How many curtains does Istanbul have?

The 29th Istanbul Theatre Festival, organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) with the sponsorship of Koç Holding Energy Group Companies, has begun.

Curated by Mehmet Birkiye and opening its curtains this year with the slogan "How Many Curtains Does Istanbul Have?", the festival will bring 16 theater, performance and dance shows to art lovers for a month.

Before the festival's opening performance, which began with the Cathedral staged at Zorlu PSM on the evening of October 20th, the Turkish Down Syndrome Association Dance Group Show took place in the Zorlu PSM Amphitheatre. The TDSD Dance +1 by Hilton Bomonti group, comprised of individuals with Down syndrome, invited the audience to a world without prejudice with an inclusive choreography, and the entire audience danced together before the festival opening.

FREE EVENTS

29. The Istanbul Theatre Festival will offer audiences a rich program of free events, not just plays but also talks, workshops, and meetings. Detailed information about the free events can be found at tiyatro.iksv.org.

WHICH PLAYS WILL BE STAGED?

The festival's October program includes the following plays...

A woman's fights and transformations

Of today One of the most prominent writers of the period, Édouard Louis's novel "A Woman's Fights and Transformations," which recounts the life of his mother, transforms into a powerful story on stage. Onur Ünsal stands out with his impressive performance in this production, which offers a striking internal reckoning with social oppression and invisible female labor. The transformation of a woman who embarks on a determined journey toward freedom after years of silence resonates with an entire generation under Kemal Aydoğan's uncluttered direction.

The play will meet the audience at Moda Sahnesi on October 25-26.

Unconventional Hamlet

Hamlet, brought to the stage by eight actors with Down syndrome, offers an extraordinary interpretation of Shakespeare's classic text. Embracing neurodiversity not as a theme but as a way of being and making art, Teatro La Plaza's powerful staging, based not on empathy but on equality, sees the actors intertwine their own lives with Hamlet's universe, conveying a profound sense of belonging and existence to the audience. The play can be seen at the Harbiye Muhsin Ertuğrul Stage on October 24-25, with the support of İKSV Accessible Arts Partner DenizBank.

What happened on the road to love?

Circassian Ridvan's Closet, one of Reşad Ekrem Koçu's vibrant urban stories from the Ottoman to the Republican era, is reborn in a historic inn in the heart of Istanbul. In Lara Lakay's adaptation, the inn's courtyards, passageways, and balconies become the narrative anchors.

The daily life, entertainment culture, and social dynamics of early 20th-century Istanbul are brought to life. What Happened in Istanbul on the Road to Love: The Closet of Circassian Ridvan will be staged on October 26th at a historic inn on the Golden Horn.

A game that makes you think about censorship

Written by Alis Çalışkan, the author of The Window Below, Everyone Looks Like My Husband, and What's the Matter with Yusuf Umut?, this is a one-man, thought-provoking play directed by İlyas Özçakır that explores the possibilities of narrative and personal resistance against the pressures of censorship and self-censorship.

The play, which will be staged on October 30-31 under the theme sponsorship of Odeabank, "There is a Woman in This," will be hosted by the venue sponsor Paribu Art, which has made a significant contribution.