Gazete Pencere / İsmet Ay has not been forgotten

MUTLU HESAPÇI

When I think of İsmet Ay, the first image that comes to mind is his performances in the old New Year’s Eve sketches with Erol Günaydın. Of course, everyone remembers him as Sermet in the TV series Süper Baba, but when I think about it, Tatlı Kaçıklar comes to mind. I remember asking myself while watching him: ‘How brilliantly he brought that character to life, and was it really him?’ In reality, he was a theater actor, and I wish I had the chance to see him perform on stage because I’ve heard from those who did that he was an actor who truly became larger than life on stage. In fact, no one has ever played the role of the servant in The Cherry Orchard as well as he did. He won the Avni Dilligil Theater Award and the Ministry of Culture’s Best Actor Award for his portrayal of the servant in The Cherry Orchard. Everyone knows İsmet Ay was from Şile, but the town hadn’t shown him the respect he deserved until now. During his lifetime, because of İsmet Ay’s presence, artists from all over flocked to Şile, and they collected countless memories there. Back then, Şile became the go-to refuge for artists.

We lost İsmet Ay in 2004. He’s buried in Şile, and on his newly renovated gravestone are the lines from Firs, one of his unforgettable characters from The Cherry Orchard: "They’ve gone… they’ve forgotten me… Life has passed by, as if I never lived. I’ll lie down. I have no strength left; nothing left, nothing at all… Clumsy!” - Anton Chekhov

A TRIBUTE FROM ŞİLE TO MASTER ACTOR İSMET AY: İSMET AY STAGE REVIVED AND HIS GRAVE RESTORED

The İsmet Ay Stage, named after the veteran of Turkish theater, cinema, and television, Şile's own İsmet Ay, was brought back to life as part of the 35th International Şile Bezi Culture and Art Festival! Thanks to the efforts of Şile Mayor Özgür Kabadayı, the İsmet Ay Stage reopened its doors after a long break with a meaningful panel discussion and a magnificent play supported by Mey|Diageo. Veteran artists Haldun Dormen, Müjdat Gezen, and Mustafa Alabora, alongside moderator Banu Zeytinoğlu and with the participation of Mayor Özgür Kabadayı, reminisced about İsmet Ay’s contributions to the arts and his impact on Şile during a special panel. After the discussion, the İsmet Ay Stage was once again graced with theater as it hosted the play Bir Baba Hamlet, starring Şevket Çoruh and Günay Karacaoğlu, marking the well-deserved reunion of the stage with its theatrical roots after many years. Continuing its efforts to honor its roots by showing respect to the town’s culture, traditions, and artists, the Şile Municipality also restored İsmet Ay’s grave in a manner befitting the great artist. I was there too; I had the chance to talk with Haldun Dormen, Müjdat Gezen, Mustafa Alabora, and Şile Mayor Özgür Kabadayı about İsmet Ay and his connection to Şile.