Poet and writer (b. 12 January 1931, İstanbul - d. 11 November 2019, İzmir). He
graduated from Robert College (1950), Ankara University, Faculty of Law (1952),
Ankara University, Faculty of Language, History and Geography, Department of
English Philology (1956) and Georg-August Üniversitat (Gottingen/Germany,
1959). His doctorate thesis: “The
Stagnation and Revival of Verse Drama in England” (1961) and his thesis
for becoming an associate professor: Darülbedayi’nin
Elli Yılı (Fifty Years of İstanbul City Theaters, 1967). His research for
becoming a professor: Tiyatro
Yönetmeninin Çalışması (The Study of the Theater Director, 1974). He worked
as a translator at the American Embassy (1952-54), as a head translator at the
Ministry of Public Works, Department of Ports (1954-56) and as a lecturer at
Ankara University, Faculty of Language, History and Geography, Institute of
Theatre (1959-62). After his military service, he worked as the Chair of the
Board of Theatre at the same faculty (1964-76), at the State Conservatoire Department
of Theatre (1972-75), Ege University Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of
Theatre (1977-83) and as the Head of Dokuz Eylül University, Faculty of Fine
Arts, Department of Theater and Visual Arts.
His first poem was published in the magazine Kaynak (Ankara) in 1950, his first
article was published in the magazine Mavi
(Ankara) in 1955 and his first critique was published in Yenigün newspaper in October 1959. He published his other articles
in the newspapers Pazar Postası, Yenigün,
Öncü, Vatan, Meydan, Hürgün, Milliyet, Cumhuriyet and Hürriyet; in the magazines Seçilmiş
Hikâyeler, Mavi, Şairler Yaprağı, Dost, Varlık, Yeditepe, Oyun, Tiyatro 70-80,
Değişim, Milliyet, Sanat, Gösteri, Sanat Olayı, Tiyatro Araştırmaları Dergisi,
Ulusal Kültür Millî Kültür, Tiyatro-Tiyatro. He received the Best Director
Award for his success in staging Savaş
Oyunu (War Game) at the International Theatre Festival held in 1965 in
Erlangen (Germany); he received an honorable mention for his success in staging
Pabuççu Ahmet’in Maceraları (Adventures
of Shoemaker Ahmet) in 1965 Nancy (France) International Theatre Festival; the
Special Certificate for the organization of Midas’ın
Kulakları (The Ears of King Midas) by G. Dilmen at the 1967 Nancy
International Theatre Festival; he received the Grand Literature Award of the
National Culture Association in 1979 for his book Meddahlık ve Meddah* Hikâyeleri (Panegyrics and Stories of a
Panegyrist); he received the 1984 Ulvi Uraz Best Theater Director Award, the
1989 Theatre and TV Award for Contributions to the Theatre by the Writers Union
of Turkey, the 1991 Dionysus Grand Award of Salihli Municipality and the 1993
Award for Study and Research on Theatre given by the Ministry of Culture. He
has joined many festivals, conferences and seminars held in various cities in
Europe and America. He is the member of the Association of Theatre and
Television Writers, the Turkish Language Association (1959), the International
Theatre Institution, the Institute of Theatre Researchers, the Turkish Language
Society, the İstanbul American College Association, the Kemalist Thought
Association, the Association of PEN Writers and many more associations.
WORKS:
POETRY:
Eller
(Hands, 1952), Üç Nokta (Three Full
Stops, 1954), Bölük Yaşantı (Divided
Life, 1957).
STUDY-RESEARCH:
Tiyatro
ve Yazar (Theatre and the Writer, 1960), Modern Tiyatro Akımları I
(Modern Theatre Styles I, 1963), Oyun
Yazarı (Playwright, 1965), Tiyatro
Terimleri Sözlüğü (Dictionary of
Theatrical Terms, in collaboration with H. Taner and M. And, 1966), Stanislavski’nin Sahneye Koyduğu Martı
(The Seagull Performed by Stanislavski, 1968), Darülbedayi’nin Elli Yılı (Fifty Years of Turkish National Theater,
1969), Dünya Tiyatrosu Tarihi I-II
(History of World Theater I-II, 1971-1972), IV.
Mehmet’in Edirne Şenliği (Mehmet
IV’s Edirne Festival, 1972), Tiyatro
Yönetmeninin Çalışması (The Study of a Theatre Director, 1974), Türkiye’de Brecht (Brecht in Turkey,
1976), Yaşayan Tiyatro (Living Theatre, 1976), Meddahlık
ve Meddah Hikâyeleri (Panegyrics and Stories of a Panegyrist, 1978), Sahne Bilgisi (Stage Knowledge, I.
Volume 1980; 2. Volume: 1984), Dram Sanatı (Art of Drama, 1983), Gösteri Sanatları Terimleri Sözlüğü
(Visual Arts Dictionary of Terms 1983), Uzatmalı
Gerçekler (Long-lasting Facts, 1986), Benden
Sonra Tufan Olmasın (I Hope There
Won’t Be Any Floods After Me, memories of Muhsin Ertuğrul, in collaboration
with E. Sevinçli and M. Tuncay, 1989), Zümrüdüankanın
Külleri (Ashes of the Phoenix, 1991), Theatre
in Turkey (in collaboration with S. Şener and A. Yüksel, 1991), Zeynep’in Tiyatro Kitabı (Zeynep’s
Theatre Book, for children, 1983), Sermet
Çağan: Bütün Oyunları (Sermet
Çağan: All His Plays, 1993), Duvardaki
Mavi Kuş (Blue Bird On the Wall, 1994), Gerçeklerin
Düşleri (Dreams of the Facts, 1994), Gecenin
Maskesi (The Mask of the Night, 1995), Oyunculuk
Tarihi (History of Being a Actor, volume I, 1995), Tarihimizden Kültür
Manzaraları (Cultural Scenes from Our History, 1995).
PLAY:
Merdiven
(The Ladder, 1962), Köprü (The
Bridge, 1964), Savaş Oyunu (War Game,
1968, in German: Kriegsspiel, 1965), Çiçek
(The Flower, mimodrama, play, 1967, Nancy), Söylev
(The Address, 1973), Büyükbaba (The
Grandfather, 1992).
COLLAGE:
Kül
Altındaki Kor (Ember Under the Ashes, Chekhov – Speech, 1993).
SCREENPLAY:
Muhsin
Ertuğrul (Muhsin Ertuğrul, cultural documentary, dramatization,
twenty-minute TV screenplay; presentation, Turkish Radio and Television
Corporation, Ankara, 1989), Türk
Tiyatrosu (Turkish Theatre, cultural documentary dramatization. 10 in the
series each lasting 40 minutes, TV screenplay, variety show: Turkish Radio and
Television Corporation Channel 2, Ankara, 1991)
More than 10 of his translations have been published.
REFERENCE: Atilla Özkırımlı / Türk Edebiyatı Ansiklopedisi (1982), İhsan Işık / Yazarlar Sözlüğü (1990, 1998) - Türkiye Yazarlar Ansiklopedisi (2001, 2004) – Encyclopedia of Turkish Authors (2005) - Resimli ve Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi (2006, gen. 2. bas. 2007), Dram Sanatı (Virgül, sayı: 10, Temmuz-Ağustos 1998), Ayten Sönmez / Olmak ya da Olmamak (Virgül, sayı: 12, Ekim 1998), Vitrindekiler (Cumhuriyet Kitap, 10.12.1998), Bir Türk Tiyatrosu Bilimcisi Özdemir Nutku – Uğur Akıncı / Oyun, Çocuk ve Tiyatroya Davet - Efdal Sevinçli / Çalışmak ve Çalışkan Olmak (Cumhuriyet Kitap, 18.11.1999), Behçet Necatigil / Edebiyatımızda İsimler Sözlüğü (1999), TDE Ansiklopedisi (c. 7), Oylum Yılmaz / Sahne Bilgisi (Radikal Kitap, 26.11.2002), Tiyatro sanatçısı Özdemir Nutku vefat etti - TRT Haber (trthaber.com, 08.11.2019), Özdemir Nutku vefat etti - Özdemir Nutku kimdir? (yenisafak.com.tr, 08.11.2019), Özdemir Nutku vefat etti (gazeteduvar.com.tr, 08.11.2019), Prof. Dr. Özdemir Nutku Vefat Etti (tiyatronline.com, 08.11.2019).