if such is the world

ubu is the king

 a play in one act

(an adaptation from “ubu roi” by alfred jarry)

 translation: şehsuvar aktaş & ayşe selen

dramaturgy: çetin sarıkartal

shadow puppet design: şehsuvar aktaş

performers: şehsuvar aktaş, bilge gültürk, ayşe selen

If Such is the World, Ubu is the King is an adaptation from Ubu Rex by Alfred Jarry (1873-1907), the famous man of theater from France, known as the vanguard of the theater of the absurd. Ubu Rex was first staged in France in 1896; and was first produced as a puppet show in 1898. From the time of its first performance till now, audience’s reactions to the play had quite a rich range, from “scandal, vileness!” to “a pioneer, admirable play”. This adaptation by tiyatrotem creates a composite of shadow puppet, narration and nursery rhyme traditions, where Şehsuvar Aktaş, Bilge Gültürk and Ayşe Selen perform as puppeteers as well as actors. Çetin Sarıkartal undertakes the dramaturgy of the production. If Such is the World, Ubu is the King is a co-production of tiyatrotem and the French Institute in Istanbul; it is a contemporary piece of work built on an exuberant script that allows for free interpretations, on top of journeys through time and across space.

Technical Properties
Age: 16 +
Company: Our crew has 3 members; Şehsuvar Aktaş, Ayşe Selen, Bilge Gültürk
Running Time: 65 minutes without intermission.
Stage Dimensions: Minimum 6m. breadth; 5 m. depth; 3 m. height.(We would like to cover the back of the stage entirely with black facing, if possible.)
House: Maximum capacity of 150 people. House needs to be darkened completely.
Lighting: 220V power provided on stage. Total power load 1000W. Lighting equipments are provided by our own.
Moving: Our set easily fits behind a small pick-up truck.
Loading and Unloading: 15 minutes.
Set-up Time: 3 hours.
Striking Time: 3 hours.
Rehearsal time: 2 hours.

This post is also available in: Turkish