Anger grows over theater management regulations

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

A group of theater actors and actresses held a demonstration yesterday against the new regulations in front of the Muhsin Ertuğrul Theater, owned by City Theaters. DHA photo

Reactions are growing against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s new regulations on the artistic management of the Istanbul City Theaters.

According to the regulations, the administrative committee of the City Theaters will change, with the head of the administrative board being replaced by the Culture Department Head, or the City Theaters Manager. Actors and actresses working under the body of the City Theaters say that the change is being made to undermine the administrative power of the head of the administrative board.

Another change that raised eyebrows is that which will be made to the repertoire selection board. In the present regulations, two members of the board are selected from among the City Theater actors, whereas the new regulation replaces them with “two bureaucrats.” The actors and actresses say that the news repertoire selection committee structure is to bring the repertoire under governmental control, which may result in bureaucratic censorship.

Upon announcement of the new regulations, the City Theaters artistic Director Ayşe Nil Şamlıoğlu and six members of the administrative board resigned their posts. These members are Aliye Uzunatağan, Volkan Sağırosmanoğlu, Burtekin Zoga, Hakan Arlı and İrem Aydın. Yesterday, Istanbul mayor’s artistic consultant Kenan Işık announced his resignation, as well.

Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, Istanbul mayor Kadir Topbaş said the repertoire used to be determined by the artistic director only, and that now it would be determined by a board with seven members. “Only two members of this board are bureaucrats, and I find this new repertoire administration more democratic because it s managed by a board, rather than a single person.”

He also said that the new regulation was planned with good intentions but had been misinterpreted. “We are not seeking to increase our control over the artistic content of city theaters,” he said.

However, theater actors and actresses are far from being on the same page with the mayor. A group of actors held a demonstration yesterday in front of the Muhsin Ertuğrul Theater, owned by City Theaters.

‘Nobody asked our opinion’

Ayşegül Aydın / ISTANBUL - Radikal

Ayşe Nil Şamlıoğlu, art director of the City Theater who recently resigned, has said she has worked for the institution for 40 years and has never made a decision without asking for her superiors’ permission, in a press statement. “It is very normal to ask for a change. But we expected them to ask our opinion, and they did not,” she said.

Şamlıoğlu also said she still was waiting for a reply to her resignation letter, which she thought would arrive the following day.

A member of the administrative board of Istanbul City Theater who took part in the demonstration against the changes, Nurullah Tuncel, said they could have prepared a new regulation together if they had been asked.

An actor at the Istanbul City Theater, Mazlum Kiper, said the municipality’s methods were not ethical, repeating his friends’ complaint about the municipality’s disregard for what they thought.

City Theaters under former and current regulations

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

MANAGEMENT
v Former regulations
The management was a unit that was established to oversee administration. It mainly addressed relations between the theater and the municipality.

v Current regulations
The span of the management’s authority was extended, making it responsible for issues such as closely following social mores and organizing festivals.

ARTWORK
v Former regulations
The general art director and executive committee were responsible for artwork.

v Current regulations
The management and the executive board are responsible for artwork.

EXECUTIVE BOARD
v Former regulations
The executive board consisted of the general art director, theater director, three City Theater artists and two municipal assembly members. It was headed by the general art director. During his/her absence, it was headed by a senior City Theaters artist.

v Current regulations
The executive board consists of the general art director, theater director, the head of the department, the deputy secretary general of the department, two civil servants from the management and a municipal assembly member. It is headed by the head of the department.

REPERTOIRE COMMITTEE
v Former regulations
The committee made suggestions to the executive board about plays to be staged in that season. It was headed by the general art director and consisted of five people selected by the mayor. It was chaired by the general art director.

v Current regulations
The committee sets the plays that will be staged in the season, while the general art director makes a repertoire for these plays. It is chaired by the head of the department and consists of three people known for their artwork and other culturally related matters.