An article I wrote at last year’s end examined the “balkanization” of Armenian theater – that is, its tendency to serve fragmented segments of the community, comprised of Armenians from Armenia and from Iran (who speak dialects of Eastern Armenian), and Armenians from countries of the Middle East (who speak Western Armenian dialects).

Of late, Khoren Aramouni’s plays have been unflinching examinations of the untenable political circumstances and living conditions in Armenia during the post-independence era.

After two dismal years, Armenian theater in Los Angeles managed an uptick in both the quantity and quality of productions that graced area stages in 2012.

BY ARAM KOUYOUMDJIAN
The plays of Gurgen Khanjyan can be catnip for purveyors of sophisticated Armenian theater.  A production of “Averagneri Bahagneruh” (The Guards of Ruins) in 2009 was among the theatrical highlights of that year, and Tigran Kirakosyan’s recent staging of “Galank” (Confinement) at the Victory Theatre in Burbank will be remembered for its solid [...]

Lilly Thomassian devoted tremendous effort – arduous and prolonged – to bringing her latest play to the stage. “Komitas,” a study of the iconic priest who was instrumental in preserving Armenian folk music, had its world premiere last weekend at the Atwater Village Theatre, where it is scheduled to run through August 19.

Directing an iconic play is always a risky business, and Samuel Beckett’s masterpiece, “Waiting for Godot,” is not easy fare. It is thin on plot and heavy on existentialism. “I saw a production when I was younger, and I was going to shoot myself,” a friend joked to me recently.

It’s unnerving to think about how few Armenian-language plays have been staged in Southern California since Vahe Berberian’s last outing, “Baron Garbis,” four years ago. The arrival of Berberian’s newest drama, “Gyank” (Life), reminds us exactly what we’ve been missing.

With a shout-out to her fellow Armenians – “my people” – Andrea Martin charmed her way through her cabaret-style show last week at the Samueli Theater of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa.

Vahik Pirhamzei’s latest outing, “Honest Liars” (Azniv Sdakhosner), which closed on February 12, was a rollicking romp, thanks to a script heavy on laughs and a cast heavy on talent.

“Ser Yev Dzidzagh” (Love and Laughter) is not a play that Yervant Odian – the Armenian satirist who forever dwells in Hagop Baronian’s shadow – ever wrote; rather, it is an amalgam of three of his works. Still, as staged by the Ardavazt Theatre Company, it proves to be a lively piece of entertainment that offers genuine laughs – and a welcome respite from the lackluster scripts that have hampered the troupe’s last few outings.

Armenia was among nearly a dozen countries represented at this year’s California International Theatre Festival that ran from September 8 to 18 at the Los Angeles Theater Center. Its entries were the U.S. premieres of two abstract performance pieces – “Komitas’ 10 Commandments” and “Colors” – by MIHR Theatre.

Mothers’ Day is some months away, but the Geffen Playhouse has started its celebration early. “In (M)Other Words,” a staged reading of short pieces on all themes maternal, opened on February 23 and is scheduled to play through May 1 in the intimate Audrey Skirball Kenis space.

Productions staged by the Ardavazt Theatre Company frequently feature sprawling casts comprised of both veteran performers and novices. The differences in their acting experience and caliber inevitably keep the productions from maximizing their potential.

Oh, if only I could have a nickel every time “Glendale” or “Mercedes” was used as a punch line in an Armenian comedy. I’d pile up more coins watching “8 Coffees and a Date” than playing a loose slot machine in Vegas.