Critics’ Forum
Theater
Women’s Solo Performances
By Aram Kouyoumdjian

In what is either an extraordinary trend or an extraordinary
coincidence, no less than five female writer/performers of Armenian
descent have graced Los Angeles stages this year with solo shows
they’ve authored. The number is striking given the relative paucity
of Armenian actresses in general and solo performers in particular.

Among these five solo outings:

– *Four* pieces were of an autobiographical nature. Adriana
Sevan’s "Taking Flight" at the Fountain Theatre, for instance, was an
account of fragmented relationships following the collapse of the
Twin Towers. "Taking Flight" traced the changed landscape of Sevan’s
world after her fiancé narrowly escaped the tragedy and her best
friend suffered life-altering injuries. The story was understandably
heavy, and Sevan tried to modulate it with some levity and to
embellish it with mystical elements. But the stretch did not come
easily, and "Taking Flight" often strained under its own weight.

– *Three* shows touched on the authors’ roots in countries of
the Middle East. Nora Armani’s "On the Couch," which also played at
the Fountain (after an earlier run at the Luna Playhouse), harked
back to the Egypt of the Nasser era. In "Ka Yev Chka" (There Is and
There Isn’t), Anahid Aramouni Keshishian recalled pre-revolutionary
Iran. And in "Aypen Kim" (From A to C), Arpie Dadoyan conjured up
the Lebanon of her youth and adolescence with gentle humor. In all
three cases, however, the intensely personal aspect of the text left
little room for the exploration of the political and social dynamics
that Armenian communities encountered in these adopted countries.

– *Two* selections were in Armenian. It was refreshing to hear
Dadoyan and Keshishian – both performing at Luna – share intimate
stories in a language that does not often lend itself to emotional
revelation without coming across as unduly sentimental. Keshishian’s
writing had a lyrical quality, while Dadoyan’s piece was fluid and
conversational, and even managed to incorporate some dialects that
the generation of Western Armenians who survived the Genocide carried
with them for some decades.

– *One* entry stood apart in being entirely fictional and
constructed around multiple characters. Lory
Tatoulian’s "Pomegranate Whisky" (at the Heartbeat House Studio) was
a faux cabaret featuring comic songs and monologues. An accomplished
work, it showcased a wide range of Tatoulian’s talents, including her
facility with a number of accents. It also managed to remain
altogether entertaining while stinging with satirical bite. One
could not help relishing Tatoulian’s signature portrayal of a gossipy
and judgmental Armenian housewife of middle class (but of little
class). Yet the standout piece of the evening had to be an inspired
bit about a bored and embittered Statue of Liberty longing to return
to France.

Hopefully, this phenomenon of Armenian women embracing the art of
solo performance will prove itself a trend, rather than a
coincidence, since the trend is surely overdue. And hopefully, it
will mature as an art form, both in style and substance, to explore
deeper questions of individual and collective identity, as remarkably
done by such leading African-American solo performers as Sarah Jones,
Dael Orlandersmith, Anna Deavere Smith, and Charlayne Woodard.

The year is certainly not over. And then there’s next year and the
year after that…

All Rights Reserved: Critics’ Forum, 2007

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

You can reach him or any of the other contributors to Critics’ Forum
at comments@criticsforum.org. This and all other articles published
in this series are available online at To sign
up for a weekly electronic version of new articles, go to
Critics’ Forum is a group created to
discuss issues relating to Armenian art and culture in the Diaspora.

rumarchive/