PUBLISHED: Critical Stages/Scènes Critiques New Issue

The IATC journal Critical Stages/Scènes Critiques has been published just in time for your new year reading. Editor-in-chief Savas Patsalidis announced publication December 29 with a Special Topic for Number 16 edited by renowned international artist and author Johannes Birringer on "Sound/Theatre: Sound in Performance."

Flesh Waves (phase #4), by Isabelle Choinière,
with dancers Laurie-Anne Langis, Édith Doucet,
Nadège St-Arnaud, Béatrice Trudel, Frédérique
Forget, 2013. Photo: Mateo H. Casis, Cie Loc & Mac

Sound designer Chris Wenn weighs in on "Acoustic Ecologies of Independent Theatre in Melbourne." Scholar and artist Gretchen Jude explores the "Sounding Body as Digital Assemblage."

Bill T. Jones and I-Ling Liu perform Story/Time. Photo by Paul B. Goode

Performance thinkers from around the globe consider varied topics within editor Birringer's "ensounded" construct such as aural choreography, Bill T. Jones "repurposing" John Cage, soundscapes of "narco silence" in the border areas of the United States and Mexico, corporeality in choreography of new music, sonic energy and the body, and other intersections of sound and performance as the impact of design creates new ways of thinking about theatre and performance.

La Terquedad, a project on which writer and director
Rafael Spregelburd started working in 1996.

Also featured in this edition are national reports on theatre in Ireland, Hong Kong, Argentina, Serbia, Greece, Anglophone Canada, Israel, and Chile. Performance review editor Matti Linnavuori of Finland has once again curated a lively selection on international perspectives from around the globe. Don Rubin of Canada offers his usual thoughtful collection of book reviews on performance topics.

Coming in February 2018, Critical Stages/Scènes Critiques will roll out the second installment of Number 16 featuring interviews, conference papers, and essays. Stay tuned for more and let us know how the journal might better provide news, reviews, essays, and special topics of interest to you.

PROTEST: IATC Statement on Serebrennikov Detention

Kirill Serebrennikov in court December 4, 2017.
Photo: Artyom Geodakyan/TASS

According to the website of Radio Free Europe, which based its reporting on TASS and Interfax, a Moscow City Court upheld on December 4 an extension of house arrest for Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov. He has been detained on fraud charges, accused of embezzling approximately $1 million in State funds. Serebrennikov was arrested in August. In October, the district court extended his house arrest to January 19. The 48-year-old director has repeatedly stated that the charges are "absurd."

Prior to his arrest, Serebrennikov

clashed with Russia’s Culture Ministry over the staging of a ballet about legendary Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, who defected to the West in 1961. Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky suggested that production might violate a 2013 'gay propaganda' law. (RFE)

As a result of his detention, Serebrennikov was not allowed to attend the Europe Prize for Theatre festivities in Rome, December 12–17, where he was to receive one of the top prizes bestowed in the category of "Theatrical Realities." The International Association of Theatre Critics (AICT-IATC) issued an official protest against the detention of the artist at its meeting in Rome on December 17. The critics' organization noted that despite Serebrennikov's isolation, his Nureyev ballet opened recently at the Bolshoi Theatre. The IATC also noted that the organization "shares the deep worries of the Russian critics, who already launched a protest in August, against the arrest of Serebrennikov. The accusations . . . alleging misuse of funds in his theatre, do not justify his prolonged detainment."

The IATC statement concluded, "the world of the arts and free expression will never accept the maneuvers of any state trying to stop an artist from speaking with a clear voice for freedom."

NOMINATIONS: 2018 Thalia Prize Deadline

2016 Thalia Laureate Femi Osofisan

The International Association of Theatre Critics (AICT-IATC) requests proposals for candidates for the IATC Thalia Prize. National and regional sections of IATC are invited to propose candidates. The 2018 Prize will be given at the IATC World Congress in Banff, Canada.

2006 Thalia Laureate
Eric Bentley

The Thalia Prize is IATC’s prestigious award for outstanding contribution to the field of theatre criticism, and to critics and theoreticians who have played significant roles in shaping our understanding of theatre spanning different cultural settings, politics, and aesthetics.

Previous Thalia Prize honorees have featured an impressive selection of laureates: Eric Bentley (USA, 2006), Jean-Pierre Sarrazac (France, 2008), Richard Schechner (USA, 2010), Kapila Vatsyayan (India, 2012), Eugenio Barba (Denmark, 2014), Femi Osofisan (Nigeria, 2016).

2008 Thalia Laureate
Jean-Pierre Sarrazac

Recommenders are urged to consider 
candidates whose body of work has been influential at home, in their regions, and abroad, or whose writing they feel merits attention on an international platform. National and regional sections are therefore not restricted to suggesting candidates from their own countries, but may refer any candidate believed to fulfill the criteria of the Prize.

2010 Thalia Laureate
Richard Schechner

National and regional sections proposing candidates must submit a brief biography of the candidate along with translation (where needed) of excerpts from the candidate’s work in English or in French, the working languages of IATC. Thalia honoree recommendations must be submitted by December 19, 2017.

2012 Thalia Laureate
Kapila Vatsyayan

Each national or regional section may propose only one candidate. National and regional sections should note that the successful candidate must be present to receive the award at the Thalia Prize Award Ceremony at the World Congress in Banff, Canada (September 23–28, 2018).

2014 Thalia Laureate
Eugenio Barba

The Executive Committee of IATC will prepare the candidacies received from the national or regional sections for its next meeting in Craiova, Romania in April 2018, where the decision on the laureate will be taken.

For more information or to make a recommendation, members of the American section should contact Jeffrey Eric Jenkins (jej [at] illinois.edu).

UPDATE: More on Serebrennikov

The Moscow Times offers perspective on the detention of Kirill Serebrennikov. For John Freedman's commentary, click here.

RUSSIA: Director Under House Arrest

Kirill Serebrennikov

The Russian Theatre Critics Association has issued a statement of its concern over undue pressure applied in the case of director Kirill Serebrennikov, who was arrested under cover of darkness in St. Petersburg and placed under house arrest in Moscow. An English translation of the critics' association follows here, with slight editing for clarity:

The Russian Theatre Critics Association, a national section of the International Association of Theatre Critics (AICT-IATC), has issued a public statement to express anxiety over pressure being exerted on theatre director Kirill Serebrennikov. 

Serebrennikov was deported at night by force to Moscow from St. Petersburg, where he was shooting a movie. The next day he was sentenced to house arrest by a regional court. 

The situation surrounding Serebrennikov grew more tense in July when the opening of the ballet Rudolph Nureyev, which he directed at Bolshoi Theatre, was canceled as controversial. 

Serebrennikov is accused of misusing funds that were targeted for a cultural project titled The Platform. One of the items in the prosecutor’s investigation implies that the production of Midsummer Night's Dream was not created at all. This assertion is false: the production has been seen dozens of times, it continues to run, received a range of reviews in various media, and was nominated for the national theatre prize, The Golden Mask. The investigation continues to assert that the work does not exist. 

There are deep doubts about the motivations for the prosecution of Serebrennikov. The responsibility of the stage director is unrelated to financial and production activities, which is covered by an investigation of the producer and the bursar for The Platform project. Serebrennikov never refused to answer questions in the course of the investigation of the case. 

His house arrest seems an unnecessary use of pressure on the artistic creator. Serebrennikov has never staged blatantly political performances. Nevertheless, the style and issues raised in his works are always fresh, unconventional, and truly innovative. The director was personally outspoken in support of liberal values. He was critical of the trial against the Pussy Riot group, of homophobic legislation, of church obscurantism, and he has supported transparent presidential elections. 

Just a month ago, the board of Europe Theatre Prize announced its decision to award Serebrennikov the New Theatrical Reality prize at this December’s event in Rome. 

Serebrennikov's impact in Russian culture is truly significant. He created several productions at the citadel of realistic theatre—the Moscow Art Theatre—and helped revive it for new audiences. He created The Seventh Studio of Moscow Art Theatre and educated a company of actors who used artistic language matched to a new dramatic style and thought for the generation now emerging. This group has undertaken The Platform project that received The Golden Mask in 2012, titled The Scoundrels, about right-wing radicals in contemporary Russia. 

Serebrennikov supervised the rebranding of a Moscow theatre house as the Gogol Center, which has attracted young crowds and become one of most thrilling places for drama in Moscow. Productions created by Serebrennikov generated discussion and sometimes controversy among its audiences. Now under house arrest, he is unable to complete a theatre production for the Gogol Center in addition to his film about the early the Russian rock 'n' roll generation that was shooting in St. Petersburg. His project of opera film of Hansel and Gretel at Stuttgart Opera house, filmed partly in Rwanda, must be postponed. 

The Russian Theatre Critics Association hopes that the international community of theatre critics will support our attempts to protect the social and artistic rights of Kirill Serebrennikov and of the evolving Russian artistic culture.                — August 24, 2017

Deadline's Greg Evans also reported on August 24 that the European Film Academy called for the "unconditional release" of Serebrennikov in an article that showed the director in an apparent holding cell. A tweet by Pussy Riot is quoted in the Deadline piece saying that Serebrennikov "had been placed under house arrest by 'Putin's butchers.'"

Holding cell? Kirill Serebrennikov Photo: REX/Shutterstock

CALL: Populism and Theatre

Shota Rustaveli State University of Theatre and Film. Photo: Giorgi Balakhadze

An international colloquium on "Theatre and Populism" has been announced for October 4–5, 2017, in Tbilisi, Georgia. This is an event sanctioned by the International Association of Theatre Critics (AICT-IATC) in association with the Tbilisi International Festival of Theatre, and Shota Rustaveli Tbilisi State University of Theatre and Film. Following is an excerpted English translation of the call for papers.

In modern history and, especially, in recent years "Populism" has become a commonly used term in politics and culture. Might we, therefore, deploy this term to describe political, cultural or everyday life? Is it useful as a descriptor for aesthetic, practical, or socio-political dimensions in our experience? Is there even a precise linguistic definition of the term?

For understanding Populism, researchers often refer to 19th century Russian and American populists, to Ancient Greeks, to the slogan of the French Revolution "Exprimer le peuple," to present-day politicians such as Le Pen, Trump, Erdogan, and to Brecht’s political theatre. According to Pierre Rosan Vallon, Populism is the ugliest answer to the dysfunctions of democracy.

With dissonant, contradictory definitions at the core of the phenomenon and with diverse means, possibilities, methods, and resources available for its implementation, we may trace one common feature: that populism functions only if it is targeted to a certain group, stratum, or community of people that can be defined and manipulated. Thus, Populism, like theatre, cannot exist without people, without audience.

The main topic of our 5th International Colloquium launched under the umbrella of the International Association of Theatre Critics and its Georgian Section is "Theatre and Populism." Topics of interest for papers include but are not limited to:

• What are the traps of populism in contemporary theatre?

• Populist cultural policy in theatre of different countries: Does it exist?

• Audiences and Populism: Please or provoke the audience?

• Populism as the tool for attracting the audience

• Narration in performances – truth or lie?

• Does populist playwriting or aesthetic aspects and clichés of a populist performance exist?

Participants are asked to forward abstracts (no longer than 200 words) in English to Ms. Lela Ochiauri, organizing committee member, teklataia@yahoo.com. The deadline is August 10, 2017. Invitations will be dispatched before August 20, 2017. A diversity of proposals from around the world are most welcome. Participants will have at their disposal technical equipment and support of Power Point and DVD presentations. Oral presentations should not exceed 15 minutes to allow time for discussion. The working languages of the colloquium are English and Georgian, with simultaneous translation.

Papers will be published in a special issue of Centaur by Tbilisi State University of Theatre and Film. The complete text of papers (up to 4,000 words in English or French) should be submitted for translation in electronic form no later than October 1, 2017.

CALL: Three Young Critics' Workshops

National Theatre. Iași, Romania 

The International Theatre Critics Association (AICT-IATC) has announced three Young Critics' Workshops to be held in the final months of 2017.

The 10th International Festival of Theatre for Young Audiences: This workshop will be held in Iași, Romania, from October 4 to 10, 2017. The arrival date is October 4 and the departure date is October 10 for a total of a six-night stay. There will be two working groups: one in English and one in French. The size of the groups is limited to ten participants. Monitors will be announced later.

Wuzhen Theatre, China

The 5th Wu Zhen Theatre Festival: This workshop will be held in Wu Zhen (also written Wuzhen and Wu-Zhen, in some sources), China, from October 19 to 29, 2017. The festival will take place between October 19 and 29. The exact dates of the workshop, which will include a six-night stay, are to be announced later. There will be two working groups, one in English (ten-participant maximum), monitored by Octavian Saiu, Adjunct Secretary General of IATC, and one in Chinese (six-participant maxium), monitored by Peng Tao, President of the IATC China section. The waterside town of Wu Zhen has been declared "UNESCO World Heritage Site." According to our colleagues from China, it is the "uniquely beautiful location of the most vigorous theatre festival in China today." Workshop participants will have the opportunity to see performances created by artists such as Katie Mitchell and Oskaras Koršunovas, new works produced by Germany's Schaubühne and Russia's Vakhtangov State Academy Theatre, in addition to a wide variety of productions from Australia, Switzerland, Brazil, Lebanon, Ireland, Romania, and other countries. Alongside such international productions, Wu Zhen Theatre Festival will also offer a varied showcase of Chinese theatre created by young and established theatre artists such as Tian Qinxin, He Nian, Zhou Ke, and Ban Zan.

The 2017 International Association for Performing Arts and Research Festival: This workshop will be held from November 4 to 10, 2017, in Pune, India. The arrival date is November 4 and the departure date is November 10 for a total stay of six nights. There will be two working groups of 6 participants each. The English-speaking group will be monitored by Deepa Punjani, a member of the IATC Executive Committee, and Ajay Joshi. The French-speaking group will be monitored by Mariko Anazawa, Adjunct Director of Training Workshops for IATC. 

American Theatre Critics Association members who are 35 years of age and younger may apply for admission to these workshops by submitting the completed application information below to the Director of Training Workshops, Jean-Pierre Han (jp.han@free.fr). The application is also available on the website IATC website aict-iatc.org). Please send all required attachments to Jean-Pierre Han, jp.han@free.fr before August 15, 2017.

International Young Critics Workshop Application

Name:

Gender:
Nationality:
Age:
E-mail:
Other contacts (telephone, mobile):
Language (English / French):
IATC national section recommending:
Other materials required:

1) Short CV and main professional experience (newspapers, journals, radio/TV, web, blog, etc.)
2) Three attached samples of published articles
3) Proof of membership in the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) or other IATC national section

TURKEY: World Theatre Day

Ancient Roots: Theatre at Ephesus, Turkey

As World Theatre Day 2017 approaches on March 27, thoughts of theatre artists and critics turn increasingly to global concerns over freedom of expression. In Nigeria recently, theatre critics hosted a forum aimed at examining the boundaries that face critics (and artists) when the political grounds on which they stand, to paraphrase the great playwright August Wilson, seem to undergo tectonic shifts daily.

Recent events in Turkey, a country that the West has long celebrated as a significant example of how democracy may work amid the pressures of encroaching theocratic impulses, have raised concerns about the lengths to which those in power will go to maintain a status quo. Turkey is also a physical crossroads of the ancient world where theatre has deep roots and a powerful claim on the imagination and spirit of the populace. Istanbul alone, which literally bridges east and west, may be the truest expression of the cosmopolitan in the dozens of languages and dialects spoken in its streets, and in the scores of cultures across millennia that have been inscribed on its urban landscape. The Theatre Critics Association of Turkey, a constituent group of the International Association of Theatre Critics (AICT-IATC), has issued a clarion statement that is filled with passion and a hopeful outlook for the future of the art form. It is brave, bold, and an inspiration in these times of uncertainty. (The translation below has been edited slightly for clarity.)

Turkish National Declaration for World Theatre Day 

We are at the threshold of twilight. The art of theatre, however, is the essential medium to lead us through the threshold and into radiant days. 

At present, academics who act for peace in our society, have been exported from their university. As a result of these actions, one of the oldest and most prominent theatre departments in Turkey is about to be closed. One of the private theatre schools, which has graduated many young members of the Turkish theatre scene, has been sabotaged by arson as the theatre supported the secular, parliamentarian republic of the present. Other private theatre groups are deprived of necessary state financial support. Theatre artists who stand in protest and call for support of environmental rights are exported from their municipal or state theatre companies. In these times, it is incredible to celebrate World Theatre Day and to perform the art of theatre, yet there is hope as well. 

We, the workers of theatre, never doubt the power of the theatre to change lives and transform people. The theatre is our sine qua non. 

Despite all obstacles it must face, theatre will continue to raise society’s awareness, to guide audiences to critical thinking, to defend freedom of thought and basic human rights, to conceive truth and to help the masses conceive it, too. 

Our word will never end, our curtains will never be closed by force, our limelight will never be extinguished, and our "fine voice" under this "dome of many colored glass" will never surrender to darkness.

In this time of rising insecurity for free expression, when a Pandora's Box of hateful ideology has been unleashed across the globe, one is forced to pause and consider: Will I be so bold when it is my turn to speak truth to power? Our colleagues in Turkey point the way.

WOMEN: Actors in Afghanistan

Activist Director: Anneta Papathanassiou

Do you think being an artist is difficult? Banned under Taliban rule (1994–2001), Afghan theatre has been making a comeback with many women at the forefront. Playing With Fire: Women Actors of Afghanistan (2014) by Anneta Papathanassiou exposes the ongoing erosion of Afghan women's rights in this powerful film. The director's timely, eye-opening documentary perfectly captures art’s transformative power and the dangers faced by these courageous women artists. It is a stark reminder that every day is International Women's Day.

This story is certain to inspire those who support the creation of living art and freedom of artistic expression. Everyone who cares about the performing arts in the evolving global milieu should see this film. In the coming week, there will be a free, public screening at the Spurlock Museum on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 14.

Iranian theatre critic, director, and playwright Katayoun H. Salmasi will introduce the film and lead a post-screening discussion. Salmasi is former vice president of the Iran Theatre Critics Association who currently advises the Iranian Cultural Association at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.

AsiaLENS Presents

Playing With Fire: Women Actors of Afghanistan (2014)
Directed by Anneta Papathanassiou
Afghanistan (58 minutes)
In English and Afghan (Dari), with English subtitles

AsiaLENS is a series of free public film screenings and lecture/discussion programs—organized by Asian Education Media Service (AEMS) and the Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies (CEAPS) in collaboration with Spurlock Museum—presenting recent documentary and independent films on issues reflecting contemporary life in Asia. All AsiaLENS screenings are free and open to the public.

NEWS: Lagos Critics' Conference

Conference Home: National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos

Our friends in the Nigeria section of the International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC) recently hosted a theatre critics' conference at the National Theatre, Iganmu, which received a keynote address from playwright, critic, and 2016 Thalia Prize laureate, Femi Osofisan. The conference topic of "Theatre, Criticism and Politics — Where Are the Limits?" arose, according to Emmanuel Dandaura, president of the Nigeria section as a response to events occurring throughout the globe. In a statement to the press, Dandaura noted that

Politics, theatre, and theatre criticism have long been interwoven and interdependent. In the highest peaks of its history, theatre and other performing arts have been a collective self-representation of society, its basic values, and beliefs, including mainstream political narratives.
When contesting these narratives, theatre has been more ironic, subversive and blasphemous than openly confrontational — although direct theatrical conflicts with society are also well known. 

When theatre criticism appeared as a genre in Western media in the 18th century, it fought the same battle as the (bourgeois) theatre itself. Theatre and criticism were important social platforms in the battle against conservative, aristocratic, and clerical states – even as they advocated a new and progressive bourgeois society. 

In the last two and a half centuries, the relationship between these three "players"—politics, theatre, and theatre criticism—has been fluid. There were periods in which all were going in the same direction—for good or ill.  

In some historical periods, (dissident) theatre was courageous, provocative, and challenging. Criticism, however, strongly controlled by mainstream political power (as with much of the media), could not support it. In some constructs, media demanded that theatre be more politically daring. 

The International Theatre Critics Conference (ITCC), therefore, will interrogate how global theatre and theatre criticism respond to current political events. 

Does theatre, internationally, address these challenging topics? Is there a new political theatre? Is there a growing trend toward the political or do individual cases arise on their own? How do critics react? Are we free (enough) to openly support theatre that dissents from accepted political and cultural norms? Is the social impact of this type of work more relevant than its artistry? How do we recognize a politically brave theatre in societies different from our own? If we recognize it, how do we communicate it to our readers?

These queries and proposed answers were also addressed by an international group of critics led by IATC President Margareta Sörenson. What role do you think critics should play in analyzing and interpreting the political impact of theatre? Does it matter? Is it a factor in your response to theatre?

RESPONSE: Turkish Critics Engage

Something Rotten?: Müdjat Gezen Arts Center after presumed arson. Photo: AA

Theatre critics in Turkey report to us that, as theater academics were being expelled during the "state of emergency," a significant theater academy founded by Turkish actor and director Müjdat Gezen was burned. Gezen described the act as a "terrorist crime" and took pleasure in noting that the bronze bust of the hero of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, was unscathed in the attack.

The Theatre Critics Association of Turkey responded with a document titled "Something is Rotten in the Turkish Republic." Parts of the following have been edited for clarity:

In Turkey, academicians who sign in support of social peace continue to be expelled from their institutions with a state of emergency decree. Prestigious professors of the Theatre Department in Ankara University's Faculty of Language, History and Geography, were also expelled after other recent expulsions. 

These academics, including members of the International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC) Turkish Section, were unexpectedly and inappropriately removed from their duties despite their professional standing and long experience. With this decision, undergraduate and graduate studies are now suspended. Our greatest hope is that our distinguished professors will be reinstated and allowed to work at their universities following social pressure and implementation of the law. 

Arts Advocate: Müdjat Gezen

As this chaos unfolded in higher education, Müjdat Gezen Art Center, which was created by a private initiative and educated hundreds of actors and actresses, was burned in a presumed act of arson after being targeted by a media channel broadcasting ideas of the extreme right wing. The center, founded by Müjdat Gezen, was damaged tragically. Gezen is one of the greatest actors and directors of Turkish theatre and is well known for his Kemalist and secular ideals. Upon hearing news of the fire, hundreds of actors, actresses, directors, students, and audience members flocked to art center and stood guard outside. 

The Theatre Critics Association of Turkey, condemns this discriminatory and criminal behavior. We believe in the combined resistance of Turkey’s intellectuals, academicians, and artists. We will continue to work toward the restoration of social morality and the freedom of thought through the cultivation of the arts.

ATCA International will continue to monitor the unfolding situation as arts institutions throughout the globe respond to an apparent rising tide of artistic and academic oppression.

REPORT: Theater Trouble in Turkey

#DoNotTouch: Protest Against Theatre Faculty Expulsions 

As the political situation tightens in Turkey, members of IATC have shared information with us in an attempt to raise awareness of what is happening to the arts and artists in what was once a society that prized democratic discourse.

We received a declaration from the Theatre Department of Ankara University, disseminated February 12, 2017, which has been edited for clarity:

Exported: Prof. Dr. Beliz Güçbilmez

Ankara University, Theatre Department professors Prof. Dr. Selda Berk Öndül, Prof. Dr. Tülin Sağlam, Prof. Dr. Beliz Güçbilmez, Dr. M. Elif Çongur and the research assistants Ceren Özcan and Şamil Yilmaz have been exported from duty by the new Decree-law No 686. With Assoc. Prof. Dr. Süreyya Karacabey, who had been exported before by the Decree-Law No. 679, seven of our colleagues who form the majority of our department have been expelled from work in government offices. As a result, the undergraduate programs of our department have received an irreparable blow, and the post-graduate programs are almost out of the question.

Exported: Prof. Dr. Selda Berk Öndül

Exported: Dr. M. Elif Çongur

The exportation of our professors—who have created invaluable works and made undeniable contributions to the theatre world of Turkey—by the laws that pertain to only those who “are connected with or are members of or partake in terror organizations, groups, organisms or organizations or other structures which are claimed by the National Security Council as threats to our national security” is inexplicable and wrong as far as justice and conscience are concerned.

Exported: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Süreyya Karacabey

Exported: Prof. Dr. Tülin Sağlam

These exportations spreading in the Higher Education System, i.e., in the majority of universities in Turkey via new decree-laws has turned into a clearance or liquidation operation. Governance of universities, which are supposed to be institutions of freedom of thought and expression, by decree-laws can by no means be accepted. It is undoubtedly obvious that this attitude will bear critical outcomes and give an irredeemable harm to our colleagues’ and to our department’s future, as well as to our university, to the academia in general and to our country. We here resolve to blame the Ankara University rectorate and demand that our colleagues be returned to their posts immediately.  

— Members of the Theatre Department, Faculty of Letters, Ankara University

An update has been received from the Theatre Critics Association of Turkey and will follow.

BORDERS: Barba Barred From U.S. Entry

In a February 22, 2017, posting on their Facebook page, 2014 Thalia Prize laureate Eugenio Barba and his company Odin Teatret announced that they "had to cancel [their] tour to Miami because of immigration problems."

Persian Passion: Eugenio Barba and company attend a
performance of a "tazieh" play. Photo: Tehran Times

This news came 12 days after Barba and other guests were photographed at Tehran's City Theater Complex while watching a performance of a "tazieh" play, which Tehran Times describes as an "Iranian passion play." Theater critic Alisa Solomon called attention to the immigration problem in a Facebook posting today. American theater artists are protesting the U.S. government action via social media outlets. ATCA International is monitoring the story.