"Mimce Kadınlar" (Women According to Mim)
is a contemporary play written through feminist lenses by a team of women, who
prefer not to bring their names into the foreground. It was staged in Bakırköy Altan
Erbulak Sahnesi and I was informed about it thanks to my student Özde Nesil
Gezici (who performed amazingly) who is among the actors. For many women today,
breathing space in Turkey has been getting narrower and costlier. A certain and
definitely very conservative life style has been systematically imposed on women
and young girls in insidious and outrageously explicit ways through the
statements made by the political figures in power. Include the legal
authorities, the intimidated and partial media, security forces and so called
educators who are parroting the government’s words in the same discourse. Polarization and the extent of abasement in
the political arena are appalling. The direct attacks on even moderately pro-feminist
or pro-women individuals by the government authorities are beyond the
imagination of -say- my parents’ generation (who are in their mid-70ties).
Moreover, thanks to the grant by the feminist American author Sallie Bingham, I am engaged in
recording the stories of selected Syrian women whose whole lives were destroyed within the past four years.
Well, in the midst of all these real-time
dark stories, I had a great time while watching the play "Mimce Kadınlar" because
of the following reasons:
1. It shows that it is still possible to
stage plays with an openly feminist content, drawing attention to all forms of violence
against women in Turkey, or the femicide (systematic killing of women for cultural
and religious reasons). Granted that the stage used for the play belonged to
Bakirkoy Municipality, long-time stronghold for CHP (social-democratic
party)
inhabited by an upper middle class population and Christian minorities, it is
still evidence for some leftover breathing space for non-mainstream voices. The
play confirms the existence of courageous, rebellious young people and their
instructors, who are also the playwrights.
2. Judging from my own students, most
idealist and hard-working ones are depressed and cannot see a way out of the
corrupted system and radicalized conservatives who got hold of the main
institutions in the country. After watching the play, you may think, "Thank
God, these bright and talented young individuals managed to form their ‘enclaves’
and channeled their energies into something politically loaded and creative."
So no matter how much you/we criticize them for being tied to their cell phones
and other screens, they are obviously doing other good stuff, which means there
is still some hope for this country.
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| Rapunzel is explaining the rationale for her rebellion. |
Regarding the play: The range of criticism
of violence against women in all forms included TV shows, morning programs which
targeted women in particular, language (my favorite!), legal and education
system in Turkey, fairy tales originated in Europe whose female protagonists
are made to conform to their passive and traditional roles as "good girls", aloof
or isolated academics who study the society without becoming part of it and of
course the ancient and persistent traditions (e.g., arranged marriage). The
elements causing, feeding, encouraging the current events are presented as
well. There is the right balance between laughter and tears. In fact, the tears
came towards the end, but were cleverly signaled in the beginning too. The
imaginary heaven with she-angels clad in white is exclusively spared for the women
who are victims of violence.
I appreciated the extent of rich criticism,
which did not single out a specific group. In other words, the criticisms went refreshingly
beyond the easy and growing "trend" in Turkey: polarization and discrimination.
In fact, at the end of the play, you can find even yourself as one of the
accused in the ongoing practices and justifications of violence against women.
Thus, be aware!
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| The heroines of the Grimm Brothers in revolt. |
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| Rehearsal in prison for 'good behavior' during a murder trial |
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