlu — Karagöz — 50 min.
• Korkuyu Beklerken — Oğuz Atay; adapted for the stage and directed by Murat
Karahüseyinoğlu.
• 12 Öfkeli Adam — by Murat Karahüseyinoğlu; developed from the official records of the
Grand National Assembly of Türkiye — 70 min.
• Hesap Lütfen — written and directed by Murat Karahüseyinoğlu.
• Çıkışyokland Cumhuriyeti — adapted from Metin Üstündağ and directed by Murat
Karahüseyinoğlu.
• Belgelerle Kurtuluş Savaşı — directed by Murat Karahüseyinoğlu.
• Savaşa Hoş Geldiniz — Işık Kansu.
• Maymun Osvald.
• Adela Ölmesin.
• Azizname — Aziz Nesin; directed by Yücel Erten.
• Akıllı... Daha Akıllı... Daha Daha Akıllı... — a Turkey–Denmark ASSITEJ co-production.
In addition to these productions, Öteki Tiyatro's official repertoire includes other works developed
by the company during different periods of its artistic history.
SELECTED AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
• Çıkışyokland Cumhuriyeti — Sanat Kurumu 2005 “Commendable Production” Award.
• Korkuyu Beklerken — “Best Actor” Award at the 9th Lions Theatre Awards; Sanat
Kurumu “Commendable Performer” Award.
• Murat Karahüseyinoğlu and Haluk Yüce — recognized at the 7th Lions Theatre Awards
for their work on “Hayal Oyunları”.
ARTISTIC APPROACH
One of Öteki Tiyatro's principal areas of artistic practice is rereading, adapting, and bringing
existing literary and dramatic texts into dialogue with different theatrical languages. In the
company's work, classical texts are connected to contemporary political and social questions, while
the possibilities of traditional Turkish theatre are brought into dialogue with contemporary texts.
Particularly in its recent productions, major works of Western theatre such as Shakespeare and
Beckett are placed in dialogue with the local, critical, and political tradition of Karagöz. This
approach forms the basis of the company's development of an intercultural theatrical language for
international work.
INTERNATIONAL WORK AND FOCUS
Öteki Tiyatro continues to develop small-scale productions suitable for international touring,
reinterpreting Shakespeare and other classical texts within different cultural contexts.
Soytarı Kral Lear represents the current stage of this artistic research. With its two-actor structure,
minimal stage design, and dialogue between Shakespeare and Karagöz, the production can be
adapted to different stage conditions and presented at international festivals.