When her father Mr Hidayet took her to her first play ever with her mother, Methiye Hanım; gazing from the darkness of the theatre hall to the bright stage, Afife saw the stars...
Every night from her bedroom, she used to stare longingly at the stars. She knew where most of them were located by heart. Since her childhood she knew that when she was lost, the stars were right in front of her whenever she looked up to find her way. Besides, these stars didn't even need the darkness to be seen. At this moment, Afife decided to be a star. Shining for eternity, she would guide the way for those who were lost. She now knew what she was going to become. That exact moment was a whisper which only she could hear, hope...
Afife Jale was the first Turkish theatre actress to be on stage. In 1918, she passed the exams of Darülbedayi and the year after, in 1919, she was accepted as an intern cast member. She got accepted; however, at that date, Afife wouldn’t be able to go on the stage as Turkish women were forbidden from doing so. During those times, the country was as dark as the theatre hall that Afife saw her first play ever at. This meant that other stars were deemed more visible.
When World War 1 came to an end, the Ottoman Empire were declared as defeated and invaded by the allied powers. Greece’s invasion of İzmir was the last straw. A long time coming, the first and most important movement for independence was then made. On May 19, 1919, Mustafa Kemal reached Samsun for the independence of the land. In the middle of this darkness, Afife determined her way by looking at this shining star. She also made her decision to reach the stage.
On that same date, Istanbul was being invaded by the English. The Ottoman government had reached an agreement with English invasion troops; however, Afife would never agree with the rules established by the “restricted” and “reactionary” "men”.