New Brooklyn Theater's THE CHERRY ORCHARD Plays Istanbul's Yedikule Gardens, Now thru Aug 30

New Brooklyn Theater announces the cast and guest speakers for its site-specific production of a new adaptation of Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard in Istanbul, Turkey. The show, performed in Turkish at the endangered Yedikule Gardens, addresses the ongoing issue of sacrificing cultural history and for the sake of development. Performances begin tonight, August 13, 2014 and run through Saturday, August 30, 2014. Jonathan Solari, Artistic Director of New Brooklyn Theater, directs the production, which is designed by Courtney Nelson.

The cast is comprised of both experienced actors and the farmers whose livelihoods are in danger with Yedikule's pending demolition. The garden's lead farmer, Ahmet Öztürk, will play the role of Firs, an underappreciated servant from a bygone era. The rest of the cast includes Özgecan Ayhan (Lyubov), Ferit Çelik (Lopakhin), Canberk Do?al? (Petya), Almira Seda Ince (Anya), Yaprak Ünver (Varya), and Hilal Seven (Passer-by).

Each performance will be followed by a talkback between the audience, cast, invited elected officials, archaeologists, botanists, and community leaders. Confirmed guest speakers include Melda Onur (Turkish Parliament's Environment Commission), Gündüz Vassaf (writer/novelist), Gulay Yedekci (former member of the Committee for Development and Cultural Heritage of Fatih Municipality), Murat Çivilioglu (Ottoman Historian), Cemal Kafadar (Historian), Mevlut Ulu (Director of Yedikule High School), Ahmet Atalik (President of Istanbul's Chamber of Agricultural Engineers), Defne Koryürek (Slow Food Istanbul), and Emrah Altinok (urban planner). More guests will be announced shortly. For an updated schedule of invited guests, go to www.newbrooklyntheater.com.

New Brooklyn Theater has used this site-specific/talkback model successfully in their recent productions of Edward Albee's The Death of Bessie Smith, performed inside Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn when it was threatened with closure earlier this year, and Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People, performed on a river in West Virginia after a chemical spill. The Wall Street Journal called their Albee production "perhaps the city's most dramatic blend of theater and health policy in nearly 30 years."

Wed. Aug. 13 20:00 | Thur. Aug. 14 20:00 | Fri. Aug. 15 20:00 | Sat. Aug. 16 16:00 |
Wed. Aug. 20 20:00 | Thur. Aug. 21 20:00 | Fri. Aug. 22 20:00 | Sat. Aug. 23 16:00 |
Wed. Aug. 27 20:00 | Thur. Aug. 28 20:00 | Fri. Aug. 29 20:00 | Sat. Aug. 30 16:00 |

Tickets to all performances are free to the public and available by visiting www.newbrooklyntheater.com.

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