This week, a century-old star of the stage passed away. He was 98. He had spent 70 of those years performing. The theater has bid farewell to one of its last great masters, Haldun Dormen. Despite this being a death, I chose a title that contains no word of mourning: “Goodbye, my sweet.” It may not appeal to everyone, but it suits Dormen.
In Turkish, “şekerim” (my sweet)—a word of intimacy—was among the expressions Dormen used most often. Those who knew him say he would tell people, “You can do it, my sweet.” To whom? To actors who could not gather the courage to step forward on stage. He motivated them with that very phrase. In fact, a documentary made about him is titled “You Can Do It, My Sweet.”
You don’t say goodbye to death with a smile. Yet somehow, this is the farewell that fits Haldun Dormen. He lived a life that brought laughter and smiles.
TWO HALDUNS
This is not a theater review. His acting, directing, and writing are easy to find online. This piece is about his human side and his pioneering role in Turkey and the world of art. After receiving an excellent theater education in the United States, he returns to Turkey to fulfill his childhood dream of creating theater in his own country. He steps onto the stage—and never steps down again.
In fact, the theater has two Halduns — both of whom introduced countless stars. The other Haldun is the great writer and director Haldun Taner. While preserving traditional theater, both men also revitalized it through the strong Western education they had received.
‘LAUGHTER EXISTS ONLY WHEN A PEOPLE LAUGH’
Both Halduns staged comedies—using different techniques. The era was the early Republic period. Making people laugh in a country turned upside down was no easy task.
In Turkey, life is almost always harsh. Politics is harsh, the streets are harsh, public institutions, hospitals… Not to mention the military and prisons. Try making such people laugh.
Here, one cannot move on without recalling the poet Edip Cansever’s line: “You cannot laugh — for laughter exists only when people laugh.” But they managed it. Their plays ran for weeks, for years; laughter and applause were never in short supply.
They made those who longed for laughter in their daily lives laugh. That is why even farewell, here, carries a smile.
JOYFUL, COLORFUL, AND GOOD AT WHAT HE DID
Haldun Dormen was married once, to Betül Mardin, Turkey’s internationally renowned public relations pioneer. They later divorced, but they had one child from this marriage: Ömer Dormen.
In interviews, Haldun Dormen would say: “I always chased a hope. To young people—and to everyone—I say: do not lose your hope.”
One of Turkey’s most serious sociological problems is the abundance of people in every field who lack a profession. Here, we are faced with someone who loved his profession and practiced it well.
Another problem is the inability to keep a distance from parties and politicians. We do not mean being apolitical — rather, standing slightly apart from daily partisan politics. This stance befits art as well. Dormen managed that too.
There is one more thing: he never begged or pleaded with anyone. What more could one ask for?
