HOURIG PAPAZIAN-SAHAGIAN EARNS A CURTAIN CALL
By Tom Vartabedian
Armenian weekly
December 7, 2009
That’s how Hourig Papazian-Sahagian views life-with tinsel-coated
eyeglasses and a colorful script that’s both perpetual and meaningful.
How else would you describe an 83-year-old protagonist who’s given
the Armenian Fine Arts a stroke of sunshine and good fortune during
these dreary times?
It’s 20 years and counting for this diva with her hit "Hello Ellis
Island." As founder of her New Jersey Hamazkayin group "The Way We
Were," every good show deserves a sequel.
This is a show about the plight of immigrants aboard a dream ship bound
for Ellis Island with the task of building a new life in America. Their
stories are told through song, dance, and traditions-some sad, some
whimsical, always sublime.
There are some nostalgic ballads (well-remembered but long-forgotten),
some romantic dances, and a slapstick number that brings the house
down.
As Hourig begins her farewell tour with the production, yet another
is in the works called "Hye Legion: The Gamavor Story." It falls in
line with Hourig’s passion as a playwright, along with her love and
respect for the Armenian American.
It’s been a long and respected career that has taken her through 20
years of Armenian Prelacy work as executive director of the Armenian
National Education Committee (ANEC), as principal of the Hovnanian
Armenian School, and trailblazer for the Siamanto Academy, which she
helped launch 30 years ago.
Sixty years ago, she was invited by Levon Shant, the educator and
playwright, to travel to Beirut and assist him in establishing a
primary school division at the Palanjian Jemaran based on Armenian
educational philosophies.
Following his death, Hourig continued working with Simon Vratzian. The
three-year mission gratified her need to fill a cultural void and
live in an Armenian world.
Somewhere along the line, she helped edit an Armenian Atlas,
conducted teacher workshops and seminars, not to mention her role as
a mother-of-three and grandmother-of-eight.
She taught choral and instrumental music in the New Jersey public
schools and served as a pianist/public speaker at numerous community
events. Hourig was also a devoted ARS member.
The creation of "The Way We Were" became her retirement project,
resulting in many presentations along the East Coast and beyond.
Hourig describes herself as "an orphaned child" of the Armenian
Diaspora.
More to the point, she refuses to bury Gomidas or any survivor who
escaped the genocide and found a new home in America.
"The traditional folk and art songs of the past have totally
disappeared," she tells you. "I’m reviving them. It’s a tribute
to preceding generations who established a network of churches,
charitable outlets, political and cultural organizations to keep the
heritage alive in a diaspora."
The troupe represents every Armenian church and political persuasion,
if not organization. They decided a long time ago to remain neutral.
Every invitation to perform is rewarded by a monetary gift in return.
Members have grown rich in spirit and enthusiasm.
Hourig’s debut with showbiz actually dated back to 1970 when she
and close friend Sosy (Krikorian) Kadian created a duet-the Hourig &
Sosy Dance-Song Stylists-in which they staged vignettes of historic,
traditional Armenian life.
Virtuoso Onnik Dinkjian sang and played the oud while his son Ara,
then eight, handled the dumbeg. They toured the circuit and entertained
to their heart’s content. Out of it was born "The Way We Were." When
Sosy retired from the troupe three years ago, Hourig carried on alone,
through sickness and in health.
A hip replacement was recently delayed so a production date could
be filled. Watching her direct a show while playing the keyboard,
one would never have noticed any discomfort. The show went on without
a hitch.
Closer to home, I personally owe a debt of gratitude to Hourig
for all the years she assisted me when I taught Armenian School at
St. Gregory Church in North Andover. Sossy Jeknavorian, the current
superintendent-director, can also vouch for the same, not to mention
any educator who was touched by this woman.
Now, here she is, on the threshold of greater visibility with a
pan-Armenian touring ensemble that knows no hiatus. Too bad she doesn’t
have a grant writer to handle the accounts for this typical non-profit.
With an average age of 70-plus, it’s a group that could easily qualify
for Social Security but in the words of one member, "Theater is the
best medicine any doctor couldn’t prescribe." It’s their "fountain
of youth."
"The relations that have developed over the decades are that of a
loving and caring family," Hourig notes. "We’re working on finding
some spouses for our singles."
"The Way We Were" is an independent entity and is not sponsored by
any organization.