Selahattin Demirtaş’s Book ‘Devran’ Taken to Stage by Artist Jülide Kural

* Photos and videos: Evrim Kepenek - bianet

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When I enter the building of Yapım 13, I find myself in the middle of a group of people working hard on a theater play to be staged soon.

There is a huge poster on the curtain in front of me, featuring the cover of the book "Devran" penned by Peoples' Democratic Party's (HDP) imprisoned former Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş. "Solidarity" is written on the poster.

Artist Jülide Kural is on the stage. She has a microphone in her hand, reading one of the stories of Demirtaş. When she is done, this time, theater artist Ömer Şahin starts reading a story.

When the story-part is over, folk songs start to be heard from the saz [a traditional stringed instrument] of Talat Yeşil and Cemal Özkan.

The closet drama adapted from the short story book "Devran" of arrested politician Selahattin Demirtaş is rehearsed in a way suitable for the spirit of the book: With collective labor and solidarity.

If you are in İstanbul and want to watch the theater play, it will be staged at Kenter Theater in Şişli on January 11 at 7. p.m.

'I could express my solidarity, again, with art'

When the theater company gives a break, artist Jülide Kural shares information about the play with us:

"When the first book of Demirtaş, Seher, came out, I wanted to make a closet drama based on that book, but I could not do it as I had to postpone it for personal reasons," Kural tells us. In the meanwhile, they have adapted the book of Gültan Kışanak, another arrested politician, for the stage. "When Devran, the second book of Demirtaş, was published, we have now decided to do the closet drama with Devran", Kural says.

Underlining that Demirtaş has to be in good spirits, especially due to his health problems, Kural says, "As an artist, I could express my solidarity, again, only with art."

Message of Demirtaş to be read on stage

When they started working on the theater play, things were not easy for them. Even though there were supposed to be four men on the stage, this number has fallen to only one as people were concerned that they could not find a job in TV series or in other fields later on.

In other words, the audience will listen to the stories of men with Kural's voice as well. The other artist on the stage is Ömer Şahin. Kural tells us that the unwillingness to take the stage as a result of pressures matches well with the spirit of both the book and the period that we live in:

"We will, in the end, display our solidarity on the stage. We can perhaps share a message by Demirtaş given specifically for that evening. We will send our love and feelings of solidarity to him from here."

'We resist on the stage as well'

HDP İstanbul Provincial Organization has supported Kural's closet drama as well. Underlining that Başak Demirtaş, the wife of Selahattin Demirtaş, has also been supporting them, Kural says,

"It is not only the matter of a political party. I am an artist and, as an artist with an attitude, I want this to be a field of solidarity. What we need the most is solidarity, democracy and peace. I think that, in a period like this, we need to be side by side, singing songs. We will keep on resisting for democracy all together. It is our call to the audience as well.

'We will keep resisting inside and outside

"I think that everyone has their share to do in this. That is how my heart and conscience go hand in hand with my profession. And I want to do this not by talking and talking at length, but by referring to literature and art.

"When I first had this idea and wrote to Demirtaş about it, he got very happy and excited. Ms. Demirtaş also always calls and supports us. What I mean is that: Let's keep resisting no matter where we are, inside or outside."

While two artists read five short stories of Selahattin Demirtaş during the play, the audience will also be able to listen to the songs sung and played by Demirtaş on his saz as well as his messages in his own voice. (EMK/SD)