52 Hertz!

"It's not a cataclysmic explosion, but a slow, agonizing decline."

- T.S. Eliot

Whales typically emit sounds in the frequency range of 12 to 25 Hertz. However, there is a whale that has been the subject of scientific interest since the 1990s, and its species has not yet been definitively identified: 52 Blue. Because it vocalizes at a higher frequency than other whales, it is believed that it cannot communicate with any of its own kind. For this reason, it has been nicknamed "the loneliest whale in the world" by cryptozoologists.

The game is inspired by the story of the 52 Hertz whale, a creature that seems to be searching for a sense of belonging, and it poses the question: What frequency do entities existing within, yet on the periphery of, the city find each other on?

Just like the Vordonos Islands, which were submerged in 1010, Büyükada is on the verge of becoming one of Istanbul's lost islands. Four actresses, who have spent a significant part of their lives on the island, decide to play one last performance before saying goodbye to the island, after learning that it is about to disappear. During this final period, many questions arise: What will remain when the island sinks into oblivion? What can they take with them during this immense crisis? Which memories are worth preserving, and which should be left behind in the island's memory?

"52 Hertz" is a fragile space of connection between humans and non-humans, between those who continue to exist and those who choose to withdraw. The play explores how being unheard can, in the long run, become a form of disappearance; but sometimes, this disappearance can be not a catastrophe, but rather a retreat and a response.

(Playing time: approximately 70 minutes)

Colophon:

Translation: Joint production.

Director: Zinnure Türe.

Assistant Director: Öykü Gökduman.

Dramaturg: Miran Bulut.

Cast: Diana Chilingaryan, Garine Maral Çizmeciyan, Lara Narin, Tara Demircioğlu.

Production: Hangardz. Please provide the Turkish text you would like me to translate. I need the text from the website or document to be able to provide an accurate English translation.

General Coordinator: Lara Narin.

Lighting Design: Utku Kara.

Costume Design: Hilal Polat.

Interior Design: İsabel Gültop Gebenlioğlu.

Sound Design: NODDuo