| NAASR Lecture on Armenian Drama and Identity April 07, 2005 12:20:02 PRESS RELEASE National Association for Armenian Studies and Research 395 Concord Avenue Belmont, MA 02478 Phone: 617-489-1610 E-mail: hq@naasr.org Contact: Marc A. Mamigonian PRESERVING ANCESTRAL VOICES THROUGH THE THEATRE AT NAASR The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) will present a lecture by playwright, professor, and director Dr. Nishan Parlakian entitled "Preserving Ancestral Voices: The Theatre and Armenian Identity" on Thursday, April 7, at 8:00 p.m., at the NAASR Center, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA. How can Armenian identity and the voices of our ancestors be transmitted across the generations? What are the most effective ways of preventing these voices from being lost? Unquestionably, the theatre is one of the most potent vehicles for conveying the shared experiences of Armenian group and family life in a way that will continue to be meaningful with each passing generation. Dr. Nishan Parlakian has been one of the leading exponents of Armenian-American theatre for several decades. He will explore the ways in which drama can entertain, excite interest in Armenian culture and history, and maintain Armenian identity, in a lecture that will also include readings by Parlakian from Watertown-born playwright Barbara Bejoian's Dance Mama, Dance and by Joyce Van Dyke from her acclaimed play A Girl's War. Experienced Writer, Translator, and Director Parlakian is professor emeritus of drama at John Jay College in New York City. He is a playwright whose works include Grandma, Pray For Me and an experienced theatrical director who has staged plays in Armenian and in English. He has written extensively on Armenian theatre and has also translated numerous dramas from Armenian, including Shirvanzade's For the Sake of Honor and Evil Spirit. He is the co-editor, with S. Peter Cowe, of Modern Armenian Drama: An Anthology, and the recently-published Contemporary Armenian American Drama: An Anthology of Ancestral Voices. All of these books will be on sale and available for signing. The NAASR Bookstore will open at 7:30 p.m. The NAASR Center and Headquarters is located opposite the First Armenian Church and next to the U.S. Post Office. Ample parking is available around the building and in adjacent areas. The lecture will begin promptly at 8:00 p.m. |
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