‘The Girl with Red Scarf’ on theater stage

ANKARA

Turkish State Theaters (DT) brings to the stage one of the most popular works of literature and cinema, “The Girl with Red Scarf.”

In the play, directed by Murat Karasu, who has acted in many films and plays, especially “Cumhuriyet” and “Abdülhamit Düşerken,” Uğur Çavuşoğlu plays the character of İlyas, Feray Darıcı plays the character of Asya, Cevat Duman plays the character of Cemşit and Dilek Bozkurt plays the character of Serap.

Speaking to the state-run Anadolu Agency about the play at the rehearsals at Çayyolu Cüneyt Gökçer Stage in Ankara, Karasu said they were very pleased to stage the famous Kyrgyz author Chingiz Aitmatov’s play, which was translated into Turkish with the name “Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım,” and dramatized by Hülya Koper.

Reminding that the film, starring veteran artists Türkan Şoray and Kadir İnanır in the lead roles, had a great impact when it was released, Karasu said: “We tried to develop a new staging language by combining the effects of both the novel and the movie and of course using the technique of the theater. The audience will decide how successful we are. We made an effort to tell the story beautifully, to convey it in a certain fiction. This is a work that touches a lot of people’s hearts and emphasizes human values.”

Stating that it is a risk to move a piece of work to the theater stage after the cinema as the audience will try to look for its equivalents, Karasu said that they were trying to find a way to increase the effectiveness of the theater in a bid to leave a lasting impression on the audience like that of a cinema.

“There does come some limitations to do the same thing in the theater after an effective movie, but if we succeed, it will be something very good,” he added.

Noting that Cahit Berkay’s film music is in everyone’s memory and that Berkay’s music is also featured on the theater stage, Karasu said that Kemal Günüç made new compositions for the work in order to increase its impact on the theater stage and a fresh piece of theater music has emerged as a result of it.

Pointing out that the drama depicts an open-ended period in “The Girl with Red Scarf,” he said: “We are working on a broken love story that takes place in the east, close to our geography. We do not feature a specific time, though one can get an idea from the costumes designed that were inspired by both the past and the present times.”

“There is no description of the place named in the decor. In the fictional world of the theater, we have reconstructed this story,” he added.

Karasu said that Çavuşoğlu, who plays the role of İlyas and Darıcı, has brought life to the character of Asya and that they have carried out successful projects together before as well, while noting that the whole team is professional in their work.

Stating that they are working with a large staff and that the whole team takes serious care in the COVID-19 process, Karasu said: “During this period, we have taken refuge in the theater, and I think theater will heal us. We have acted with a sense of responsibility to do our job and open the curtain. State Theaters is very careful about COVID-19 and takes more than all necessary measures.”

Speaking about their work and expectations from the play, Karasu said, “We have stayed loyal to the play, the novel and Aitmatov while creating the theater stage, and I hope that the audience would like the play.”