/ Lefkoşa Belediye Tiyatrosu (LBT) with the new play ‘Halktan Biri (One (man) of the people) by Sam Bobrick adapted by Yaşar Ersoy

By Heidi Trautmann

There are many moments when I regret of not being able to speak properly Turkish and the evening of the première was one of it; I was annoyed with myself that I could not follow the dialogue on stage, so I had to rely on my visual impressions and I did that with all my senses switched to high sensitivity. I had prepared myself  by reading all about the play written by Sam Bobrick  who once said that he wrote the play at the beginning of George W. Bush’ second term when he could no longer tolerate his arrogance, dishonesty, ineptness and contempt for the common man.  I also learnt that the play was translated into Turkish by Ekin Tunçay Turan, and often on stage, a political comedy about a tragic topic, the crimes of persons in government with one simple person fighting it in his/her own way. The original play is with two characters,  two men, Travis Pine a common citizen and his counterpart, an FDA agent. The present play had been adapted by Yasar Ersoy, he replaced the man Travis Pine by a woman and the one agent by four agents, however the play as such was in its main outline the same, except for some amendments around Cypriot matters.  He also directed the play, assisted by Nehir Demirel.

A political comedy, a most favourite playground of Yasar Ersoy and the LBT, as he believes in the important role of the theatre as educational tool, as a mirror for society, an eye opener on misdoings and misbehaving of political figures elected by the people, followed by the assumption that the people have not only the right but also the obligation to criticize the persons they have elected. That is democracy.

On the evening of the première Yasar Ersoy entered the stage welcoming the guests, among them were the Mayor of Nicosia, Mehmet Harmancı and the family of the actor Yücel Köseoğlu who died three years ago and to whom the evening was dedicated; a man who was much appreciated for his work and who was once a ‘Halktan Biri’. He handed over to his wife a plaquette in his honour. Another guest was the director of the Sartirigo Theatre in Nicosia South, Kostas Kafkarides, where not so long ago Aliye Ummanel’s play ‘Kayip’ was staged with English and Greek subtitles. A good cooperation of long standing between the two houses.

The plot is of a citizen, in this case a woman,  an unemployed disillusioned citizen, very disappointed by the U.S. government.  In order to channel her fury she bombards the President with numberless letters criticizing him for his bad work; a simple woman living or rather vegetating in her run down house, with the only interest in her life to write letters to the President which is shown by a symbolic act, by darting arrows at a dart board decorated with the heads of political figures. The woman is played by Özgür Oktay.  Superb. It is a role tailor-made for her. In a simple housewifely sloppy way she is that woman, right down to her fingertips and toes. Now, FDA has closed in on this writer of letters and they knock at the door of this poor hut of the poor woman who will not stop her harassment of the president and they start the job to seduce, persuade her with all kind of means, with promises and threats, to stop writing these letters. A sort of trust and friendship develops in the course of the arguments, but alas, she will not give in and she pays back in the same but surprising way as FDA is trying to stop her. 

In the current play, the originally one FDA agent is replaced by four agents, and these are played by Döndü Özata, Osman Ateş, Melihat Melis Beşe and Umut Ersoy.  They move in unison, dressed in the same outfit, moving in the same synchronic way, people of one mind; a very good choreography developed by Osman Ateş. They are a team. By introducing four FDA agents, Yaşar has augmented the power exercised onto a female opponent; at the same time drawing the attention and sympathy onto the apparently weak woman.  Don’t let yourself be deceived. And the woman continues to throw sharp dart arrows onto the board with the faces of politicians.....

The stage design by Özlem Deniz Yetkili and her team Riza Sen (stage realisation) and Mehmet Eseri (special effects) supported the plot well, supported the movements with furniture on wheels; there was action on stage in all dimensions.  The toothed wheels in the background as a symbol of  the governmental machine in which you get caught if you don’t pay attention.  I like the idea of having the props of a stage take on roles together with the acting figures, to include them into the play, to express feelings such as fury, helplessness or disgust.  A language in itself.

A great work again by the LBT team, my congratulations, a great work that should also find its audience among the English speaking theatre lovers, although it is quite true that you recognise good theatre also without understanding the dialogues, but it would be more inviting if English speaking guests could at least have an idea of the plot together with the programme.