Oberkirch (ag) Alisan Erdogan beams when he talks about his latest project – a collaboration between the Illenau Theater and the Robert Schuman Realschule Achern: “Staging ‘Momo‘ was always my dream.” He has taken over the overall management and is directing, supported by two teachers. Having already edited the text, the 57-year-old is now really looking forward to the first work shop in which everyone involved will get to grips with the material.
The beginning of a great passion
“The theater is my life,” says the father of two grown sons and grandfather of two, his eyes lighting up. The first major role that the board member of the Illenau Theater played was the tour guide Gigi in “Momo” by Michael Ende in 1982. It was the beginning of a great passion that never left him.
No, Alisan Erdogan is neither related nor related by marriage to the Turkish Prime Minister. But he was born in Turkey. He was nine years old when his father brought his three children to Achern. Until then, Alisan, his older brother and younger sister had lived with relatives in a small village near Divrigi and temporarily in Istanbul. Because their father and stepmother worked, the children in Germany were left to fend for themselves during the day. “Out of boredom, I started performing spontaneously made-up plays, mostly westerns, with my sister’s dolls and other props,” Erdogan remembers with a smile. “I loved westerns.”
A bearded giant
Other than that, there wasn’t much joy in little Alisan’s life. “I didn’t have a good childhood,” he says. Things didn’t get any better in Turkey and Germany. Everything was foreign and he didn’t even understand the language.
At school the foreign children ran alongside. School attendance was compulsory, so they had to go to class. According to Alisan Erdogan, the principal and the father agreed that the law was satisfied if the children sat quietly at school until 11:30 a.m. and then went home. “We didn’t understand a word anyway,” said the director. But one day: “I was just about to leave the school building when a bearded giant grabbed me.” Without much fuss, he maneuvered the completely frightened and crying boy into a classroom. Ten other foreign children were sitting there and Holger Albrecht was giving them German lessons. Holger Albrecht wasn’t actually that terribly huge. Above all, he was a committed teacher who meant well for the guest worker children, also led the theater group and gave Alisan his first small role in a school production.
A few months later, Albrecht changed schools. However, two or three years later, when he staged “Momo” with amateur actors in the Josefshaus in Achern, he asked his former student whether he wanted to take part. “And as I wanted!” Alisan Erdogan remembers with a laugh.
As a referee, he also referees district league games
“The theater gave me self-confidence, I felt noticed and valued for the first time,” said the 57-year-old, who now lives in Oberkirch and has worked as an operations technician in a company there for 40 years.
In addition to theater, Erdogan also has other interests. He used to be politically active in Achern for “The Left”, played football and coached children. As a referee, he regularly whistles for the South Baden Football Association. However, his absolute passion still lies on the stage – as an actor, director and author. Eight of his plays have already been published in “mein-theaterverlag” and more will certainly follow. But now it’s time for “Momo” and a dream is coming true.
Get rid of ErdoganFavorite plays:
- “Naked Madness”
- “Dracula”
- “Arsenic and lace”
