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PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School Performs Neil Simon’s "Rumors" with
Shining Success
Students of the drama conservatory of AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School
(MDS) in Canoga Park, California joined forces with the AGBU Ardavazt
Theatre Group of Southern California to successfully stage Neil Simon’s
renowned play "Rumors" in December 2007. Under the direction of Adrianne
Alvarez, talented young Armenian-American actors took the MDS stage for
three separate performances of this popular comedy before a combined
audience of over 600. On December 15, an additional performance took
place in the Agajanian Auditorium of AGBU Alex Manoogian Center in
Pasadena, California for an audience of 100.
"Rumors" recounts the story of four couples who gather to celebrate the
tenth wedding anniversary of their best friends Charlie and Myra Brock,
a couple which resides in the tony enclave of Esnedo, New York. As the
story unfolds, rumor and fact collide, leading up to an exciting climax
that involves a possible murder, the media and local police.
"The production proceeded smoothly, with effective communication and
full of suspense," audience member Dr. A. Kazanjian wrote in the
Californian newspaper ‘Massis Weekly.’ "Our youthful actors and
actresses, who had completely learned their roles, were uninhibited in
their movements and facial expressions, which came across in genuine
manifestations of the characters they played," he added.
"Rumors" demonstrated the success of the MDS drama program in pushing
students beyond the boundaries of the classroom, and the play’s
achievements are a direct result of a three-year-old drama elective
curriculum.
The cast was led by stage manager Lara Armani and included Niki Babian
as Claire Ganz, Gina Shirinian as Chris Gorman, Armand Kizirian as Ken
Gorman, Melissa Saracyan as Officer Welch and Patrick Chamanadjian as
Lenny Ganz, in addition to several other devoted stage members.
Looking to the future, the MDS drama conservatory is already planning to
stage Shakespeare’s "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" this coming April.
AGBU sponsors over 30 day & Saturday schools on five continents. The
AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School (MDS) in Canoga Park, CA, is one of
AGBU’s largest and most academically challenging schools. MDS graduates
are regularly accepted at some of the world’s leading universities and
colleges, including Harvard, Oxford, Princeton, Stanford, UC Berkeley,
UCLA, Sorbonne, USC and Yale.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress