Istanbul Research Institute is hosting a talk titled Breaking the Silence of the Archive: Armenian Women Actors on the Ottoman Stage on Tuesday, March 31, as part of its “Chamber Talks ” series. Moderated by theater artist and researcher Duygu Dalyanoğlu and academic Esra Dicle, the event will explore the experiences and obscured histories of Armenian women performers who shaped the theatrical stage during a period in the 19th century when Muslim-Turkish women were forbidden from appearing on stage.
Taking place at 18:30 on the ground floor of the institute, the event is free to attend. The discussion will focus on the struggles for visibility and existence of Armenian women actors, examining figures such as Arusyak Papazyan, Yeranuhi Karakaşyan, and Azniv Hraçya. Their stage careers will be evaluated not through the myth of “innate talent,” but through their labor both on and off stage.
The talk also sheds light on the spatial and social framework of Ottoman theater. From the venues of Pera to Gedikpaşa, as well as touring circuits extending to Edirne and Tiflis, participants will be introduced to narratives that have remained largely invisible in archival records. Drawing on undocumented information, firsthand testimonies, and Armenian-language periodicals of the time, the discussion highlights not only stage performances but also the backstage production processes and artistic identities of these women.
