Author: Kalashian Nyrie

THEATER REVIEWS: THE CAR PLAYS
Steven Leigh Morris
LA Weekly, CA
Wednesday, September 13, 2006 – 6:00 pm
Including this week’s picks The Car Plays, San Francisco Mime Troupe
and the Second Annual Latino New Works Festival
THE CAR PLAYS One creative solution for a theater without a space is
to take their show on the road. If there’s no road available, try a
parking lot. That’s what Moving Arts is trying in The Car Plays ,
a distant echo of Wolfskill Theatre Company’s drive-in version of
Marat/Sade , several years ago, in a parking lot for an audience
viewing from their cars and listening via speakers provided by the
theater.
Here 20 plays (of 10 minutes or less) are performed inside 20 cars,
lined up in four rows of five. Though performances run from 6 to
10 p.m., your ticket is good for an hour, or five plays. From the
theater’s foyer, a carhop escorts you to the first vehicle, where
you’ll climb in with one or two passengers.
Stage managers shut the doors until the actors arrive.
I saw a rehearsal for Paul Stein’s “Two Fellas, One Fella.” Gary
Marschall and Jon Amirkhan jangled car keys and eventually climbed
in the front seats, bickering about Amirkhan’s crude Armenian taste
and Marschall’s American arrogance. Dialogue revealed they had walked
a considerable distance for this “pick up,” which concerned a body
in the trunk; here, things started to turn Tarantino-esque. Moving
Arts promises an experience unlike most, and is truly living up to
its name. Moving Arts at THE STEVE ALLEN THEATER, 4773 Hollywood
Blvd., Hlywd.; Sat., Sept. 16, hourly perfs 6-10 p.m.; $15. (866)
811-4111.

CITIZENS OF ARMENIA, WHO VISITED ABKHAZIA OR SOUTH OSSETIA, GET IMPRISONED IN GEORGIA
16:43 09/10/2006
According to Armenian Azg daily, at present moment, about 100 Armenian
citizens are under arrest in Georgia on the charge of illegal
crossing of the Georgian-Russian border. As the daily explains,
according to the Georgian Criminal Code, for illegal crossing of the
Georgian-Russian border for the first time there is a fine of $2,000,
the second infringement is punished with imprisonment for 3-5 years.
As the paper says, “the fact of illegal crossing the Georgian-Russian
border is treated exclusively in the Georgian way.” “It turns out
that an Armenian citizen violates the Georgian legislation, if he
or she arrives into Abkhazia or South Ossetia from the Russian
territory. Besides, entrance visa about visiting these regions
in the passport is a ‘sign’ of the guilt. Practically, it turns
out that Georgia closed entrance to Abkhazia and South Ossetia for
Armenian citizens, as it is senseless to visit Georgia after these
territories. The practice applied in Georgia is consonant with the
one of Azerbaijan concerning people who visited Nagorno Karabakh. If
Azerbaijan raises hysterics about Russian pop singers and reporters
visiting Karabakh, and Azerbaijanis who have been there are treated
as traitors, Georgia applies criminal persecution to such people,”
Azg reports.

DISSATISFIED WITH THE LEADER OF THE PARTY
Lragir.am
11 Sept 06
The number of Republicans, who are dissatisfied with the leader of the
Republican Party Andranik Margaryan, is growing. The refusal to support
Arman Sahakyan was one of the reasons. We have learned that most
old members of the political party wonder about Andranik Margaryan’s
behavior, who in fact is not leading the political party. The divide
within the Republican Party is becoming deeper. If formerly there were
supporters of Serge Sargsyan and Andranik Margaryan, now another wing
has emerged, which disapproves the behavior of Andranik Margaryan.

AZERBAIJAN, UKRAINE ESTABLISH NEW CONSULTATIVE MECHANISM
Author: S.Aliyev
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Sept 8 2006
During the talks in Baku on 7 September the Presidents of
Azerbaijan and Ukraine made a resolution on the establishment of a
new consultative mechanism between the two countries. It will be a
council of the two Presents, Trendreports.
Ukrainian President Victor Yuschenko noted that the Council will
develop a strategic plan on co-operation, which will reflect the
issues of bilateral relationships.
Azerbaijani Present Ilham Aliyev stated that during Yuschenko’s
official visit they discussed a range of issues, analyzed the
situation, as well as perspectives for the co-operation,” the
Azerbaijani President stressed.
“We regard Ukraine as a friend and important partner. The talks also
focused on co-operation in the energy sector and relevant bodies were
given concrete instructions,’ he stated.
“The most satisfactory issue is that the Ukrainian Diaspora in
Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani Diaspora in Ukraine have been integrated
into the society and feel comfortable, which is a positive factor,”
Azerbaijani President stressed.
According to Mr. Aliyev, over the 6 months of 2006 the economic growth
of Azerbaijan was 36%, while industrial production rose 41%.
Over the past several years 435,000 jobs have been opened in
Azerbaijan. “Potential of economy is increasing and opportunities
for economic cooperation are boosting,” Aliyev underscored.
Touching upon the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, President Aliyev stressed
his satisfaction with Ukraine’s position on this issue.
In his turn Yuschenko said that he was satisfied with the talks held
in Baku. “We discussed co-operation in the political, economic,
humanitarian, defense sectors, as well as implementation of some
energy projects. The talks were easy, but there are still problems in
the bilateral relationships which should be resolved,” he emphasized.
He regarded the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as one
of the fields of bilateral co-operation. “Ukraine is ready to offer
a means to settle the conflict,” he stressed.

MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS TO MEET WITH ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI FMS
Today, Azerbaijan
Sept 8 2006
The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group will meet with Azerbaijan and
Armenian foreign ministers separately.
The meeting with Armenian minister Vardan Oskanian will take place in
Paris on 12 September and Azerbaijani minister with Elmar Mammadyarov
in London on 13 September, APA reports.
Minister Mammadyarov told journalists the positions need to be
specified at the meeting with the co-chairs. He said it is interesting
what proposals the co-chairs will offer.
The minister also said it is important to agree on the meeting of the
Presidents (Azerbaijani and Armenian) this year. “It is premature to
talks about this,” he said.
URL:

AZG Armenian Daily #172, 09/09/2006
Home
YEREVAN SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT AND OPPORTUNITY TO
RECONSIDER ITS IMAGE
Head Architect of Yerevan Says
The September 7 sitting of the government confirmed the project of key
measures of 2005-2020 in implementing Yerevan’s general layout. Samvel
Danielian, head architect of Yerevan, said that the project includes
around 90 measures in architecture and town construction, ecology,
transport, public utilities, trade and consumer services, healthcare
and social security, education, culture and sport.
The projects of drawing the layout of Yerevan’s agglomeration, making
the list of endangered monuments and zoning communities of the capital
are very interesting.
The urgent issue of city transport regulation will be easily solved
by restoring bus stations, by trading microbuses for buses and
by constructing roads bypassing those with heavy traffic. Samvel
Danielian said that tender-winning YerevanProject Institute will
carry out monitoring of all these works.
The key measures include drawing up the project of greening Yerevan,
construction of a new underground station, a project of pulling down
wrecked living blocks and re-settling the inhabitants.
Answering a question about Yerevan’s present image and construction
of skyscrapers downtown Yerevan, the chief architect said that he is
pleased with city that we will have in future.
By Aghavni Harutyunian

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
September 6, 2006 Wednesday
NEXT YEAR ARMENIA WILL CONTINUE INCREASING ITS MILITARY BUDGET
Serzh Sarkisyan, Defense Minister and Security Council Secretary of
Armenia, announced that next year Armenia would continue increasing
its military budget. Sarkisyan announced this during a visit to the
military gymnasium named after Monte Melkonyan in Yerevan. Sarkisyan
added that the military budget of Armenia would be increased
simultaneously with growth of the GDP. According to him, the military
budget will amount to 3.5% of the GDP of Armenia.
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, September 04, 2006, p. 6
Translated by Pavel Pushkin

CHIEF ARCHITECT DETAILS GENERAL LAYOUT OF YEREVAN
Panorama.am
19:55 07/09/0 6
There will be a crematorium in Yerevan in 5 years the latest,
Chief Architect of the capital, Samvel Danielyan, told a briefing
today. Danielyan detailed general layout of Yerevan for 2008-2011,
which the Armenian government approved yesterday. Danielyan
intends to continue the work of Alexander Tamanyan – he is going to
reconstruct the yards in downtown Yerevan saying a tender is already
announced. Replying to the criticism on the constructions conducted
in Yerevan, Danielyan said, “Yerevan should have the right to revise
and reconstruct its image.”
The head of Yerevan Design Institute, G. Musheghyan, is also
enthusiastic about the new layout plan saying “the government and
the municipality are determined to accomplish tasks in front of them.”
The plan envisages more green zones, improved street network, better
water and heating services. According to this scheme, more streets
will have lights and medical clinics will be reconstructed. Minister
of Finance and Economy, Vardan Khachatryan and Yerevan Mayor Yervand
Zakharyan are assigned to develop an annual budget according to the
plan and include it in the state budget./Panorama.am/

YOU GET SURPRISED, WE’LL REMEMBER
Lragir.am
08 Sept 06
Roger Robinson, chief executive of the Yerevan office of the World Bank
was one of the heroes of the evening TV program of Armenia on September
6. He participated in an account of the indices of the economic state
in Armenia in 2005. Robinson expressed surprise about the economy of
Armenia. It was “kind surprise” though: what a good economy it is, that
displays such wonderful tendencies of development in these conditions.
I remembered the famous joke about surprise. Two men decide to steal
one of the oxen of a peasant ploughing his field. One of them stands at
the top of the hill and cries, “I’m surprised, I’m so surprised”. When
the peasant working in the field turns around, the other friend steals
one of the oxen of the peasant. Meanwhile the poor peasant asks why he
is surprised. “I am surprised how you plough the field with one ox,”
says the man on the hill. The ingenuous peasant turns to his plough,
sees only one ox and says, “I’m also surprised”.
It is difficult to say whether Robinson was like one of these
ingenious men who cries about his surprise, and the government of
Armenia is the other, who uses the opportunity and takes away the
“ox of the peasant”. However, the viewers watching Robinson that
evening surely feel like this peasant and tell themselves, “I’m also
surprised”. And there is reason to be surprised. It is surprising
what Robinson has to do in Armenia if the state of the economy is so
good. It is surprising that with a two-digit annual economic growth
for over 6 years the foreign debt of Armenia does not decrease or
remains the same but continues growing.
It is surprising that with a two-digit economic growth the government
of Armenia begs the Diaspora to help develop rural settlements
situated near the border. It is surprising that foreign functionaries
in Armenia, who are paid from and live on foreign budgets, are
tenaciously trying to persuade the Armenian public that life in
Armenia is not as bad as it may seem, moreover, real life is not what
the Armenians imagine.
Maybe it is not surprising. Maybe Robinson knows why it is so,
therefore he is not surprised at such things. However, it would be
better if he told what he knows to the Armenian viewers, otherwise
the viewers are surprised like that ingenuous peasant. Or at least the
public would be surprised at what Robinson is surprised. Or if he would
not tell, he could at least bring several million dollars from the
World Bank for the government of Armenia to work out an Anti-Surprise
Policy, which would enable maintaining that until 2020 the level of
surprise in Armenia will be lower than the natural level. In that case
the Armenian people would remember Roger Robinson forever, and he would
continue to be surprised, this time on the Armenians who remember him,
not the economy. However it depends on how they will remember.
JAMES HAKOBYAN

PROGRAM ON PRESENTING ARTSAKH’S MATERIAL CULTURE TO INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY BEING DRAWN UP
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Sept 6 2006
September 5 Nagorno Karabakh Republic President Arkady Ghoukasyan
received a representative of the Washington organization Council of
Leaders on Human Rights Catherine Porter.
In the course of the talk Mrs. Porter informed the NKR President
of the programs on presenting Artsakh’s material culture to the
international community, NKR MFA reports.
The organization’s head noted the monuments of the Christian period
and rich pre – Christian heritage might become a stimulus for
the development of tourism in Nagorno Karabakh and the country’s
presentation to the international scientific circles.
Arkady Ghoukasyan welcomed the Porter’s initiative and stated the
NKR leadership was ready to cooperate in the above-mentioned field.