1988_03 The Daily Collegian March 1988

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Nora Armani at left and Gerald Papasian at right visiting with
ASO students at their booth in the Free Speech Area
Theater Magic from
Armenian Poetry
by David Hale
Bee Arts Writer
The headlines from and about Armenia are
ominous: Demonstrations and violence have
erupted in the old country over a disputed
border, calling up memories of the way the
century began, with massacres and genocide
at the hand of the Ottoman Turks.
Unsettling news and related rumors about
the past 10 days make the debut of "Sojourn
at Ararat", a most timely event.
"Sojourn at Ararat" is a dramatization
based on Armenian poetry that offers insights
to Armoiians and non-Armenians alike on
the history and cultural traditions of the la..d
that since 1920 has been a republic in the
lower reaches of the Soviet Union.
Still Nora Armani and Gerald Papasian of
Los Angeles, Armenian theater entrepreneurs
and the actors who appear in the production
are at pains to emphasize lhat "Sojourn at
Ararat" is not a political statement.
The idea was never to do a propoganda
piece," explained Papasian by telephone from
Los Angeles. 'That is why it has had such a
broad audience."
"It is not a lesson in history,''interjected
Armani on the otheT line. "It is more
humanistic, more universal in theme than
that. The emphasis is on keeping the culture
alive—the roots."
Armani and PApasian, who were bom in
Cairo of Armenian heritage, have taken the
show as far as Erevan itself.
They were invited ihere last fall to present
"Sojourn at Ararat" to a full house at lhe
Foreign Language Institute of Armenia- They
received, among other honors, a standing
ovation, wiih 15 curtain calls.
The pair, husband and wife, met in an
acting workshop in Cairo. In 1978 they
emigrated to London, where they organized
an Armenian theaier group. They have
worked in Los Angeles theater and television
since 1981.
Though they keep busy with solo careers,
the pair has a partnership based on their
desire to bring the Armenian literature and
poetry to a wider, non-Armenian theater
audience.
Papasian got his first reconition in this
country in 1981 when he translated the opera
"Anoush" and directed its American premiere
at Michigan Opera Theater. Together, he and
his wife have done what Armani describes
as"a lot of Armenian shows," among them
"Voices of Armenian Literature," a forerunner
to "Sojourn at Ararat"
The pair can't help but be excited about
(he growing interest in "Sojourn at Ararat."
The universal appeal of the piece, they
belive, is the powerful statement it makes
about the unquenchable determination of the
Armenian people to survive.
Asked to cite an example of such spirit in
the piece, both are ready with the one name
in the program non- Armenians would
recognize, William Saroyan.
"Saroyan sums it all up," Papasian said
"He wrote about 'this small tribe, an
unimportant people whose wars have all been
fought and lost, whose structures have
crumbled, whose literature is unread, whose
music is unheard, and whose prayers go
unanswered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia! See
if you can do it!'
"You can't help but be a little political
because the theme is based on Armenian
history." Papasian said. "But it's like one of
lhe Scottish critics said about the
performance we did in the Fringe Festival in
Edinburgh-Take out the word Armenia and
put any other small nation in its place and
the narrative would be jusi as valid."
"We should mention that there are alot of
humorous moments, too," Armani added.
"Without the joy and humor, lhe tragedy
doesn'i make sense."
Still the idea of two actors, no mailer how
accomplished, dramatizing approxiamaiely 40
Armenian poems, even in English, may be
too close to Readers Theater for some
theatergoers.
Poems
Larry M. Hobson is a sociology
major at CSUF, whose poetry is a
reflection of his political conviction.
The Hunter
Hie hunter is in the bushes in the camouflage
Waiting for his prey io arrive
He waits and sits and sits and waits
Soon something will have to die
The hunters in the bushes in the camouflage
His buddy and his dog by his side
Looking in the sky for something to fly
Soon something will have to die
Hie hunter is in the jungle in camouflage
Waiting for his prey to arrive
He inarches and crawls and crawls and marches
Soon someone will have to die
lhe hunter is in the jungle in camouflage
His buddies and his squad by his side
Looking in the distance for the enemy
Soon someone will have to die
Ihe hunters in a mask in a liquor store
Looking his prey in the eye
He cusses and paces and paces and cusses
Soon someone will have to die
The hunter is in a mask in a liquor store
His accomplice and his driver waiting outside
Looking in the register for something to steal
Soon someone will have to die
The hunter is in the closet wearing pajamas
Staringathispreyinthe mirror
He waits and sits and sits and waits
Soon hell have to die
The hunter is in the closet wearing pajamas
Just a curious little boy
Looking down the barrel, the trigger hell pull
Soon hell have to dies
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A poem for a refugee
They tried to stick a gun in your hand
Finn and brave you took a stand.
Two choices looked you in the eye-
Kill or be killed
No one knows why.
You thought about your choices,
Turned to your faith.
Through all the smoke—
You found a third way.
Put the babies in your arms,
Took your wife by the hand.
Fleeing your home,
Leaving behind your ancestral land.
Through the campos
the cities
the forests
the hills
Running, running
To only God knows where.
Manifest Destiny
Beat up the niggers
K^ill the jews
Slaughter the indians
Abuse the mexicans
Manifest Destiny
The white man's way
Manifest Destiny
The American way
Armenians were slaughtered
The Turks we defend
Jews were massacred
Nazis we took in
South Africans in shackles and chains
Economics makes us play their game
Imperialist bastards all of us
To conquer the world is a must
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"Not a bit of il," wrote the reviewer for
the Scotsman, a newspaper in Edinburgh
whereHSojoum " received its premiere in the
Fringe Festival of 1986.
"Gerald Papasian and the beautiful Nora
(Armani), both professional actors, dramatise
and sometimes dance and sing, poems which
span a period from the pre-Christian era to
preseniKiay Soviet Armenia. I have never
seen a poetry 'reading1— this is almost an epic
play-done better ihan this."
The play begins at Mount Ararat where
Noah's Ark ostensibly landed, a symbol to
Armenians of their enduring Christian faith.
The actors appear as mythical beings, a
couple who are witnesses to the passing
parade of Armenian culture.
This is Armenia, the Paradise.
Paradise is lost as the innocent bystanders
wimess the genocide at the hands of the
Turks in 1915. The century wears on with
recitations of hardships of a more mundane
nature, nostalgic vignettes and moments of
comedy.
"Sojourn at Ararai" is economical to say
the least, designed as il is to be a portable
vehicle for two actors who also function as
stagehands, prop-handlers an baggage porters.
Wherever they've taken it, from Edinburgh
to Ann Arbor, ""Sojourn at Ararat" has
reinforced the pair's faith in its validity to
Armenian audiences as well as ils "crossover"
appeal to non-Armenians.
In the Spring of 1987, the first Los
Angeles production opened in the Ensemble
Studies Theaier. "It was supposed io run six
weekends, but we finally were forced to shut
down after 11 weeks because we had to be in
New York," said Papasian.
One result: Drama Logue, the trade paper
for the acting industry, awarded the husband
and wife leam its pri2e for Outstanding
Achievement in Theater.
Last fall, they put the show back together
again in the Ensemble Studio Theater as pari
of the Los Angeles International Festival.
The fall of 1987 also brought lhe biggest
"Go ahead,
destroy Armenia!
See if you can
do it!"  	
ihrill of all to lhe voung couple-an invitation
io Armenia.
'The audience was very warm." Papasian
said, of the response io "Sojourn al Ararat".
"For us, going to Armenia was like
making a pilgrimage. Coming back, it was
as if we had the official blessing, doing the
production on Armenian soil."
The honors are soon to gain a different
dimension. In mid May ihey will present
"Sojourn at Ararai" inl Washington's
Hirshhom Museum, in a program sponsored
oy the museum and the International Poetry
Forum.
In a way, all this came about, as Papasian
lells it, because his parents insisted that he
go lo Armenian school as a child, and keep
up wiih his cultural heritage .
"I fell in love with Armenian poetry back
then," he said. "Later I started collecting il.
whenever I could find an English translation.
Good or bad, I'd take it home.
"By ihe time Nora and I began lalkir.g
about 'An Evening of Armenian Poetry' I had
all my resources- about 10 years worth of
books.
'The hardest part about putting the
progTam together was deciding what to use.
We went through aboul 1,000 poems to
select aboul 40. It took us three or four
months."
"There is nothing political aboul it. 1
loved the poetry."
" In the back of my mind, I always had
ihis. idea that ihere were a lot other people
who might love it, too, if they jusi had
access to iL It's like sharing a favorite movie
with a friend."
Protest, com. from pg. 3
Armenian Orthodox Church are evidence of
lhe Armenian influence in the region.
However, although siill lo a certain extent
influential, the Armenian community in
Jerusalem, as well as the surrounding areas,
is steadily decreasing. Presently, under ihree
thousand Armenians reside in Israel.
Perhaps this drastic decrease in
population is due to Israel's policies
regarding ethnic minorities. Whether this is
the case or not, a solution to the Palestinian
Question is necessary. The demands of the
Palestinian people must be heard, perhaps
negotiated, and resolved in order to instill
peace in the Middle East.