First time Turkish actor to say genocide from Turkish stage (video)

For the first time ever the term Armenian Genocide is set to be pronounced by a Turkish actor at a play to be performed in Turkey.

Titled “The Heirs” and authored by Turkish playwright Sedef Eser, the play is scheduled to be staged by French stage director Bruno Freisine in Turkey’s Pan-National Theatre.

“This is the first-ever performance where a Turkish actor will in a play by a Turkish playwright utter the word genocide which they dislike so much,” Vardan Mkrtchyan, Director of the theater, told Tert.am.

A story of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Turks in early 20th century the play is performed in six languages by actors representing four nationalities.

“Of course, in Turkey the play will not be accepted unilaterally, and the actors must have the courage to call things by their names. Let’s hope that everything will go smoothly,” Mkrtchyan added.

He also said that in the play the stage director is raising the issue of how nations treat the historical reality.

“The play is the story of three generations: the first one that perpetrated the crime, the second one that has been hiding it and the third one that is bearing responsibility for what its ancestors committed and hid,” explained Mkrtchyan.

He also said that the French-Armenian director Serzh Avedikian also assists with the performance of the play.

Avedikian is making a documentary about the creation of the play.