SOJOURN AT ARARAT - Review tear sheet

As part of the Summer Armenian Festival, The Fountain Theatre in Hollywood presents SOJOURN AT ARARAT, a timeless passage of a couple that experiences the love, life, and strife of and for its people.
      This is a journey of a couple from Armenia that dose not stand within a static generation, but from a vast multitude of eras ranging from the pre-Christian period to the present. Told through the poetry, prose, and folklore from many of its lot of writers, authors, and storytellers, the couple, (played by Korken Alexander and Mark Kate Schellhardt) finds their adventure of life and culture possessing hope, laughter and even the horrors through death and genocide. They begin within one mode of being while closing the circle with their "good days", both personally and as a wish toward all.
     This presentation takes many of the works of such poets and writers of Armenian persuasion from the 9th century (Gregory of Narek) to the 20th century (Silva Kapoutikian, William Saroyan, Zahrad). The stage setting of this show is rather simple; a plain backdrop with minimum props with set and costume design by Maro Parian. But the two performers, Korken Alexander and Mark Kate Schellhardt, shine right through! They just don't recite their prose, they emote to the point where one (the audience) can feel the joy as well as the pain expressed throughout. This production was based on Sojourn at Ararat: Poems of Armenia, translated and adapted by Gerald Papasisan, and first presented on stage at this theater some sixteen years before. Much of what is experienced on stage, with translation by Gerald Papasian, Nora Armani, and John Papasian, is humorous, romantic, and very somber--an even mix of expression from some of Armenia's gifted creators of prose.
     Directed by Nora Armani, SOJOURN AT ARARAT is a gem to experience. Much of this poetry would have been lost within the annals of time, and this revival of these words live on. This is a production that should not be missed just for its simplicity; meaning that less is more--much more!

     SOJOURN AT ARARAT, performs at the Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Avenue (at Normandie), Hollywood, until August 12th. Showtimes are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights @ 8:00 PM, and Sunday afternoons @ 2:00 PM. Reservations and information, call (323) 663-1525. Visit the website at http://www.FountainTheatre.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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(Vol. 12-No. 24-Week of June 11th, 2007)