The theater started flourishing with the play of actors who brought incomparably high fame to the theater. Among them were Vahram Papazyan, Hovhannes Abelyan, Hrachya Nersisyan, Olga Gulazyan, Gurgen Janibekyan, Vagharsh Vagharshyan, Tadevos Saryan, David Malyan and others. These actors created a theater, which was full of patriotism, excitement, passion and clashes, and it’s no surprise the performance list of the theater includes the plays of such outstanding writers like Shakespeare and Bomarshe, Eugene O’Neil and Schiller, Sundukyan and Ostrovsky, Paronyan and Molieri.
In 1930-1950s Armen Gulakyan and Arshak Burjalyan brought forth new directorial traditions. The theater bore the influence of all the events of those times, including the hardships of World War II. As a result, patriotic performances, as well as performances regarding the then problems and issues were being staged. All this led to the new generation of such bright actors like Babken Nersisyan, Metaqsya Simonyan, Varduhi Varderesyan, Mher Mkrtchyan, Khoren Abrahamyan, Sos Sargsyan, Edgar Elbakyan, Hovak Galoyan, Lusya Hovhannisyan, Armen Khostikyan and others. Immense excitement and inspiration for the new generation actors was the return of irreplaceable actor Vahram Papazyan.
Already in the 1950-1970s the theater turned into one of the most popular Soviet Union theaters in which the following plays were performed – Jayr (Rock) by Vrtanes Papazyan, Baghdasar-Aghbar by Hakob Paronyan, Namus (Honor) and Chaos by Alexander Shirvanzade. Later on the performance list was enlarged with the plays “King Lear” and “Romeo and Juliet.” In 1990s a new row of performances were staged – “Ancient Gods “by Levon Shant, “The Cherry Orchard” by Anton Chekhov, “The Forty Days of Musa Dagh” by Franz Werfel, “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare and so on. These plays set ground for the poetic theater with the poetic metaphor being turned into theatrical metaphor.
Presently, with a history of 90 years the theater has still preserved the beauty of its youth, meaning that despite its old age, the theater still appears to be a new and fresh one, yet preserving the traditions and not refusing the history it has registered on its way to our days. The current troupe of the theater includes USSR People’s Artist Varduhi Varderesyan, RA People’s Artists Vladimir Abajyan, Zhenya Avetisyan, Vahram Yeghshatyan, Heghine Hovhannisyan, Margo Mouradyan, RA Honored Artists Karen Janibekyan, Harutyun Movsisyan, Mourad Janibekyan, Norayr Gevorgyan, Gevorg Chepchyan, Nelly Kheranyan, Tigran Nersisyan, Greta Mejlumyan, Azat Gasparyan, Julieta Stepanyan and others.
Address: 6 Gr. Lusavorich Street
Tel.: (374 10) 525 772
Fax: (374 10) 520 610
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.nationaltheater.am/
