The dramatic stage performance "Jerusalem at the Time, the Time of Jerusalem," prepared by the Jerusalem Platform with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism under the auspices of the presidency, premiered for an audience Tuesday.
The lives of the leaders who protected the spiritual identity of Jerusalem, such as Umar, An-Nasir Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, better known as Salah ad-Din, Sultan Selim I, known as Selim the Grim or Selim the Resolute, and Sultan Abdülhamid II were portrayed for a captive audience.
Written by Özge Dilek, the 200-member performance was rich with light, cinematic and acoustic effects.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Director General of State Theaters Nejat Birecik, who also acts as the performance's general art director alongside Murat Salim Tokaç, discussed the details of the show, which implies the historical and cultural importance of Jerusalem.
Birecik said they have been conducting research with the Jerusalem Platform for nearly a year.
Explaining that they have been actively working on the production for the last two months, he continued: "We approach Jerusalem in a timeless manner because we as a team believe that time or the perception of time in relation to Jerusalem reaches beyond traditional timelines. We have a very tactful attitude toward the city because we see the brutality of life, and the only thing that can make it better is art. We try to reflect Jerusalem through multidisciplinary art."
'We don't want spectators to be uncomfortable'Mentioning the 130 performers on stage during the performance, Birecik added: "We used the technique of video mapping for the first time. We arranged it so the performers on stage and the images on display were synchronous. We tried to create convincing portrayal of the Siege of Kut Al-Amara, also known as the First Battle of Kut."
After remarking that they employ an array of art disciplines, Birecik reported, "We don't make the audience uncomfortable. We are just seeking pure truth because what we say in 'The Time of Jerusalem' is pure truth. We can't distort it."
'Time of Jerusalem is actually present'
Ebru Kara, director of the performance, reminded that the show features various disciplines.
"Indeed, we started this project last year. We made the preliminary preparations then had a break. It was decided that the preparations would continue through September or October. In this period, many political incidents occurred. We saw that there was a reason for this delay. Actually, 'The Time of Jerusalem' is set in the present. The period that we considered a delay was, in fact, a waiting process," said Kara.
While Canday Günay Tuna designed the scenery and costumes for "Jerusalem at the Time, the Time of Jerusalem," dramatic director Koray Aydın and choreographer Pınar Ataer came together to create an amazing performance. The gala for the performance, with Minister of Culture and Tourism Numan Kurtulmuş in attendance, was organized at the Haliç Congress Center at 7 p.m. yesterday.
