Ottoman Armenian theatre: Question about an actress

[chinchilla]

Many Ottoman Armenians were involved in the theatre. Many of the productions produced by Ottoman Armenians are revived even today. One production, Leblebidji Horhor, was so successful it was adapted and presented at London's West End as The Yashmak.

One famous Ottoman Armenian actress was Eliza Binemeciyan. She started out on stage, and eventually acted in some of the earliest Turkish silent films!

My questions are:
- How did she get a major role in a 1917 Turkish silent film under an intolerant Ottoman Empire?
- She died in Canada. How did she end up there?

Here is a Turkish Wikipedia article on her: http://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliza_Binemeciyan

Most information on her, online, is in Turkish. I am sure there is some obscure Armenian book somewhere where I can find some information on her, too, but right now it would be great if some of our Turkish members could translate that article and help solve these mysteries.

[chinchilla]

More - http://www.minidev.com/kulturler/kul...eni_mimar9.asp

[Sako]

Thanks Chinchilla, this was interesting. Turkey and Armenia has had close relations and lot's in common, more then Turk's and Armenians think.

[Gavur]

The only people in the entertainment business in those days were Non-Turk/muslim, or one pretending to be Gavur.The Armenian community in Istanbul was largely unthouched.

[ardakilic]

The only people in the entertainment business in those days were Non-Turk/muslim, or one pretending to be Gavur.The Armenian community in Istanbul was largely unthouched.

1924, she went to Paris and returned to Turkey but she went to France again and never returned.

But in wikipedia article, there is no other information how she ended her life in Canada.

She also participated Ottoman Navy Society Theatre Community.