Sharing the Stage in Istanbul: The Multi-ethnic Beginnings of Ottoman Theatre

Abstract

Istanbul has been a sociopolitical, religious, and artistic centre of the Mediterranean since the fourth century CE. Consequently, multireligious sharing of spaces, celebrations, rituals, and professional collaborations among different ethnic groups has been common practice. The following essay will focus on one such joint project between nineteenth-century Turks and Armenians: the establishment of modern European theatre in Istanbul. It will chart the beginnings of the endeavour amongst the Mechitarist monks of San Lazarro, Venice, and study how the revolutionary Young Ottomans accelerated its popular reception. The partnership of theatre director Agop Vartovyan and playwright Namık Kemal deserves scrutiny because of both its complex historical layers and its convergence with the emergence of nationalism in the imperial city.