| PAPA in Turkey |
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In 2007, Turkish theater icon, Ugur Uludag broke theatrical ground in Turkey by bringing Adrian Sparks The Gala Performance of PAPA at the Akatlar Kültür Merkezi, was attended by staff members of The United States Consulate in Istanbul, including the Consulate General – Sharon Anderholm Weiner. Following this, the Public Affairs Office of the Consulate proved to be generously supportive with their time and energies in efforts to promote PAPA throughout Turkey. In the capital city of Ankara, PAPA was invited to represent the United States in the 2007 Ankara International Theater Festival. A few months later, Mr. Sparks was invited to return to Ankara and participate in the United Nations Development Program Knowledge Fair, during which he conducted several acting workshops with University students from all over Turkey. The Turkey tour of PAPA was a huge cross-cultural success, and actually served a role of goodwill ambassadorship for the US. The workshops conducted by Mr. Sparks in Ankara and Istanbul, the theatrical journey audiences shared with the character of Hemingway in PAPA, and the question/answer talkback sessions held by Mr. Sparks following each performance of PAPA, all served to provide an opportunity for students and audience members to achieve a greater understanding of American life. LINKS Turkish Press: Istanbul Star (Turkish) |