In the Ottoman Empire, Muslim Turkish women were not allowed to play on stage by a decree of the Ministry of the Interior.

She entered as a trainee the theatre of the newly established city conservatory (Ottoman Turkish: Darülbedayi).

[2] Afife debuted on stage in 1920, acting as "Emel" in the theatre play "Yamalar" written by Hüseyin Suat.

Performing at "Apollon Theatre" in Kadıköy, Afife Jale became the first ever Muslim Turkish stage actress in the country.

[1] In 1923, Mustafa Kemal, the founder of the newly proclaimed Republic, lifted the Ottoman-era ban on stage acting by Muslim women.

[3] Selahattin Pınar composed a number of musical pieces, which later became classical, referring to his relationship with her wife during their marriage.

The two-act work dramatizes Afife's life in four scenes with the colors of gold (youth), red (struggle), purple (addiction), and silver (death).