Ayşe Emel Mesçi

Ayşe Emel Mesci, born on 11 August 1950, is a Turkish theater director and actress. He worked as an actor, director and instructor in his stage life of nearly sixty years; He is especially known for the productions he has staged for the State Theaters since the 2000s.

Years of stage and cinema

He studied at the conservatory's ballet and theater departments in the 1960s. He performed in children's plays at the City Theaters, and then met professional theater as a guest artist at the Dormen Theatre. He made his film debut in 1968 with Seven Steps Later; In the 1970s and 1980s, he starred in films such as Yavrum, Dost, Anger, Crowd and Wall.

In the mid-1990s, he appeared in the cast of The Human Wolf, The River Running Backward, Reunion and Love is Colder Than Death. In 2006, his essay book titled "Dream Time in Theater", in which he collected his thoughts on theater, was published.

directing

After 2000, he focused on directing and staged many plays in Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa, Izmir and Konya State Theatres. Antigone, Bernarda Alba's House, Timon of Athens, Mother Courage and Her Children, Orchestra, Karbala, The Last Scream, Hamlet Machine, The Mill, Mother State, Medea Material and Faust are among these productions.

Working with large teams of young actors and his collective understanding that does not discriminate between big and small roles are one of the distinctive aspects of his directing. He staged Karbala again at the Ankara State Theater in 2025.

His work was rewarded with many awards. He was selected as the Director of the Best Production of the Year for Karbala and Orchestra at the Sadri Alışık Theater Awards; He received the best director award for Orchestra at the Direklerini Seyirci Awards. Bedia became the director of the year at the Muvahhit Theater Awards with The Last Scream, and at the New Theater Magazine awards with Hamlet Machine and Karbala.

In 2024, he was deemed worthy of the Hayati Asılyazıcı Special Award within the scope of the İsmet Küntay Theater Awards. Medea Material, a co-production of Istanbul and Ankara State Theatres, won five awards at the 27th Afife Theater Awards, and Mesci was chosen as the Most Successful Director of the Year with this play. He received the Lifetime Honor Award at the Üstün Akmen Theater Awards in 2026.

Mesci, who completed the 2025-26 season as his sixtieth year on the stage, continues to produce among the experienced directors of Turkish theatre.