The reflection of the epic theater in Turkish literature and the examination of the works

The Bertolt Brecht influence, which has been evident in Turkish theater since the early 1960s, has led many artists to write epic plays. Although research on the works written under this influence has increased in recent years, it is seen that these studies are generally based on an artist or a work. It is noteworthy that the number of studies that deal with the subject comprehensively is low. There are only one article and thesis in this field. When these studies are analyzed, it is seen that there are different determinations and various deficiencies on the subject. First of all, it is noticed that there is no consensus on which plays should be considered as epic theater. In addition, the plays have not been analyzed in depth in terms of their content and structure. For these reasons, there are some shortcomings in determining the history of Turkish theater and the qualities of the works. This study aims to overcome these deficiencies and aims to determine which of the Turkish playwrights wrote Brecht-influenced plays, which works can be considered as epic, how all the techniques used are reflected in the plays and which structural features the plays have textually. In a certain period, some artists show interest in epic theater. This situation made it necessary to analyze the plays written especially after 1960. As a result of reading and research, twenty-four works written in the form of epic theater were identified. It is seen that the techniques used in the analyzed works, the subjects addressed, the messages conveyed and the understanding of the play are under the influence of epic theater. Although there are cases where some techniques are used incompletely or incorrectly, most of the artists have written plays in accordance with Brecht's understanding of theater in general. However, it should be noted that the playwrights benefited greatly from the similarity of form by adding some elements of traditional Turkish theater to their plays. In the light of all these findings, it is observed that the influence of epic theater in Turkish theater has increased rapidly since the 1960s. Especially the socialist playwrights' orientation towards this theater genre and the efforts of many artists to create a national theater by combining epic theater with traditional theater enabled Brechtian theater to become widespread rapidly. Key Words: Epic theater, Epic theater in Turkey, Alienation, Dialectical, Gestus, Historicization