Yılmaz Onay

Playwright and translator (b. 20 April 1937, Üçkubbe village / Gaziantep). He attended Ankara Ulus Primary School (1948), Ankara Gazi High School (1955), and graduated from Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Civil Engineering (1960). He worked as a project engineer and advisor at the General Directorate of Construction at the Ministry of Public Works (1960-71) and at the Construction Research Institute of the Turkish Scientific and Technical Research Council (1971-80) then he retired. He embarked on studies on theatre during his years as a student. He worked as a dramatist and producer in various theatres such as the Ankara Art Theatre and Ankara Try Out Stage. After 1993, he worked as a producer at the İstanbul State Theatre. He is a member of the Writers Syndicate of Turkey, the Turkish Authors Association, the PEN Association of Writers and the Association of Writers of Literary and Scientific Works.

His articles have been published in various reviews such as Türk Solu, Yeni Ortam, Tiyatro 75, Milliyet Sanat, Yarın, Varlık, Köken, Bilim ve Sanat. He translated the plays of several writers like Brecht, Lorca, and Gorky etc. He collected the State Theater and Opera House Artists Foundation Best Playwright Award in 1985 and 1986 with his plays Sanatçının Ölümü (Death of the Artist) and Dev Masalı (Tale of a Giant).

WORKS:

PLAY: Tren Gidiyor (The Train is Leaving, 1984), Dört Oyun (Four Plays – Bu Zamlar Bana Karşı-These Price Increases are Against Me, Dev Masalı-Tale of a Giant, Sevdalı Bulut- Cloud in Love, Şarkılarımız Ölmesin-Let Our Songs not Die, 1985), Toplu Oyunları 1 (All Plays 1 – Sanatçının Ölüm-Death of the Artist, Arafta Kalanlar-Those Left in Purgatory, Karagözün Muamması-Dilemma of Karagöz, 1992), Toplu Oyunları 2 (All Plays 2 – Karadul Efsanesi- Legend of the Black Widow, Hücre İnsanı-Man of the Cell, Promethia-Promethia, Karakedi Geçti-the Cat Passed By, 1994), Küçük Adam Ne Oldu Sana (Little Man What Happened to You, adapted from the novel with the same title by H. Fallado, 1992).

NOVEL: Yazılar Filmatik (Writings Filmatic, 1994), Oyun Değil! (Not a Game!, 2002).

Besides these, he has translated from Brecht.