New narrative trends in contemporary Turkish theater

This study examines the transformation and evolution of the classical dramatic structure, which has become the 'primary narrative form' of drama over the centuries, focusing on the new narrative tendencies observed in plays centered around narration written in Contemporary Turkish Theatre after the year 2000. Beginning with Plato and Aristotle's distinction between diegesis and mimesis, this study explores the historical relationship between drama and narration, as well as the evolution of narrative throughout history. In addition, the journey of the storyteller from past to present is examined, with a focus on its transformation, evolution, and function throughout different periods. The aim of this study is to identify the diverse narrative tendencies that have emerged in Turkish playwriting after 2000, in parallel with the increasing orientation toward narration, and to demonstrate these tendencies through selected plays. This study is limited to selected plays written after 2000 that place narration at the center, focusing on both solo and multi-character works which introduce new approaches to narration in the context of playwriting and storytelling. Furthermore, adaptations and translated texts have been excluded from the scope of this study; instead, the analysis is based on both published and unpublished original plays in which new narrative tendencies are predominant. In this study, which employs a descriptive survey model, data were obtained through document analysis. The first chapter examines Western narratives, narrative theories, and the historical development of narration. The second chapter explores the journey of narration in Turkish theatre from the oral tradition to the 2000s. In the third chapter, various uses of narration are identified through model plays, revealing new directions in Turkish playwriting. It has been concluded that in plays written after 2000, there is an increasing tendency for mimetic narration to give way to diegetic narration. It has been observed that elements such as action, suspense, and curiosity have become prominent in plays, while dialogue has diminished in importance, making storytelling the fundamental element. Furthermore, the influences of postmodernism are notably prominent in the plays. From the perspective of the text-reader relationship, it is observed that, rather than offering a single, fixed experience to the reader/audience, a pluralistic, open-ended approach that encourages active audience participation is adopted. In the field of storytelling, while traditional classical meddah or narrative practices continue, a significant increase has been observed in performative and multiple-narrator examples. Key Words: Narrative, Mimesis, Diegesis, Contemporary Turkish theater, New narrative, Storytelling