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Critics' Forum: A Year of Ventures and Growth

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  • Critics' Forum: A Year of Ventures and Growth

    CRITICS' FORUM: A Year of Ventures and Growth

    http://asbarez.com/117864/critics%E2%80%99-forum-a-year-of-ventures-and-growth/
    Tuesday, December 31st, 2013

    "Sale," a tragicomedy, was among the plays staged at the Armenian
    Theater Festival.

    BY ARAM KOUYOUMDJIAN


    Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I had the pleasure of moderating a
    panel at the ANCA Grassroots Conference, which examined the interplay
    between Armenian arts and activism. A couple of weeks later, another
    panel at the Glendale Public Library focused on the challenges facing
    Armenian artists in the Diaspora, touching on such issues as time and
    money constraints, audience development and community support, and the
    choice of language in which to create.

    At both events, painter/playwright/performer and panelist Vahe
    Berberian articulated a heartfelt lament for the ongoing demise of the
    Armenian language (particularly its Western dialect) in the diasporan
    setting. Contrary opinions were expressed as to how doomed Armenian
    really is, since the language has seen worse days throughout the long
    course of its history, such as during the era of Ottoman oppression.
    Still, the fact was inescapable that of nearly a dozen artists on the
    two panels, Berberian was the only one consistently writing in
    Armenian; for nearly everyone else, the language of creation was
    predominantly English.

    English has, indeed, been the language of most `Armenian' plays I've
    reviewed for almost a decade. This year, however, marked an
    exception. Although output was not ample, virtually every Armenian
    production of note was actually in Armenian.

    There was Berberian's own `Yete' (If), the latest installment in his
    series of humorous monologues; Anahid Aramouni Keshishian's `Ka Yev
    Chka II' (There Is and There Isn't II), the sequel to an earlier
    autobiographical solo work; and Vahik Pirhamzei's `Portsarou
    Sdakhosner' (Experienced Liars), the follow-up to `Azniv Sdakhosner'
    (Honest Liars).

    Khoren Aramouni's `Patand' (The Hostage) was memorable for Aram
    Muradian's taut performance as a traumatized soldier. In a vast
    departure from that intense role, Muradian donned drag to play
    `Charley's Aunt' in Krikor Satamian's translation of that farce.
    Having been impressed by Muradian's virtuoso performances for some
    years now, I will be collaborating with him this spring to stage a
    solo rendition of Levon Shant's iconic play `Hin Asdvadzner' (Ancient
    Gods).

    By year's end, Armenian theater had achieved several milestones, three
    of which deserve extended mention.

    Festival Launch
    Perhaps the development of greatest import was the launch of an
    Armenian Theater Festival by the Hamazkayin Educational and Cultural
    Society of the Western U.S.

    The inaugural event flouted the traditional structure of a theater
    festival in that it did not feature multiple ensembles; rather,
    Hamazkayin played host to a single troupe - the `Sos Sargsyan' State
    Theater Company from Armenia - which performed four different shows in
    a five-day span. These included the drama `44 Astichani Vra' (44
    Degrees); the tragicomedy `Sale'; the children's tale `Anpan Hourin'
    (Idle Houri); and a variety show. In a remarkable feat, an estimated
    1,400 students were bussed from Armenian schools to daytime
    performances of the plays.

    While the caliber of the shows fluctuated, the acting was stellar
    throughout, and there's already talk of having the troupe back next
    year. A return visit would be a treat, and Hamazkayin should be
    commended for its ambitious undertaking. Nevertheless, the
    organization should be mindful of balancing its resources so that its
    commitment to local talents in need of institutional support is not
    compromised.

    Shahe Mankerian and Vahe Berberian were part of the pioneer cast of
    "Armenian Improv."

    Intro to Improv
    If the `Sos Sargsyan' ensemble introduced new plays and actors to Los
    Angeles audiences, `Armenian Improv' exposed them to a new art form.
    Improv (short for `improvisation') is quite possibly the hardest form
    of comedy, since it requires actors to make up - on-the-spot and often
    guided by audience suggestions - the very sketch or scene they are
    performing.

    Conceived by Vahe Berberian, the show was a rollicking ride,
    delivering edgy comedy at a rapid clip. In their maiden outing,
    Berberian and his six cohorts - Chris Bedian, Sako Berberian,
    Levon-Shant Demirjian, Shahe Mankerian, Kevo Manoukian, and Paleny
    Topjian - proved themselves adept at the genre. They spun complex
    narratives, marked by sharp humor, to generate hearty laughs and earn
    enthusiastic audience response.

    Here's hoping that `Armenian Improv' was not a one-time-only
    experience, but that future iterations of the show and improv itself
    will become staples of Armenian entertainment.

    The "Big Bad Armo Show" made a stop in the Central Valley while
    touring California.

    Theater in the Provinces
    As Berberian ventured into new genres, Lory Tatoulian was venturing
    into new territories. The creator of the `Big Bad Armo Show' traveled
    the length of California with the `best of' her show, making her way
    from San Francisco through the Central Valley to San Diego.

    Tatoulian hails from Reedley and has family in San Diego, so those
    smaller - and theatrically underserved - Armenian communities are
    familiar to her. She and her cast can now boast of having performed
    in Eden - that is, the town of Yettem in Tulare County.

    Certainly such outreach affords mutual benefit, filling a void for
    communities that lack any measure of Armenian theater, while widening
    the audience base for Armenian theater artists who embrace them.

    So the past year of Armenian theater can be remembered as one of
    ventures and growth - through cultural exchange, through geographic
    reach, and through the exploration of new genres. It's a fine
    trajectory for Armenian theater to be on, inspiring artists to sustain
    the momentum in the new year.

    Aram Kouyoumdjian is the winner of Elly Awards for both playwriting
    (`The Farewells') and directing (`Three Hotels'). His latest work is
    an adaptation of Levon Shant's `Ancient Gods.' You can reach him or
    any of the other contributors to Critics' Forum at
    [email protected]. This and all other articles published in
    this series are available online at www.criticsforum.org. To sign up
    for a weekly electronic version of new articles, go to
    www.criticsforum.org/join. Critics' Forum is a group created to
    discuss issues relating to Armenian art and culture in the Diaspora.

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