Playbill.com, NY
Jan 11 2008
Kalinoski Returns to Subject of Armenian Genocide for New Play, A
Crooked Man
By Kenneth Jones
11 Jan 2008
Richard Kalinoski, whose award-winning drama about survivors of the
1915 Armenian genocide, Beast on the Moon, was an American regional
theatre hit in the last decade, returns to that historical tragedy
with his new drama.
Alianak Theatre Productions (ATP) will present the world premiere of
Kalinoski’s A Crooked Man, directed by and starring Hrant Alianak,
Feb. 20-March 2 at The Theatre Centre in Toronto. Opening is Feb. 22.
American playwright Kalinoski’s earlier play was one of the
most-produced plays in U.S. regional theatres, won the Prix Moliere
for Best Play in Paris in 2001, ran Off-Broadway for 15 weeks in
2005, and made its Canadian premiere (produced by ATP) in 1997.
ATP describes A Crooked Man this way: "Throughout his life, the
88-year-old Hagop, now living in the United States, has been
tormented by nightmares stemming from the horrors he witnessed as a
child during the Armenian genocide, including his family’s murder.
His nightmares extend to his own act of defiance when, as a young man
in Germany, he assassinated the Turkish governor responsible for
perpetrating the massacres in his village. When his reporter grandson
interviews him for what is to be an innocuous magazine article, the
old man finally begins to confront his demons and reveals not only
the awful details of his past, but, for the very first time ever, a
terrible secret that has consumed his whole life."
The current Turkish government still officially denies that Armenians
were killed at the hands of the then-ruling Ottoman Empire; the
government does not use the word "genocide." Hundreds of thousands of
Armenians were killed, according to a low estimate.
Inspired by a true story, A Crooked Man "offers no easy answers to
the issues of guilt and innocence, murderer or hero." Like Beast on
the Moon, the play is said to be infused with surprising humor and
familial warmth.
For the first time in Canada, an all-Armenian professional cast
performs in an Armenian-themed play.
As well as producing and directing A Crooked Man, Alianak (known for
film and TV roles) portrays the octagenarian Hagop. The
Dora-nominated Araxi Arslanian (ATP’s Rogues of Urfa, Buddies in Bad
Times’ upcoming Who’s Your Dada?) plays Hagop’s daughter. Garen
Boyajian (Atom Egoyan’s "Ararat," and the Family Channel’s "Radio
Free Roscoe") portrays his grandson. Carlo Essagian and Michael
Kazarian round out the cast.
The creative team includes set and lighting designer DroegeDesigns,
sound designers Terry Crack and Joe Mancuso, and costume designer
Anne Dixon. Sharon DiGenova is the stage manager.
The Theatre Centre is located at 1087 Queen Street West (entrance on
Dovercourt), Toronto.
For tickets visit or call (416) 504-7529.
*
Alianak Theatre Productions earned three Dora Awards, including
Outstanding Production for The Walls of Africa that Alianak also
wrote and directed. ATP is known for introducing professional
productions of plays about Armenians into the Canadian theatre
vernacular. As well as Beast on the Moon, it has presented Robert
Astle’s The Hats of Mr. Zenobe, Adam Nashman’s Crimes and Araxi
Arslanian’s Rogues of Urfa. ATP productions have received a total of
23 Dora nominations for theatrical excellence in various categories.
All of ATP’s Armenian-themed ventures are co-produced by Hrant
Alianak and Kaloust Babian.
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