Have you ever thrown your garbage into the sea? If so, have you ever imagined what happens to it?
There’s a fish whose job is to clean the seas and it does its job with a great sense of responsibility. This fish has eaten so much garbage that it has turned into a monster, but a good hearted monster nonetheless. He resolutely tries to eat all the garbage he can find to keep the seas clean. He mostly hates plastic bottles. Oh what’s that?! Karagöz is throwing a plastic bottle into the sea, and now the monster is showing up and faces Karagöz! We’re following the fish under the sea, we’re going into the stomach of the monster, we’re sailing on the sea by Karagöz’ little boat on a screen 150 x 100 cm.
When the naive and attractive vision of all this scenery, comes together with tunes of traditional songs, it makes a tremendous and fantastic world of shadow puppets. Those who watch this fantastic comedy cannot believe that there’s only one person behind the screen to play so many figures.
CENGIZ ÖZEK: Cengiz Özek has worked with traditional Turkish shadow theatre, also called Karagöz, since 1977 when he was 13 years old. The first production was “Büyülü Ağaç – Magic Tree”, a play which is based on the shamanistic sources of Karagöz and compiles elements from a selection of the authentic and old performances still known.
Having a vast repertoire of classical Karagöz plays, Cengiz Özek Shadow Theatre produced its first modernization of Karagöz with “Çöp Canavarı” / “Garbage Monster” in 1998. In the same year he established the first Istanbul International Puppet Festival. It was the first attempt to bring performing artists and companies from all over the world together in one festival. The festival has continued annually ever since and has since then promoted and revived the art of puppet theatre around Istanbul.
Cengiz Özek Shadow Theatre has been hosted in many countries since it was founded and has performed more than 1000 shows as well as given workshops, exhibitions, and lectures on Karagöz. And now it is the turn of Egypt, in the framework of the Spring Festival organized by Al Mawred Al-Thaqafy! The performances will take place in Minya on Monday April 23 at the Jesuits Cultural Center (JCC, El Hommeyaat St., Ard El Moulid) at 5:00 PM and in Cairo on Wednesday April 25, 2012 at Beit El Seheimy, El Darb El Asfar Alley, Off Moez El Din El Fatemy St., El Gamaleya (click here for directions) also at 5:00 PM.
Free Admission to both performances.
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It is such a shame that we are making it difficult for Animals to live in their Habitat.
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