The journey of theatrical art and criticism in the Ottoman Empire was a long process, and the emphasis was mostly on definitions and educational content about theatre. Theatre criticsm appears to have accelerated with the rise of theatrical life after 1908 (Meşrutiyet / The Constitutional Era). With Darülbedayi’s foundation (Istanbul Municipal Theatre) in 1914, our first subsidised theatre would become operational, sparking a movement in the realm of criticism. In the meantime, Muhsin Ertuğrul, a decisive and leading name of the modern Turkish theatre who for many years was also the artistic director of the Istanbul Municipal Theatre, emphasised that criticism is a profession and a challenging art form.

In time, theatre had increasingly been interpreted as a distinct discipline of art subject to extensive analysis, discussions, and scrutiny with its various aspects. In general, the primary focus of the critic was based on textual analysis to encourage the evolution of modern Turkish theatre. In the 1960s, with the declaration of the 1961 Constitution, the concepts of democracy, human rights and personal liberties influenced the political functions of the theatre. Following those years, the search for new forms became more important. While epic theatre was considered as the basic element of public’s revolutionary ideals, dramatic theatre was considered the symbol of bourgeois ideals.

The years between 1960 and 1980 were a period in which both critics and artists questioned and examined concepts of nationality and universality, as well as concepts of socialist theatre, public theatre and populist theatre.

When we examine criticism from the 1980s to the present, we see that the picture that emerges does not have the same dynamics, colours and vibes. The main reasons for this are coups, oppressive education, freedom restrictions, social turbulences…