This work is different from the previous performances/ I would like to work on a new text, but the conditions are not right

Charso Press: After returning from France, Sadruddin Zahid staged the Tiger Legend show. This is not the first time that Zahid performs this show, which he translated and directed himself and is the only actor. This show has already been staged several times in different theaters.

A day after the first performance at Da Theater House, Zahid said about this show: “Art theater is alive and becomes meaningful when the audience is present in the hall. Theater, at least for me, is a form of confrontation with the audience. The audience is today’s audience. As a result, it should respond to the mood of the audience inside the hall. Whether you perform a comedy or a tragedy, the main problem of theater is to face the audience and be effective in its own time. It means that you can open a point of view about people’s social, political, artistic or private issues and make the audience aware of something new in their life. In my opinion, this is the main task of the theater. That’s why the legend of the tiger is an excuse for me to delve into the lives of the people in the hall and talk to them through a story.”

Regarding the performance of this play again and the fact that he did not go for a new text, he also says: “It doesn’t matter to me whether I perform Shakespeare or Moliere or Chermashir or Radi. What matters is what I do with that text. Of course, I would like to work on a new show. Because the new show gives me the opportunity to interact with the audience in a new way and to say new things. But the conditions are not ready. For a long time, I have offered a text called “This Amazing Animal” by Chekhov to various theater companies and producers, which is about women. I would have loved to make this show about different aspects of women. Women who have gone ahead of men in many cases, especially in our society. But I don’t know what the problem is that the working conditions and performance of this show are not provided. This play is written by Gabriel Arot, who adapted 13 Chekhov stories for the French audience. I also prepared a translation of it, which I think corresponds to the current conditions of our society.

The show has been performed a few times, but that doesn’t mean it’s old. In this new performance, the mood and atmosphere have been adjusted and changed with the mood of today’s audience. Zahid says: “Regarding the situation of the past five or six months and the turmoil that was created in the society, as an artist, I cannot be indifferent to it. As far as I have the ability to understand it and the financial conditions allow, I have tried to introduce this feeling in the show. This performance could not be similar to previous performances at all. Because both I have changed and the audience who sees it is not the same as last year. Peter Brook compared theater to fashion. Of course, he did not mean the fashion of clothes and hair. It was important for him to be up to date. “I hope that the new performances of the legend of the tiger in the theater can meet the expectations of the audience and myself.”

The performance of the legend of the tiger in Da Show House was not without problems. Zahid explains about these problems that happened due to the two performances of the hall as follows: “You invite someone to the house. I say read theater at your house. When the guest enters, he feels better if he encounters a pleasant atmosphere and a good smell. The theater audience is the same. If there are fewer disadvantages, it will make him more willing to sit down at the table you have laid. But it’s natural that decor mistakes and light and music slips affect my playing as well. When I keep thinking that there is a show after my performance and I have to finish early, the peace and joy that I should have in order to be able to convey it to the audience is distorted. When there are several performances on the stage in a hall, you have to be constantly aware that your work time does not exceed one minute when the next group goes to the performance time. But the situation of the theater is different every night and the time may be shorter or longer. Of course, I can understand what conditions private theaters are facing with a government that does not support the theater in the least. They also have workers and employees and property rent that they have to take care of. In other countries, it is not at all the way that they perform several shows in a row like in a cinema.”

For theater directors, acting in their own work has always been controversial. Apart from the fact that some people believe that a director should not act in his own work, directing and acting at the same time has its own difficulties and problems. About this issue and the problems he faced, Zahid says: “It is always difficult to be both inside and outside of work. It is definitely better for me to focus on one thing and think about it. However, in the world, especially in cinema, there are genius directors who can both direct and act in their own work. I would have preferred another actor to play in my place at least in this new performance. But the financial and social conditions did not allow this.”

He says that in a situation where the Internet is not available and the possibility of advertising has practically disappeared, he cannot predict the reception of the audience: “We are just trying to spread the news of the performance by word of mouth, which is really possible and effective.” is not. News agencies also have their own problems and some of them don’t even give correct information about the show.

He wishes the audience to come to see the show with more awareness and understand the situation of artists who are working very hard after Corona and the presence of new managers.

The legend of the tiger show, which started its performances yesterday at the Da House Theater with a script by Dario Fu and directed by Sadruddin Zahid, will be on stage until May 15.