Muhsin Ertuğrul

Muhsin Ertuğrul — Biography

Muhsin Ertuğrul (1892, Istanbul – 29 April 1979, İzmir) is regarded as the founder of Turkish theatre in the Western sense and was also one of the pioneering figures of Turkish cinema. His interest in theatre began while he was a student at Tefeyyüz Mektebi; he first appeared on stage in 1909 with the Burhanettin Theatre Company, playing 'Bob' in an adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, and despite his family's objections he pursued acting, travelling to Paris in 1911 for theatrical training.

Returning to Istanbul in 1912, he worked as both director and actor, staging Shakespeare's Hamlet in Turkey for the first time and taking on the title role himself. As the only person making films in Turkey between 1922 and 1939, he laid the foundations of early Turkish cinema with productions such as 'Boğaziçi Esrarı', 'Ateşten Gömlek', 'Bir Millet Uyanıyor' and 'Kıskanç'.

Over the course of his career he received the Goethe Medal for Art and Science and the Presidential Grand Award for Culture and Arts, and was married to fellow theatre figure Neyyire Neyir. Today, one of the state theatre stages in Istanbul's Harbiye district carries his name, the 'Muhsin Ertuğrul Sahnesi', and continues to host leading theatrical events in the country.