ARMEN MELIKSETIAN: CHAMBER MUSIC THEATER IS ALREADY RUINED

Noyan Tapan
Dec 14 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The Chamber Music Theater
founded in 1997 is already ruined, the theater’s normal working
rhythm has stopped and the theater collective has divided into two
groups. Theater’s Art Director Armen Meliksetian declared this at
the December 14 press conference. In his words, until 2005 at each
performance the theater hall was half-full, but starting 2005 when
Levon Abrahamian was appointed as theater Director, the spectators’
attendance abruptly decreased: in 2005 the hall was full by 17%
and in 2006 by 5%. "Everything was being done to fail the newly
staged performances.

Theater’s work was being impeded. All this was being done deliberately
and for one purpose – for privatizing the theater building," Armen
Meliksetian declared.

Theater actors, even those dismissed from work by former Director
Levon Abrahamian were present at the press conference. As the latters
affirmed, they were dismissed illegally. The art director’s daughter,
Lusine Meliksetian declared that Levon Abrahamian dismissed her when
she was on a physiological leave.

And in response to the journalists’ question, why the actors did not
apply to the court, they said: "Don’t you know how such questions are
solved in courts?." It was also mentioned that Levon Abrahamian was
the husband of RA President Robert Kocharian’s niece and only after
their divorce that took place lately the Ministry of Culture dismissed
him from work. To recap, a week ago a similar press conference was
organized by the dismissed Director of the Chamber Music Theater,
Levon Abrahamian. He spoke about his intention to litigate the issue
of his dismissal at the court.