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Critics' Forum Article - 12.28.12

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  • Critics' Forum Article - 12.28.12

    CRITICS' FORUM
    Theater

    THE BALKANIZATION OF ARMENIAN THEATER
    by Aram Kouyoumdjian

    After two dismal years, Armenian theater in Los Angeles managed an
    uptick in both the quantity and quality of productions that graced
    area stages in 2012. Even when productions were flawed, several were
    ambitious in reach. Vahe Berberian delivered a new Armenian-language
    play of substance, "Gyank" (Life); Lilly Thomassian braved the
    challenge of "Komitas"; Vahik Pirhamzei displayed his superior comedic
    talents (yet again) in "Honest Liars"; and a troupe of young upstarts,
    under the direction of Tigran Kirakosyan, served up a delicious
    rendition of the absurdist satire "Galank" (Confinement).

    The year's bounty, however, made me fully appreciate a phenomenon I
    had been sensing for some time - namely, the balkanization of Armenian
    theater. In this massive Armenian community, which is fragmented into
    units of Armenians from Armenia, from Iran, and from various countries
    of the Middle East, theater caters to niche subgroups, often to the
    exclusion of others.

    For the opening night performance of "Gyank," for instance, Armenians
    with roots in the Middle East comprised the vast majority of a crowd
    400 strong; an audience of comparable size for "Honest Liars,"
    however, was made up almost exclusively by Armenians from Iran and, to
    a lesser extent, Armenia; and when the Organization of Istanbul
    Armenians presented a revival of "Mernile Vorkan Tjvar E" (Dying Is So
    Difficult), the matinee I caught seemed as much a bolsahai reunion as
    an afternoon of theater.

    Why such fragmentation? A key reason is the Armenian language. The
    split of the Armenian vernacular into Eastern and Western dialects in
    the 19th century extended to the language of drama. Although the
    dialects are foundationally similar, Armenians fluent in one are not
    necessarily conversant in the other. In addition, each dialect is
    peppered with foreign words and idioms that make comprehension a
    struggle. Impurities in Eastern Armenian tend to have Russian or
    Farsi as their source, while elements of Turkish, Arabic, French, and
    English have infiltrated Western Armenian.

    Dialect, however, is not the only mark of distinction between Eastern
    and Western Armenian drama. Plays written in Eastern Armenian, which
    developed under Russian - and, later, Soviet - rule reflect concerns
    and themes that differ significantly from writings in Western
    Armenian, which evolved under Ottoman rule and, in the post-Genocide
    era, became the language of diaspora.

    Nowhere do transplants from the Armenian homeland and from diaspora
    countries converge like they do in Los Angeles, where both Eastern
    Armenian and Western Armenian figure prominently in educational
    curricula, cultural production, and media. In the realm of theater,
    Armenians from Armenia account for the most output. Indeed, they
    boast actors and actresses who were professionally trained in Yerevan,
    and who have name recognition and a loyal following, thanks to their
    achievements and accolades in the homeland. Their productions tend to
    favor larger venues (such as the Alex Theatre in Glendale and its
    inferior neighbor, the Beyond the Stars Palace) and, far too often,
    commercially motivated - and groan-inducing - farces. Offerings this
    year included the insipidly titled "Harsnasu Milionateri Hamar" (A
    Bride for a Millionaire) and a sequel to "Pahanjvume Stakhos 2" (Liar
    Wanted 2) for those who apparently did not have enough of the
    original.

    I wish these establishment forces would balance their commercial
    endeavors with higher-caliber work. But the mantle of that challenge
    may have to be picked up by younger talents, such as Tigran Kirakosyan
    and the gifted players he had assembled to tackle Gurgen Khanjyan's
    "Galank" - a work of heft and gravitas that managed to remain wildly
    entertaining. Significantly, that production had crossover appeal,
    drawing a mixed crowd of Armenians from different subgroups.

    Theater in Western Armenian depends on all-too-few producers. Vahe
    Berberian remains the only purveyor of new plays that enrich the
    canon, with the Ardavazt Theatre Company - recently renamed the Krikor
    Satamian Theatre Company - occasionally dusting off classics or
    staging works in translation. This year, a revival of Moushegh
    Ishkhan's "Mernile Vorkan Tjvar E" was imported from Toronto, but the
    production by the Hrant Dink Theater Company proved wanting.

    So where will the balkanization of Armenian theater in Los Angeles
    lead? If the community's command and use of Armenian steadily fades,
    "Armenian" theater may actually be created and performed entirely in
    English; such a shift is already in progress, though its outcome is
    neither pre-ordained nor assured. For the time being, theater artists
    will likely explore (and, indeed, should be exploring) forms of
    hybridity - or multiplicity - both within the dialects of Armenian,
    and between Armenian and English. Vahik Pirhamzei did exactly that in
    "Honest Liars," pairing its barsgahai characters with hayasdantsi ones
    and reaching a wider audience in the process.

    Collaboration between Armenian theater artists of different origin
    will be imperative to bridging gaps between subgroups of the
    community. Of course, theater needs to continue being a reflection of
    the all niche groups within the community and should not ignore their
    unique concerns, struggles, and desires. In doing so, however,
    theater must not lose perspective - that is, sight of a broader
    community rich in diversity, complexity, and resources; otherwise, it
    risks devolving into provincialism. Striking this balance will be no
    easy task, but it will be imperative to turning the tide of
    balkanization.

    __________

    All Rights Reserved: Critics' Forum, 2012. Exclusive to Asbarez.

    Aram Kouyoumdjian is the winner of Elly Awards for both playwriting
    ("The Farewells") and directing ("Three Hotels"). His latest work is
    "Happy Armenians."

    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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