Theatre is the stage of life. Finding and building her life around theatre, Yıldız Kenter died on November 17th 2019 at the age of ninety-one, leaving behind 100 works that she starred in and directed.
A Star is “Born”
As she passed away and her fans shed tears for her, a sense of deprivation and loneliness surrounded Turkey far beyond simply losing a great actor. Sometimes the emotion that is reflected in the higher consciousnesses gets settled in the collective subconsciousness: “there will be no one” like Yıldız Kenter! It is true! At this point, we will need a consolation and we’ll remember the importance she gave to theatre education, contemporary literature, the Turkish language and youth education. Ordinary “actors” play their part. “Big name actors” set up the play! Yıldız Kenter was a “play making” kind of an actress and an artist. The values that she held onto surpassed the theatre milieu and got adopted by larger communities. What are those values? “Getting a proper education, working hard, having a command of our language, literature, poetry and our national treasures to reach universal values, and always seeking ways of self-improvement”! There is no doubt that there will not be another Yıldız Kenter. But the road map to stardom will be better understood after her death by thinking about her way of life and performances.
From the Republic’s Little Ayşe to Theatre’s Grand Star!
YıldızKenter was born on October 11, 1928 in Istanbul as the daughter of a British mother (Olga Cynthia) and a Turkish father (Ahmet Naci Kenter). Her full name was registered as Ayşe Yıldız. Ayşe Yıldız Kenter! Those were the years where the revolution of the Republic began to settle in our social and cultural life. The period she was born into was in sync with the revolutions that pushed the society towards innovation, progress and modernity. On the one hand, our language was given an alphabet compatible with our thousands of years of civilization, and on the other hand, solid foundations for the equality of men and women were being established from the stage to business life. While the Republic had great objectives such as making the language of the state and the language of the society one (Turkish), thus taking its place among the contemporary nations, the goal of “Little Ayşe” wasn’t so clear yet. Finally, she “grew up”, reached the time where she had to choose her life path. The Republic’s Little Ayşe was now a student at the Ankara State Conservatory and she was aware that this choice would ultimately bring her to the stage. Not only did she make her choice consciously, but she also worked hard to become “the best”.
National Treasure, Universal Star
The first thing that came to my mind as soon as I heard the news that Yıldız Kenter had passed away was that not only did we lose a great artist in the national realm, but also a great artist in the universal realm. She spoke “two languages” naturally as her mother was British and her father was Turkish. Thus, she had no difficulty using English fluently and accurately while following the developments in the theatre discipline. This was an advantage that helped her find stardom in the world. Indeed, she took part in English and Turkish plays in The Soviet Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Canada, Yugoslavia and Cyprus. In 1984, she received the “Adalaide Ristoriö” award by the Italian Cultural Association in Rome. Not only did Kenter win the Golden Orange Award three times in Turkey, but also she received the “Best Female Actress” award at the Corsica-Bastia Film Festival in 1989. While in 1994, she won the “Outstanding Interpretation” award for her role as “Fonsla” at the “Conquain Party” play. Another proof that Yıldız Kenter is a national and universal treasure is the fact that the Finland World Women’s Organization honored her as one of the most successful 100 woman of the century.
Award Hunter!
One of the founders of Kent Actors, Yıldız Kenter can be described as a “bounty hunter” with the awards she received for theatre in Turkey. We’re talking about a great artist who feels the role on the inside and works day and night to showcase all her talents. Indeed, we’re lucky that she has left her mark in our theatre. However, the awards that she won cannot be explained with just luck or coincidence. They’re the result of great labor and devotion. She gave everything to the theatre and so the society and the art world appreciated her. She was awarded the “Ulvi Uraz Best Actress” twice, and also received the “Avni Dilligil” award three times for the same category. In 1996, she won “Best Actress” for the role of “Jülide“ in Ramiz and Jülide by the Association of Magazine Journalists. On May 19 1997, the International Istanbul Festival gave Yıldız Kenter an Honorary Award for her lifelong contribution to theatre. Each award led her to work harder and surpass herself. In 1998, she received the “Female Artist of the Year” from the Ankara Art Institute. Finally, in 1998, she was honored with one of the most meaningful awards in theatre, the “Muhsin Ertuğrul – Lifelong Contribution to Theater Honor Award” and the following year in 1998 she was honored with the Grand Presidential Culture and Art Award.
Doing a Hand Stand on Stage at the Age of 81!
Sometimes our country is filled with contradictions. There came a time when the “retirement pension” of Yıldız Kenter, who was deemed worthy of the awards of the highest degree both at the local and foreign level, was cut. Yes, you didn’t read it wrong, the pension was cut! However, despite all these mishaps, she never resented her society and tried to support talented young people throughout her life. We’re talking about an 81 year old person who would even do a handstand onstage if she had to, an all-around artist, a star in love with her profession! Kenter was an actress with principles. She was productive, and an idealist. Moreover, she was a mother and a woman who devoted her life to her profession. I think three words to summarize her life should be: Work. Work. Work. She read not only the plays that she would stage, but also many more of the same author to be able to interpret the play to stage accurately. During her glorious career she staged approximately 100 plays. Kenter has played and staged the works of many writers, including Melih Cevdet Anday, Necati Cumalı, Güner Sümer, Adalet Ağaoğlu, Zeki Özturanlı, Güngör Dilmen, Muzaffer İzgü, Shakespeare, Chekhov, Brecht, Inoesco, Pinter, Albee, Tennessee Williams, Alan Ayckbourn, Arthur Miller Brian Freil, Neil Simon, Athol Fugard and Sergey Kokovkin.
Her Name Must Live through a Conservatory
Yıldız Kenter will never come again, but the traces she left will never disappear, her performance in the works she staged, her love for theatre, her support for young people, her principled, honorable life and her respect for art enthusiasts are values that will never be forgotten! Now is the time for the society to do its last job. This “last mission” is never limited to a funeral. We must establish a conservatory that will provide a theatre education at the national and universal level, and the name Yıldız Kenter should continue living there. Applause, for a life whose eyes are closed but the curtain will never be closed. Applause for Yıldız Kenter.
