Details & Registration
March 26 (Thurs) 2026 | 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: Puppet Showplace Theater
$85 Regular / plus 4% service fee
$70 Access / plus 4% service fee
$105 Supporter / plus 4% service fee
Puppets at Night members receive 15% off
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Registration Deadline: March 12
Register early — if minimum enrollment is not met by March 12 the class will be cancelled.
About the Class
Step into the vibrant world of traditional Turkish shadow theater in this three-hour, hands-on workshop! Take a peek backstage to see how one storyteller — or meddah — performs all the characters needed to tell these classic stories, and even try your hand at it. You’ll learn the history of Anatolian shadow theater and discuss the structure and key elements of this 700-year old form of solo theater. And, before making your own demo puppet to take home, you’ll get to examine authentic embroidered camel and buffalo hide puppets!
US Karagoz Theatre Company was founded as the first traditional Turkish theater company in the United States by Ayhan Hulagu, and has performed to sold-out audiences in nearly 40 U.S. states — including on Broadway!
Recommended for adults and teens 13+
About the Instructor
US Karagoz Theatre Company was founded in 2017 by Ayhan Hulagu in Washington D.C. The company specializes in contemporary stagings centered around Anatolian performing arts, such as “Karagöz” shadow theater, which is recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as well as “meddah” (storytellers), "ortaoyunu" (a form of traditional Turkish comedic play), and village performance plays. US Karagoz Theatre Company fuses Western literature with Eastern art to present world classics with a unique interpretation. In addition to preserving traditional arts, the company aims to enrich its repertoire with new plays and to train new artists.
The company has presented numerous performances in the United States, including Hamlet, One Thousand and One Nights, Don Quixote, The Nose, and The Prince and His Private Raincloud by Monica Shannon. US Karagoz Theatre Company has collaborated on joint projects with American theaters and has performed at some of the world's top universities, including MIT, Harvard, and UC Berkeley, as well as on Broadway.
