~ The 3rd Annual ADAA Playreading Series ~

* 2008 Saroyan Contest Winner *
"NADIA"
by Lilly Thomassian

Saroyan Prize Finalists Kristen Lazarian, Matthew Yaldezian and (winner) Lilly Thomassian.

Saroyan Prize Finalists Kristin Lazarian, Lilly Thomassian (winner), Matthew Yaldezian

August 25-27, 2008 - 7:30pm

Presenting....

In The Top Three Finalist Playsof the inaugural
2008 William Saroyan Prize for Playwriting:



NADIA

by Lilly Thomassian
About an Armenian family living in Iraq confronting the chaos of the war


FLESH AND TENDERNESS

by Kristen Lazarian
A fourth-generation Armenian American woman coming to terms with her family history


THE LIVING AND THE DEAD

by Matthew 'Yazo' Yaldezian
Recounting the early life, love and writings of William Saroyan

The Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029

~ ~ ~

Every year the ADAA Reading Series celebrates and promotes Armenian playwrights, directors, actors and like artists by presenting three fully staged readings of plays written by Armenian playwrights and/or about Armenian themes.

This year, in honor of William Saroyan's 100th Anniversary, the ADAA Reading Series will feature the three plays nominated by the $10,000 William Saroyan Prize for Playwriting, a biennial competition administered by ADAA.


More information to be announced soon - keep checking www.armeniandrama.org or www.itsmyseat.com for reservations!

Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance/
Fountain Theatre
Second Annual Reading Series 2007

A CELEBRATION OF BERGE ZEITUNTSYAN

Berge Zeytuntsian was born on July 18, 1938, in Alexandria, Egypt. In 1948, he repatriated to Armenia. Zeytuntsian graduated from the Pyatigorsk Institute of Foreign Languages in Russia. He went on to also graduate from the Advanced Courses for Screenwriters in Moscow. In 1956, his inaugural collection of works, His First Friend, was published. From 1966-68, Zeytuntsian worked as a script editor at Armenfilm, and then from 1968-75 he was the chief editor at the Yerevan Studio of TV films. He served as secretary of the Writer's Union of Armenia from 1975-86 and from 1990-91 as the acting Minister of Culture in Armenia. Berge Zeytuntsian is the author of many plays, some of which have been translated into different languages and staged in countries around the world.

www.fountaintheatre.com
5060 Fountain Ave., LA 90029

ADAA/Fountain Theater
First Annual Reading Series, 2006

We are very pleased to announce the establishment of the ADAA/Fountain Theatre Annual Reading Series in 2006. The Fountain Theatre located in Little Armenia in Hollywood, is very involved in helping to give voice to the Armenian community. The plays you see below were part of the first annual ADAA/Fountain Theatre reading series. They were chosen in conjuction with the Fountain Theatre from plays recommended by ADAA. ADAA receives plays through it's contests and helps playwrights in securing readings and productions. (Please see our contest pages for more information) The ADAA producer for the ADAA/Fountain Theatre reading series is Anahid Shahrik. We are very grateful to Artistic Director Simon Levy for helping to establish this reading series.

• Simon Levy is also playwright whose recent play "What I Heard About Iraq" recently won the best Of Fringe award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 2006. His most recent play, "The Great Gatsby" inaugurated the opening of the new Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis this summer. Simon helps curate the plays for our reading series.

Mon. Nov. 13, 2006

THE SCENT OF JASMINE

Written by Bianca Bagatourian - Directed by Michael Arabian

A Citizen Kane type mystery about an Armenian immigrant who becomes one of the richest men in America and the measures he takes to regain the happiness he felt as a child in the old country. A monologue from this play, "The Strawberry Scene" was published in the book Monologues for Women by Women, Heinemann Pub., 2005.

Featuring: Karine Chakarian, Magda Harout, David Hedison, Buck Kartalian, Karen Kondazian, Shant Bejanian, Siona Yans, Anahid Shahrik, Jack Kandel, Sona Tatoyan

Tues. Nov. 14, 2006

THE BLACKSTONE SESSIONS

Written by Lisa Kirazian - Directed by Ben Bradley

When young African American executive Trevor leaves for the summer & hires a housekeeper for his elderly mother -- retired & reclusive poet-activist Hannah Ruby Johnson & widow of the great civil rights leader Marshall Johnson -- Hannah rebels by putting the uneducated Italian American housekeeper, Gina, through the ringer. Their love-hate ‘friendship’ results in Hannah slowly introducing Gina to her world of literature and politics, but Gina’s thirst for the education she never had results in her uncovering more of Hannah's past than anyone knew.

Featuring: Bernard Addison, Rico Anderson, Tene Carter, Alex Kalognomos, Danielle Holland
Iona Morris, Anoush NeVart , Jerris Poindexter

Wed. Nov. 15, 2006

PUSH

Written by Kristen Lazarian - Directed by Martin Bedoian

In her pursuit to find out the truth about her husband & the fragility of her own marriage, Brooke Gatwick hires an operative,” otherwise known as a decoy, to see if Owen will stay faithful to her. But Owen has been impaired by his own distrust of Brooke & easily gives in to temptation. Now, who is culpable? And how does distrust create its own effects? When love becomes a game for this couple, it’s a Push that leaves everyone devastated & the fate of one marriage hanging in the balance.

Featuring: Andrea Ajemian, Michael Goorjian, Richard Horvitz, Karen Kondazian, Salli Saffiotti
Anahid Shahrik, Greg Zarian

The Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance (ADAA) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. It's mission is to make the Armenian voice heard on the world stage through the dramatic arts of theatre and film. The organization accomplishes this mission by supporting playwrights and screenwriters and provides production opportunities, commissions, scholarships, research tools, networking resources and writing awards. The organization is currently working on creating relationships with leading theaters in the United States to establish reading series so that the winning scripts – and other scripts by ADAA-affiliated playwrights -- will be seen and heard. ADAA’s headquarters are in Cambridge, MA with worldwide affiliates in Paris, Yerevan, Los Angeles, Boston, New York and other major cities.

You can read more about ADAA by visiting their website at

www.armeniandrama.org