“All the world's a stage..

And all the men and women merely players.

They have their exits and their entrances.

And one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages."
 

These are the words of Jacques..

Actually life is exactly how Jacques has defined. Shakespeare, makes Jacques say that the hole world is just a stage. Then  theater,  is it the mirror of life? If so, where exactly do we stay at that stage? Are we the mirror of the theater, or do we happen to be the mirror to theater? If Jacques is right, come on and take a look at the mirror of your life.

What if he's not right? Then you can turn back to your daily works or to our public heroes 'mother-in-law/daugter-in-law' which are shown on TV programs. I know that he's right. Now, I'll turn the mirror to you. Maybe that will be the first time that you are going to look at it. The thing that you're going to drop a cross is not strange to you at all, you'll see only yourself, in a big mirror, in the mirror of life, in theater..

Theater, similar to the other types of art, was born firstly from the religious ceremonies then independently from religion, accepted as art. In origin, it's the effort of representing the natural events by primitive human with his own corporal movements. The carnivals which were organised for Dionysos are the birth of the 'art theatre'. One of the greatest Greek God's,  Zeus and Semele gave birth to Dionysos. Semele permit growth of Dionysos as she was dying. That's why the belief 'mortal brings a new life' is dominated in the dramatic competitions which will be done later, contribute the theater to be formed and even detect the first actor. Dionysos has been killed like the other gods. But Zeus gave Dionysos another life. So Dionysos got the attribution ditrambos which means 'born two times'. (Melodies that has sang with the chorus took the same name later.)

God Dionysos was the symbol of the wine and the exuberance. That's why people who adores him, would sing and dance, even drunk so much and they'd be intoxicated. There's a little story of how God Dionysos started the theater :

There were some political changements in Athens BC VII. - VI. centuries. There was a battle and disagreement between the dealers who develop continually and noblemans who direct Athens. Dealers who were rich and powerful, started to direct Athens and wanted the villagers to be on their side by carving the noblemans lands up. But they forgot the effective force that the noblemans have by controlling villagers religious ceremonies. After a while, by carrying out a smart strategy, the dealers found a new source of belief that villagers are close to and like, without attacking the noblemens religious power : Dionysos...

The clever dealer class started to arrange ceremonies to make the villagers hear about Dionysos and to pervade him. That's how the beginning of the theater (Dionysos Ceremonies) started...

''Flower Festival'' was the first ceremonie which was arranged for Dionysos. Festivals, which are called Antesteria were celebrated at the beginning of the spring, as the vegetables and fruits ripe. This ceremony has an exciting story :

The man who is chosen for the flower festival and the arrangement of the drink competition is called Archon. Archon's wife marries to Dionysos for the ceremony. They believe that the spirits bat around during the wedding of Archon's wife and Dionysos (the statue which was brought on a car) that's why, after the wedding finishes, the spirits are dismissed and the ceremonyis over.

Another ceremony which is celebrated for Dionysos' renaissance is called Lenaia...

In Lenaia, a statue of a phallus (male organ) passes through the ceremony arena and Dionysos' renaissance is performed. And the most important ceremony which generated the theatre was in the BC VI. century... The art of theater is born with the prize competition between the poets during the Grand Dionysos Ceremony which is celebrated at spring. A statue which symbolizes the God is taken to the Dionysos Theater firstly. At midnight, after the watch for the statue, dance and melody starts with the sunrise. And by that, the art of theater which leads to us,  has finally finished its birth and took the road to pass from various phases.

While celebrations were taking place and theater was making a success, Greeks did not know about Mrs. Semra’s Carnivals – TV show which situated theater in a much undeserved place - will be dominated over theater in Turkey.

After having revels and ceremonies, dramatic competitions, that helped theatre having its first actor, were being held. BC 534, during the earliest tragedia competition, Thespis was voted as the first actor, so theater had its first dialogue and actor. These competitions were being held in the name of Dionysos and competitors had to have tragedia, satire plays and comedia to present.

Aristoteles first defined Antique Greek tragedia with Poetika:

“Tragedia is a graceful imitation in ethical ways, which has a beginning and an end, and a finite length.

The word “tragedia” comes from Greek word Tragoidia. Tragos (goat) and Oidie (folksong) are being used as “goats folksong”, too.

In Antique Greek tragedias, to give the impression of fear and pity to the audience, they –audience- should have sympathy for the hero and his destiny. Subjects for the tragedies are legends, and heros always get pain after happiness because of their sins. Greek tragedy consists of songs and lines. Lines -beginning- are called Prologos, the songs part is Epeisodion and the end is Eksodos. Songs distinguish into two parts, Stasima (sang in the middle) and Parados (beginning songs). In Greek theater, tragedia is similar to opera or musicals. They had a religious side and this was effecting the audience.

There was another sort of play that people who join the dramatic competitions could choose : Satire Plays.

Satire was similar to tragedia but it was cheerful, funny and a bit naughty. The plots of tragedia and satir plays were same but one difference between them was, satir plays would put out tragedy in a more humorous way.

The last choice of the dramatic competitions is comedia...

The source of the old comedia I told you about before, is Lenaia festivals. The origin of the word comedia comes from a greek origin work "komos song". The meaning of "komos" word is jamboree and muddle. The birth of comedia is based on The Vintage Festivals in many places including Sicily leading.

During these festivals, some common comedias were peformed and the sacrifices that are dedicated to Dionysos were carried in baskets. Besides that Phallus which were the symbol of wealth, were existing in the dressing parade. Just like tragedy, comedia also arised from religious beliefs. Drunkenness, joke and jamboree were the things that were in the origin of Greek comedia. Because of that all the performers wore those funny looking Phallus and got in exaggerated shapes.  Another interesting subject to talk about the old comedia is this ;

The most distinctive part of old comedia is irony. And everything ironic is comedia player's target. Aristofanes, who is the representative of old comedia, had ridiculated the most powerful people in Athens with their names. The government in Athens would support these shows with a budget, instead of shorten their freedom. So if we look at what happened, with the changes in the theater's structure and developpement, theater budget that is paid by the government is less than the budget that was in Ancient Greece. Many plays that were banned due to their names, venue rentals that can not be paid, decors and costumes that are prepared by their own money..

The theater has been born, grown but it wont die. It will live through the time,  growing more, until there is no one left on earth.

The value of theater is less then it should be in our country. But at least the theatrical actors and actresses are doing their part trying to make it stay alive. Unfortunately these actors and actresses are very rare. There are lots of people around us who they think they are actors and actresses of theatrical acts without understanding the concept of the theater and without believing in it. We have our charlatans and fancy models who are invading the tv shows. People prefer to sit at their home's, glued to their tv's while they can buy a theater ticket for a half price of a football match ticket. Maybe because they never been to the theater (maybe some went to some of the theaters which their elementry school took them to for free) thousands of people came to think that the actors and actresses they see on tv are the real theatrical actors and actress. And they came to believe whatever they say is about theater...

Besides all that our real theatrical actors and actresess sitting in their comfortable homes doing nothing about this mania. Whom respond to nothing, say nothing to anyone, do nothing about anything. Fine but where does this end ? We're still debating about our fancy models "if they can act on stage ?", Yildiz Kenter, our finest theatrical actress who is called in a talk show with one of the fancy models by the people who are trying to destroy, pollute, deviate the theater's meaning. And unfortunately our nation, belives in these people. We have tons of people on stages who cant even reply to a simple question like "What is theater?". On the other hand there are lots of people worked hard in academys and ready to be a theatrical actors and actresses whom are trying to make the theater a real theater. But as you can see stage managers and directors who come to think useless singers and easy girls who get their clothes off easily are the best stage actors and actresses than any other academical valuable actors and actresses.

We need to ask  those directors ; hasnt improved her diction, hasnt read a single game in her life, laissez Hamlet, she doesn't even know her presidents name and you make her go up on the stage and this is not a insult to their character and memory those whom are the real theatrical actors and actress spent their lives for theater ?

I've asked for many times, but i couldnt get a reply to my question at all. I'm full filled with anger and hatred to what had happened, but this will never ever get in front of the magic of the theater what so ever.

That's how our story starts...

I will also tell you the rest of the story, up to now.

Did you agree with Jacques? Can you see yourself in the mirror?

Don't panic if you couldn't see instantly, the things that I've counted a second ago could be blurring the view. To see more clearly, try to turn the mirror to them.

Well I'm leaving now so let Jacques stay with you..

If the side which doesn't agree with Jacques comes over and tries to automate you too, just don't listen to it. If you feel deadly helpless,  hold on tight, take your courage in both hands and play.

As I said before, all the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players.