2024 wasn't just another year on the calendar for me; it was the year I found myself in a completely different world, within the magical atmosphere of the Müjdat Gezen Art Center (MSM).
When the work routine ends at 6 PM, most people choose to go home and rest. I, on the other hand, spent 6 months finding myself sometimes throwing fireballs, and other times trying to propose in 19th-century Russia. This is more than a course story; this is a story of stepping completely out of the comfort zone.
The First Weeks: "Okay Everyone, You Are Now Objects!"
I will never forget the first weeks of training. We were just getting to know each other, everyone was a bit shy... Then the instructor stepped onto the stage and said, "Come on, throw fireballs at each other!" In the bewilderment of that moment, we started hurling invisible balls of energy at one another.
But that wasn't the peak. During an improvisation session, I found myself screaming "I am a toasteeeer!" and dancing in the middle of the stage. If you looked from the outside, you'd call it madness, but inside, it was the only way to break your shell. In that moment, neither your identity nor your shyness remains; there is only the absurdity and fun of the moment.
Meeting the Master
Halfway through the course, we experienced a moment I will never forget. The door opened, and Müjdat Gezen walked in.
The great master I had watched on screen and admired for years was right there in front of me, in his own school, on his own stage. I can't describe the excitement I felt when he asked us, "Does anyone have any questions?" Being under the same roof with him, listening to his experiences firsthand, and breathing in that atmosphere as a student was priceless. That day, I felt that I hadn't just come to a course, but was part of a tradition.
An Unexpected Guest: "Hello, I Am Şahin..."
Of course, theater means being ready for anything at any moment. I have a memory where I experienced this in the funniest way.
One day, I was watching my friends' play and my mind had wandered off. Suddenly, the instructor needed a side character and picked me. I found myself on the stairs, the instructor whispered "You are Şahin, get in there!" and pushed me onto the stage.
When my friend on stage turned to me and shouted according to the script, "Who the hell are you?!", I gave the flattest answer possible in my panic: "Hello, I am Şahin..."
It turned out Şahin was the girl's troublesome ex-boyfriend! My "civil servant-like" entrance and my friends continuing the play without breaking character is a memory we still laugh about.
From Hamlet to Ivan Vassiliyitch
Besides the fun and laughter, there was, of course, the "sweat-inducing" part of the job. Transitioning from imitating a toaster to Hamlet's solemn soliloquies was a sharp turn.
But the finale for me was the character of Ivan Vassiliyitch Lomov in Anton Chekhov's play A Marriage Proposal. Playing Ivan—constantly sick, heart palpitating, hypochondriac but equally in love... Portraying that character's excitement and panic on stage was like wearing a completely different life.
The Crossroads and The Predictable Ending
Towards the end of the training, my instructor came up to me and asked that critical question:
"Would you like to join this academy's conservatory? Auditions start next month, you might have a chance to get in."
It’s impossible to describe the pride I felt in that moment. It was an honor that my instructor saw potential in me. But for me, someone who didn't quite know what they wanted in life at that time, it was a very difficult choice. Because joining the conservatory would mean quitting my current job and embarking on an uncertain adventure.
The result?
Since I built this website, am writing these lines to you, and am currently playing "Full Stack Developer," you can guess the answer I gave.
My logic may have chosen the keyboard and code, but a piece of my heart remains on that stage where I was a toaster, where I was Şahin, and where I was Ivan.
