Week of Remembrance in the City of Glendale
Annual Commemorative Events
The City of Glendale (California)
Annual Commemorative Committee
April 19, 2005
Contact: Mr. John Takhtalian, Management Services
Phone: 818-548-4844
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The following genocide commemorative events, which are part of the City
of Glendale’s 2005 Week of Remembrance, will take place throughout the
following week at various venues in Glendale, California. They are
co-sponsored by the City of Glendale, the Alex Theater, the Armenian
General Benevolent Union, Don Peterson – SNK Realty Group, City of
Glendale – Parks, Recreation & Community Services, City of Glendale –
Public Works, Glendale Water & Power, Glendale Unified School District,
Glendale News-Press, Glendale Association of Realtors, and Sidewalk Cafe.
1.) Panel Discussion on Three Films Depicting Genocide
Date: Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Time: 6:00 pm
Location: Glendale Central Library
Address: 222 E. Harvard Street, Glendale
Panelists Include: Mr. Dan Alba, Western Region Director of Facing
History and Ourselves; Ms. Julia Powell, Co-Producer of the
award-winning PBS Frontline Documentary, “Ghosts of Rwanda”; Mr. Vahe
Babaian, Screenwriter, Producer and Director.
Admission: Free and Open to the Public
2.) Armenian Genocide 90th Anniversary Commemoration
Date: Sunday, April 24, 2005
Time: 2:00 pm
Location: The Alex Theater
Address: 216 North Brand Blvd., Glendale
Keynote Speaker: Mr. Aram Saroyan (Poet, Novelist, Playwright, and Son
of William Saroyan)
Musical Performances by: Winds of Passion; Zvartnotz Dance Ensemble
Theatrical Performace by: The Cornerstone Theater Company, which
presents Leon Zaven Surmelian’s “I Ask You, Ladies and Gentlemen.”
Admission: Free on a first-come, first-serve basis. Pick up your free
ticket at the Alex Theater Box Office between now and 12:00 Noon on
Sunday, April 24.
Parking: Free validated parking is available specifically at the Orange
Street Parking Garage located at the corner of California Street and
Orange Street (enter from Orange). Parking tickets can be validated by
the House Manager in the Alex Theatre lobby.
3.) Repeat Performances of Surmelian’s “I Ask You, Ladies and Gentlemen”
will be offered by the Cornerstone Theater Company at the Alex Theater on:
— Tuesday, April 26, 2005 at 8:00 pm
— Wednesday, April 27, 2005 at 8:00 pm
For tickets to the Tuesday and Wednesday performances, please contact
The Alex Theater Box Office at (818-243-2611).
— A Synopsis on Surmelian’s “I Ask You, Ladies and Gentlemen”
Cornerstone Theater Company presents “I Ask You, Ladies and Gentlemen,”
written by Leon Z. Surmelian, adapted for the stage by
playwright-in-residence Yehuda Hyman, and directed by founding member
Christopher Liam Moore.
It is a true story of an Armenian orphan boy whose brave and poetic
spirit guides him through a tragic odyssey in his war-torn country and
propels him into a new life in America. History and literature come to
life, using text directly from Surmelian’s memoir about survival during
the Armenian genocide. Actor Ludwig Manukian and puppeteer Michelle
Zamora are accompanied by live music composed and performed by John
Bilezikjian; puppets and sets are by Lynn Jeffries, costumes by
Christopher Acebo, and lights by Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz.
Proceeds benefit The Leon & Zarmig Surmelian Foundation, which assists
orphans and needy students in Armenia and the Ukraine, the Middle East,
Asia, Africa, and America. Permission to adapt this work was granted by
the estate of Leon Z. Surmelian and executor Torcom Postajian.
Yehuda Hyman and Cornerstone Theater Company are participants in the
Theater Residency Program for Playwrights, a project of the National
Endowment for the Arts and Theatre Communication Group.
Running time is approximately 1 hour, and the performance is suitable
for ages 10 and older.