Ayhan Hulagu Will Perform THE OTHER SIDE OF HOLLYWOOD at Harvard

CMES will present The Other Side of Hollywood, a solo performance by Ayhan Hulagu, on March 30, 2026, at its venue in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The production offers a contemporary reimagining of a 1,000-year-old Turkish epic, bringing the centuries-old tradition of shadow theatre to audiences in a bold and unexpected form.

Performed at CMES, Room 102, the piece is inspired by Deli Dumrul, one of the earliest stories from the Book of Dede Korkut, a foundational work of Turkish oral literature believed to date back to the 10th century.

The original tale follows Dumrul, a fearless yet arrogant figure who builds a bridge in a desolate landscape and demands payment from those who pass. After challenging Azrael, the Angel of Death, he is forced to confront the consequences of his actions and must find someone willing to sacrifice their life in his place.

In Hulagu's adaptation, Karagöz takes on Dumrul's role. The bridge becomes a symbolic threshold between opposing forces - life and death, beauty and decay, morality and corruption. As Karagöz navigates this surreal world, he encounters figures such as William Shakespeare, Michael Jackson, Charlie Chaplin, and Marlon Brando, who appear from beyond and introduce humor and satire into his search for redemption.

Hulagu, recognized as one of the leading contemporary artists working within traditional Turkish theatre, has presented his work at institutions including Cornell University, UC Berkeley, Princeton University, and Stanford University. He is also the first artist to bring the 700-year-old tradition of Turkish shadow theatre to a Broadway stage, marking a significant milestone in the global visibility of the form.

A rare example of cross-cultural storytelling, The Other Side of Hollywood brings together Eastern narrative traditions and Western cultural icons in a uniquely imaginative theatrical experience. Hulagu's work functions as a one-person theatrical tour de force, with the artist creating, animating, and performing every element of the production himself.

Ayhan Hulagu has previously staged works such as Hamlet, One Thousand and One Nights, Don Quixote, and The Prince and His Private Raincloud with the US Karagoz Theatre Company and has toured across approximately 40 states throughout the United States.

Drawing from two UNESCO-recognized traditions - the Dede Korkut epics and Turkish shadow theatre - the performance bridges cultures, time periods, and artistic practices. All puppets are handcrafted using traditional leather techniques, and each character is brought to life by Hulagu in real time on stage.

The performance is recommended for ages 12 and up and runs approximately 60 minutes.