Shorter, solo performances on rise in Türkiye’s theaters

ISTANBUL

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, theatrical productions worldwide have seen a reduction in the length of plays, a trend still prevalent in Türkiye, where pervasive social media use and shortened attention spans have also taken their toll.

The enforcement of social distancing protocols and prolonged closures led to a deafening silence across theaters during the pandemic, compelling them to devise novel strategies to survive. In the U.K., numerous theaters have abolished intermissions, gravitating towards more concise performances.

Critics suggest that this shift is both a reaction to the stringent conditions imposed by the pandemic and a reflection of evolving audience habits.

Turkish stages have similarly been influenced by these changes and in a country where social media usage is exceptionally high, the attention span of the audience has played a significant role.

Renowned actor Mert Fırat, one of the co-founders of DasDas, a leading theater venue in Istanbul, observed that in the hustle and bustle of life, audiences who strive to keep up with everything prefer shorter performances to better manage their schedules.

Fırat further noted that in Türkiye’s metropolises, arriving in a theater amid traffic problems often demands more time from the audience than the duration of the performance itself.

"Consequently, as we take into account the viewing tolerance and attention span of the new generation of theatergoers, there’s a growing trend of producing plays with similar concerns, resulting in an increase in solo and short performances," he remarked.

Nevertheless, Fırat underscored that there are still productions in the current Turkish theater calendar, lasting two and a half to three hours, that are successful and continue to fill seats.

"What matters more than the audience's attention span is what captivates them, what excites them, what makes them forget time and the outside world, and allows them to leave the theater with a sense of meaning," Fırat asserted.

Theater director Yeşim Özsoy, however, contended that the primary factor behind the shortening of play durations in Türkiye is digitalization.

"Social media and digital culture have truncated people’s attention spans and led them to gravitate towards shorter content. For instance, ever-evolving and fast-paced social media platforms constantly create new perceptions. This phenomenon has engendered a new culture driven by digitalization," Özsoy remarked.

Citing ancient Greece, where plays would be performed almost throughout the day, Özsoy highlighted the direct correlation between societal structure and the time allocated to the arts.

"Just as the advent of cinema and technology altered the culture of theater, digitalization is exerting a similar influence," she noted.

Dramtists Ilgın Sönmez, on the other hand, attributed the evolving practices in productions not solely to audience habits but also to the economic concerns of theater troupes. Sönmez pointed out that theaters tend to opt for productions that can be quickly assembled and rehearsed within 20 days because of the exorbitant costs associated with production, rehearsals, annual planning, tours and logistics.

Consequently, the casts are smaller, and the duration of performances is reduced, she said.

According to an official report published in June, the number of theatergoers in the 2022-2023 season increased by 15.2 percent compared to the previous season. The total number of theater attendees during the season was recorded at 6,2 million.