To Live in the Years of Betrayal
The McCarthy investigations of 1950s America and the 17th-century theocratic town of Salem meet on the same stage. At the center of the play is Miller’s appearance before the committee.
- Premiere
- 9 October 2026

The play is based on Arthur Miller’s memoir “Timebends: A Life”, his play “The Crucible”, and the court records of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). All source materials were translated by Kazankaya.
The McCarthy investigations of 1950s America and the 17th-century theocratic town of Salem meet on the same stage. At the center of the play is Miller’s appearance before the committee.
During this period, many artists, writers, and scientists were accused of communism through fabricated evidence and false testimonies, losing their jobs and being imprisoned.
Miller travels to Salem, where he researches the court records of innocent people accused of witchcraft and executed in the 17th century, and writes “The Crucible.” Shortly afterwards, he finds himself standing before a court as well.
The play builds a bridge between Miller’s trial in 1956 and the Salem witch trials of 1692. The presence of Marilyn Monroe, who was engaged to Miller, as an observer at the trial, and the betrayal of Elia Kazan leave a lasting mark on the proceedings.
The conflict between individual conscience and power lies at the heart of the play.
Jazz sounds from the 1950s accompany the performance through live music.
- Written and Directed by
- Nesrin Kazankaya
- Dramaturgy
- Şafak Eruyar
- Set & Costume Design
- Adnan Berke Şenyüz
- Movement Direction
- Melisa Pelit Demirci
- Lighting Design
- Kemal Edis
- Assistant Directors
- Gökçe Burcu Zümrüt, Sonay Soykan
- Barış Yalçınsoy Arthur Miller, Reverend Parris, Judge Danforth
- Oğuz İşçi Journalist, Elia Kazan, John Proctor
- Bahar Karaoğlu Marilyn Monroe, Journalist, Guard, Elizabeth Proctor
- Gökçe Burcu Zümrüt Jazz Singer, Journalist, Nun, Guard, Tituba
- Kaan Kurtoğlu Journalist, President, Reverend Hale
- Seval İnan Journalist, Nun, Abigail Williams
- Esel İsrafilova Journalist, Nun, Child, Mary Warren
- Rozita Almozlino Journalist, Nun, Child, Mercy Lewis
- Zeynep Su Polat Journalist, Nun, Child, Betty Parris
- Selin Gümüşkaya Journalist, Nun, Child
Tiyatro Pera Opens Its New Stage with Living in the Years of Betrayal!
Written and directed by Nesrin Kazankaya, Living in the Years of Betrayal premieres on Friday, October 9, 2026, at 8:30 PM.
The play features dramaturgy by Şafak Eruyar, set and costume design by Adnan Berke Şenyüz, lighting design by Kemal Edis, and movement direction by Melisa Pelit Demirci. The cast includes Barış Yalçınsoy, Oğuz İşçi, Bahar Karaoğlu, Gökçe Burcu Zümrüt, Kaan Kurtoğlu, Seval İnan, Esel İsrafilova, Rozita Almozlino, Zeynep Su Polat, and Selin Gümüşkaya.
About the Play
The play is based on the memoir Timebends: A Life by renowned American playwright Arthur Miller, his play The Crucible, and the court records of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). All source materials were translated by Nesrin Kazankaya.
The McCarthy investigations of 1950s America and the dark, theocratic town of Salem in the 17th century meet on the same stage. At the heart of the play is the trial of the celebrated writer Arthur Miller before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC).
During a period when numerous artists, writers, and scientists were accused of communism, lost their jobs, faced legal proceedings, and were imprisoned, Arthur Miller traveled to Salem to research the court records of innocent people who had been accused of witchcraft and executed in the 17th century. He subsequently wrote The Crucible. Shortly afterwards, he himself would appear before the court.
The play brings together, within the same dramatic framework, the biographical story of Arthur Miller, who was accused of communism and tried in 1956, and the 17th-century Salem witch trials depicted in his own work.
Two different eras, one paranoia of power.
During the Cold War, iconic film star Marilyn Monroe, who was married to Arthur Miller, takes her place among those observing the trial, while renowned director Elia Kazan leaves his mark on the proceedings through his betrayal.
The darkness of 17th-century Salem, where religious dogma led people to their deaths, runs parallel to the tyranny of the political witch hunt in 1950s America.
In both eras, the courts punish innocent people based on fabricated evidence and false testimonies rather than seeking to reveal the truth.
The play establishes a bridge between the trial in which Miller himself was prosecuted and the witch trials of Salem in 1692. The relentless conflict between individual conscience and power forms the most intense breaking point of the period.
Supported by live music, the play evokes the sounds of 1950s jazz, while the theocratic atmosphere of Salem finds its expression through mystical hymns.
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14NOV14 November 2026, Saturday, 20:30 Tiyatro Pera · 1.000 TRYReserve Seats
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15NOV15 November 2026, Sunday, 18:30 Tiyatro Pera · 1.000 TRYReserve Seats
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21NOV21 November 2026, Saturday, 20:30 Tiyatro Pera · 1.000 TRYReserve Seats
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22NOV22 November 2026, Sunday, 18:30 Tiyatro Pera · 1.000 TRYReserve Seats