Afife Theater Awards presented at ceremony

ISTANBUL

The 2nd Yapı Kredi Afife Theater Awards were presented at a ceremony held on May 14 at the Haliç Congress Center in Istanbul. 

The awards were presented in 15 categories at the ceremony, which gathered many people from the business and art worlds. 

The winner of the Cevat Fehmi Başkurt Special Award was given to Sami Berat Marçalı for his play “Yuva.” The Haldun Dormen Special Award, which is given to comedy or musical plays, was received by the play “Bir Baba Hamlet.” 

The Yapı Kredi Special Award is presented every year to those who contribute to the improvement of theaters. This year actress Tijen Par received the special award. 

“Romeo and Juliet,” staged by the Istanbul State Theater, won the Best Play Award of the Year, while Emrah Eren, the director of “Bir Baba Hamlet,” won the Best Director Award. Özlem Zeynep Dinsel won the award for Best Actress and Murat Akkoyunlu won the award for Best Actor. 

Actor Yüzel Ertan was presented the Muhsin Ertuğrul Special Award, which is given to the masters of theater. 

In a written statement, Yapı Kredi Afife Theater Awards jury president Merih Tangün said the awards had been presented for 22 years to remember and honor the memory of Turkey’s first female theater actress Afife Jale. 

He said they watched 188 new plays this season with the jury members, adding: “We have seen the performances of our talented artists. It was a very long and difficult process to choose the winners.”