In its effort to support TOÇEV’s One Thing Changes, Everything Changes project, The Probil staff, is taking part in the ‘Artiz Mektebi’ play written by Müjdat Gezen and Kandemir Konduk.

The final performance will be presented at the İstanbul Akatlar Kültür Merkezi on November 9, 2010.

The Probil Amateur Theater Team on Stage for TOÇEV

Probil, recognized as the shining star of the IT industry for its projects in the telecom, finance, and public and manufacturing industry, is now stealing the spotlight with a whole new project. The Probil staff has been actively participating in TOÇEV’s One Thing Changes, Everything Changes to support the project’s goals. The final performance will be presented at the İstanbul Akatlar Kültür Merkezi on November 9, 2010.

The play, being performed at the Ortaköy Afife Jale Theater, was directed by actor and TOÇEV volunteer Hakan Bilgin. In addition to the Probil staff, personnel from Intertech, a client of Probil, also performed in the play. The proceeds from the show will be used to meet the educational expenses of children forced to study at schools far away from their homes because of financial problems.

The Probil Amateur Theater Team, unified in their will, discipline, amateur spirit and their love for theater, includes names from all the departments of Probil, such as solution managers, engineers, marketing managers, lawyers, CFOs, general managers and consultants. Last year, the amateur group had staged another play for TOÇEV.

"The Probil team got together after working hours twice a week for seven months, and first began by practicing their acting skills and then concentrated the last 3 months on rehearsing for the play ‘Artiz Mektebi’. The play was seen by 1000 people, with all the proceeds going to the ‘One Thing Changes, Everything Changes’ campaign of TOÇEV.

Please click here to see the video ‘to make a difference with theater- the news report of HT Bloomberg’

 Invitations can be obtained by contacting Merve Bıyıkçı merve.biyikci@probil.com.tr (Phone: 0212 373 74 00) or TOÇEV (Phone: 0212 282 89 16-17)

Plays to Continue, Children to be Educated

The director of the play, and also a TOÇEV volunteer himself, Hakan Bilgin, said they really enjoyed themselves during the rehearsals and added: ‘Our journey with the Probil Amateur Theater Team started enthusiastically and ended perfectly. If the people who are acting, directing and watching are happy, and if the children, who don’t know any of them, are happy, then everything is ok. I would like to thank Probil for everything I have experienced.”

Mehmet Ali Tombalak, the CEO of Probil, said that the Probil Amateur Theater Team motivated the entire Probil group and contributed greatly to corporate communication: “The Probil team has succeeded in making the children happy and providing them with theater experience. Our team performed in another play last year and will continue to do so in order to continue contributing to the future of our country and education.”

Similarity Between Life in the Office and Life on Stage

Esra Öztezcan, the General Manager of Probil, said that ‘Artiz Mektebi’ would be one of the plays that the Probil Group of Companies would always be proud to hold as a memory, and added: “All these things we’ve done really made me experience many different emotions. Hakan Bilgin’s faith in us, and our faith and loyalty to him… those were the things that made our dreams come true. Of course, we all have different ways of resting and spending our spare time, but taking part in a play was something we never could have imagined and we will never forget. Another source of happiness is that the proceeds will be used for a TOÇEV project.  Each of us is trying to do our best to do what is necessary in the area of social responsibility but this was a completely different experience. Thirty people, together, created a product, without giving up in the face of difficulties, even when those difficulties presented risks. The result was that we were able to help more children receive an education, and we now also have a story to tell to our grandchildren.”

Ümit İlhan, who is a member of the Board of Directors of Probil, and who participated in the play, said that they had staged an amateur play after only a short period of rehearsal and added: ‘Actually life in the office is similar to life on stage. You have to have discipline to succeed in both. You have to be a team. You have to make fast decisions and produce solutions as anything can happen at anytime. You need to develop and communicate your energy and share it with others. The biggest difference is that the stage is fixed and the audience has tolerance. But of course the biggest joy is being able to help educate children through this.”

Münir Kundakçı, Vice General Manager of Microsoft, watched the play in the Afife Jale Theater and commented: “I watched the most ‘professional’ play, staged with the highest ‘amateur spirit possible.’ Not only did I have a great time, but I also saw how anyone could do anything with the proper will and team spirit and understood that we had a partner with a very skilled human force. I also saw that having a common goal contributed the strength and joy of the group. This was a ‘life lesson’ for me. I would like to thank the Probil team for giving me this and congratulate them for their remarkable performance.’