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As in other nations, two basic factors have influenced the birth of Turkish drama. The first element was the religious influence of totems in primitive clans used in ceremonies of worship. The second element was the effect of the "legends that were told and performed" without a religious structure but representingthe respect and
decisiveness regarding formstimes.
Turkish plays, before the westernisation movement may be grouped under four topics:
1- Puppet Shows :
Early investigations regarding puppet shows have mistaken information; they confused the types of puppet shows. But later, experts found out that the terms and patterns thought to be about shadow plays belonged to puppet shows and that puppet shows were first performed by the Turks.
Besides, as in shadow plays and "Karagöz", some mystical ideas were explained using imitations by means of puppet shows. This fact has been proved by document.
Hüseyin Vaiz Kaşifi ( died in 1504 ) gave an account regarding puppet shows in his work entitled "Fütüvvetname-i Sultani", and said the following:
"Puppeteers are known as "lu'bet bazan". Dervishes used puppets to explain mystical ideas. They presented puppet shows.
For example they used to puppet with a human face: they asked questions in a man's voice and gave answers in a female's voice.
They explained various subjects in this way".
2- Karagöz :
The main characteristic of " Karagöz " which is an important type of traditional Turkish Drama, is that it is shadow play. A light is placed in the dark behind
a white curtain and shadows of human shapes cut from leather are seen on it. The same person speaks for the heroes and the heroines while moving these shapes on the curtain.
The way it came to Turkey was also a subject of discussion among researchers. It was claimed that the play came by way of the Jews, who migrated from Spain or
the gypsies who cam from India. Ibni Ilyas, who was a reliable historian of the age of Yavuz Sultan Selim, stated that shadow plays definitely came to Turkey from Egypt in the 16th century.
There are some differences between Karagöz and shadow plays.
Karagöz, one of the two main characters of this show, is a frank and simple man. On the contrary, Hacivat, is a learned person. He is inclined to be a flatteredwho knows how two get what he wants. Some other characters are used to complete the subject and to help the narration.
Only one artist speaks for all the characters and moves them.
Hacivat Karagoz, a Traditional Turkish Scene Show
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In the Karagöz plays, social problems were usuallythe subject and the performances were in comedy form. These subjects, taken
from the lives of ordinary people, gave the impression that Karagöz and Hacivat were real people; so, the play was well appreciated by the spectators. People even believed that Hacivat and Karagöz were workers in a mosque construction in Bursa during Sultan Orhan's reign;
Hacivat was a bricklayer and Karagöz was a blacksmith.
This and some other accounts prove that the public so appreciated the character of the Karagöz play they were considered to be animate.
3-Orta Oyunu :
The most significant characterictics of this play was that, unlike Karagöz and the puppet shows, there was not a definite character.
Orta Oyunu was performed in front of the public in the middle of a hall. Before the players appeared, the musicians and dancers performed a show. Then, Tiryaki,
with a face painted with coffeegrinds, wearing a long dress with a shawly belt and a conical hat
on his head came in and imitated the dancers in a comic way.
4- Meddah ( public storyteller or mimic ) :
On of the most important types of traditional Turkish drama is "Meddah". It is accepted as a form of drama because it includes imitation, characterisation and conversation parts, although it is different from other plays because it relies heavily on narration.
Another characteristic of Meddah is its being played by only one person imitating
different characters. It also was a rich source for various stories.
Early themes of Meddah were historical and religious but this form of drama was transformed in recent times into a kind of comedy.
The Westernisation Movements and the Birth of the Turkish
Theatre:
After the declaration of the Tanzimat Firmann in 1839, many changes and reforms were made in social structure and in the state administration. Turkish National Theatre was also subjected to some reforms in this period.
In this period, contacts were made with the western theatre through the efforts of the high-ranking officials in the Palace.
These high-ranking individuals and their social circle were greatly interested in theatre and this helped for the easy adoption of this art by society. Most of books in the library of Sultan Mahmut II were on drama.
Some of famous names among the teachers of the drama department were:
Mınakyan Ahmet Fehim Efendi, Rıza Tevfik, Salih Fuat, Monsieur Rioti, Arif Hikmet, Muhsin Ertuğrul, Halit Fahri Ozansoy and Celal Tahsin.
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