The Acting Department of Arkın University of Creative Arts and Design (ARUCAD) organized a special event on Thursday, March 27, at the university campus to celebrate the universal language and transformative power of theatre. Bringing together students, academics, and theatre enthusiasts, the event aimed to highlight theatre's social and cultural impact to a wider audience.
The program commenced at 13:00 with the reading of the international World Theatre Day message authored by Theodoros Terzopoulos, delivered in both Turkish and English. Acting Department students Peri Sualp Bektaşoğlu and Yegane Giritli read the message, emphasizing the unifying power of theatre and its transformative influence on society.
In the second part of the event at 13:30, Edward Albee's modern theatrical classic "The Zoo Story" was performed. First staged in 1959, the play explores universal themes such as alienation, miscommunication, and societal loneliness through a simple yet powerful dialogue. Set in New York City's Central Park, the play depicts the chance meeting of two strangers on a bench, powerfully revealing the complex and conflicting emotions within individuals, the disconnection in human relationships, and personal and social alienation.
Translated into Turkish by İbrahim Keskin, the play was directed by Asst. Prof. Dr. Özgün Can Karaburun, a faculty member of ARUCAD's Acting Department. Director Karaburun highlighted the dramatic intensity of the work through minimalist stage design and powerful acting performances. Acting Department students Yalın Doğasal and Ersan Çıkı received enthusiastic applause from the audience for their compelling portrayals.
Held on the ARUCAD Campus, the event attracted significant interest from a large audience comprising university students, academics, and theatre lovers. The program reaffirmed theatre's universal appeal, bringing together diverse segments of the community and underscoring the unifying and healing power of art.
