The California
Courier Online, May 31, 2018
1- Commentary
Azerbaijan’s
Secret ‘Laundromat’ Scheme
Pays $1.5
Million to US Lobbying Firm
By Harut
Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- Armenia
Marks Centennial of Sardarabad Battle, First Armenian
Republic
3 – Speaker
pulls Genocide recognition from Knesset agenda
4 – Elton John Visits Armenia
for Hearing Impairment Humanitarian Mission
5 – DerGrigorian, Keushguerian Appointed Deputy Ministers
of Diaspora
6 – In Glendale,
Objections Arise Over Proposed Artsakh
Street Renaming
7- Tribute
Monument for historic Armenian battle
Built at Eternal Valley
8- Commentary:
Sardarabad
By Mitch
Kehetian
9- Leslie
Ayvazian’s Play ‘100 Aprils’ Opens June 9 at Rogue Machine
10- ‘The Story of
Dikran’: Abandoned, Disabled Armenia
Gampr Defies Odds
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1 – Commentary
Azerbaijan’s
Secret ‘Laundromat’ Scheme
Pays $1.5
Million to US Lobbying Firm
By Harut
Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
The website of Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting
Project (OCCRP) revealed last week the possibly illegal lobbying in the United States
funded by Azerbaijani sources.
Investigative journalist Jonny Wrate reported on May 23,
2018 that “some of the money that passed through the Azerbaijani Laundromat, a
secret money laundering scheme and slush fund that saw $2.9 billion flow out of
the country between 2012 and 2014, ended up in the hands of a purportedly
private Azerbaijani organization that hired a Virginia firm to lobby the U.S.
government for more than a decade.”
OCCRP had reported earlier that “other monies from the fund
were used to advance the Azerbaijani government’s political agenda, with some
ending up in bank accounts belonging to European politicians who spoke highly
of President Ilham Aliyev’s regime even as it arrested journalists and
political activists. The precise origins of the funds are unknown, hidden
behind secretive shell companies. But there is ample evidence that the
authoritarian country’s ruling elite is behind them.”
Last week, OCCRP revealed that two shell companies
established by Azerbaijan “funneled over a million and a half dollars to a
mysterious Baku-based organization called Renaissance Associates” which in turn
hired “a U.S. lobbying firm to orchestrate praise for Azerbaijan and had its
representatives make thousands of dollars in campaign donations, including to
Senators and Representatives who sat on committees that determine foreign aid
budgets.”
At the center of this scheme is Elkhan Suleymanov who “runs
a pro-regime organization in Baku
which appears to work hand-in-hand with Renaissance, even using the same office
space…. Other payments were made to an influential oil and gas consultant with
close ties to President Aliyev who presents himself as an immigration success
story and lives in Dayton Ohio—even
as he also lobbies the U.S.
government on his homeland’s behalf.”
According to OCCRP, two offshore shell companies—Metastar
Invest and Hilux Services—made 18 payments totaling $1.7 million to Renaissance
Associates S.A. from September 2012 to December 2014 through two separate bank
accounts at Volksbank AG in Liechtenstein
and Privatbank IHAG Zurich AG in Switzerland. US Justice Department
reports filed by Bob Lawrence & Associates (BL&A), a lobbying firm in Alexandria, Virginia,
showed that it received $1.5 million from Renaissance—which almost equals the
amount transferred by the Azeri shell companies to Renaissance, BL&A’s sole
international client.
Since 2004, BL&A has handled the visit of Pres. Ilham
Aliyev to the White House and three years later arranged for Pres. Obama’s
former campaign manager, David Plouffe, to visit Baku and meet with Azeri officials. BL&A
has also lobbied for U.S. Defense appropriations to Azerbaijan,
against Karabagh (Artsakh), and for the oil pipeline from Azerbaijan to Turkey. Between 2008 and 2016,
BL&A president Bob Lawrence has testified before the House Appropriations
Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Matters, recommending
foreign aid to Azerbaijan.
In his testimony, Lawrence called Armenia “a
rogue nation… clearly protecting criminals” and that it commits human rights
violations.
U.S. Justice Department reports indicate that BL&A paid
$250,000 in 2015 to hire the Crane Group to lobby on behalf of Azerbaijan. At
the same time, BL&A contracted former Cong. Solomon Ortiz (D-Tex.) and his
firm, Solomon P. Ortiz Holdings LLC, to lobby for the interests of Azerbaijan.
OCCRP also reported that “between 2012 and 2015, individuals
registered as lobbyists acting directly or indirectly on behalf of Renaissance
made thousands of dollars in donations to political candidates, including to
Senators and Representatives who were sitting on, or chaired, appropriations
subcommittees at the time.”
Surprisingly, and possibly illegally, BL&A has not
registered with the U.S. Justice Department as a lobbyist for Azerbaijan. On
its website, BL&A states that it “does not work for, report to, or take
directions from the Azerbaijani government or any member of the Azerbaijani
government.” OCCRP stated that “in 2005—a year after BL&A first began
working with Renaissance—Azerbaijan’s
independent Turan News Agency reported that it had received a letter
identifying Renaissance as a lobbying firm representing the Azerbaijan government in Washington.”
Furthermore, “between at least 2006 and 2008, BL&A’s
website listed the country of Azerbaijan,
rather than Renaissance, as its client. In May 2012, BL&A agreed to
represent the Embassy of Azerbaijan and disclosed this under FARA [Foreign
Agents Registration Act] before quickly annulling the registration, claiming
that no services had actually been performed and no payments received.”
BL&A acknowledges on its website that it collaborates
with the Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan (ACSDA), a
pro-regime non-profit organization based in Baku
and controlled by Elkhan Suleymanov, a member of Azerbaijan’s parliament. According
to BL&A’s website, Renaissance “supports and nurtures ACSDA. The two
organizations share the same Baku
apartment.” OCCRP also reported that “when in April 2016, ACSDA signed a
three-month contract with US lobbying firm Greenberg Traurig, the firm’s FARA
filing shows that the $25,000 per month fees had been paid by Renaissance.”
OCCRP’s extensive report revealed many other lobbying
activities funded by this secret slush fund. All these efforts should be
reported to the US Congress asking for a thorough investigation. A lawsuit
should also be filed against BL&A to block its unregistered lobbying
campaigns!
**************************************************************************************************
2- Armenia Marks Centennial of Sardarabad Battle, First Armenian
Republic
YEREVAN—On May 28, Armenia celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the First Independent
Armenian Republic,
which emerged in 1918 after more than 600 years under foreign rule.
Armenian President Armen Sarkissian, Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinyan, Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan, His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II,
and many foreign dignitaries attended a festive ceremony and a small military
parade held at the Sardarabad Memorial to mark the occasion.
“A hundred years ago, Armenia won this battle because for
the first time we relied on ourselves rather than expecting help from others,”
Pashinyan said, drawing parallels between Sardarabad and April’s victorious
Velvet Revolution.
Sardarabad was the site of the pivotal battle that took
place between Armenian and Ottoman troops in May 1918, which ultimately led to
the establishment of the short-lived independent Armenian republic.
Armenia
regained its independence after the collapse of the Soviet
Union in 1991. May 28 has since been celebrated in Armenia as
Republic Day.
The Battle of Sardarabad was a battle of the Caucasus
Campaign of World War I that took place near Sardarabad,
Armenia from May 22 to 29,
1918, between the regular Armenian military units and militia on one side and
the Ottoman army that had invaded Eastern Armenia
on the other. Sardarabad was only 40 kilometers west of the city of Yerevan. The battle not
only stopped the Ottoman advance into the rest of Armenia, but also prevented the
complete destruction of the Armenian nation.
In the words of Christopher J. Walker, had the Armenians
lost this battle, “it is perfectly possible that the word Armenia would have henceforth
denoted only an antique geographical term.”
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3 – Speaker
pulls Genocide recognition from Knesset agenda
By Lahav Harkov
(Jerusalem
Post)—The expected vote on recognizing the Armenian Genocide—which was set to
take place on Tuesday, May 29—was not on the Knesset’s agenda for this week as
of Monday, May 28.
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein pulled the item from the
agenda, his spokeswoman said, to avoid an embarrassment to the Knesset, because
it was unclear there would be a majority in favor. Edelstein has repeatedly
voiced his support for recognition over the years, including last week.
The vote on recognizing the Armenian Genocide, in which 1.5
million Armenians were murdered by the Ottoman Empire
during World War I, was set for Tuesday, after a motion to do so by Meretz
chairwoman MK Tamar Zandberg was approved 16-0.
Zandberg accused Edelstein of putting politics ahead of
morality, dismissing the Knesset Speaker’s words in favor of her motion.
“Holding this debate, with a historic vote to recognize, is
the right thing to do. Some preferred politics to doing the right thing,”
Zandberg said at a Meretz faction meeting Monday. “The Knesset should do what
it promised. This is a matter of historic justice.”
On May 23, Zandberg had declared that “this is our moral and
historic obligation. Some things are above politics.”
Recognizing the Armenian Genocide has the potential to anger
Turkey and Azerbaijan.
Tensions between Israel
and Turkey are already high,
with the countries withdrawing their ambassadors after Turkey supported Hamas when the terrorist
organization tried to violently break through the Gaza
border into Israel
earlier this month.
However, Israel
and Azerbaijan have warm
ties, and the latter’s proximity to Iran makes it a strategic ally,
important to Israeli security.
Azerbaijan
is in an ongoing conflict with Armenia
over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Zandberg, however, said that should not be taken into
consideration.
Recognizing the Armenian Genocide, she argued, “shouldn’t
hurt ties with any country. This is a basic moral issue…. We, the Jewish
people, know the value of recognizing national tragedies.”
The Foreign Ministry has not made any official statements
about the Knesset recognizing the Armenian Genocide, including during last
week’s vote, unlike in previous years, when it openly opposed such motions.
However, a ministry source confirmed that ties with Azerbaijan are important, and pointed out that
last week both Edelstein and Zandberg said the matter of recognizing the
Armenian Genocide should be discussed on its own, and not as a way to get back
at Turkey.
Zandberg and Edelstein sought to dispel the impression that
the bill was introduced in retaliation for Turkey’s
hostile actions, including expulsion of the Israeli ambassador, calling for an
investigation of the Gaza
bloodshed and threatening a boycott of Israeli goods.
“The Knesset must recognize the Armenian Genocide because
it’s the right thing to do, as people and as Jews,” Edelstein said. “For years
I’ve been calling to fulfill this moral obligation.”
At the same time, Edelstein said he is “embarrassed to hear
elected and public officials talking about the recognition of the genocide as
an appropriate Zionist response to Turkey’s
despicable acts after recent events on the Gaza border.
“Since when does Ankara
pull the strings on our morality? Does history change according to our
relations with a ruler like Erdogan?” Edelstein asked.
Zandberg refuted the link to the current tensions with
Ankara, noting that she submitted the motion before the tensions started, and
that Meretz has done so on the closest possible date to Armenian Genocide
Remembrance Day, on April 24, each year since 1989.
*********************************************************************************************
4 – Elton John Visits Armenia
for Hearing Impairment Humanitarian Mission
Pop legend Sir Elton John arrived in Armenia on May
27, along with his husband David Furnish, for a charity mission on behalf of
the Starkey Hearing Foundation.
John and Furnish, accompanied by Armenian President Armen
Sarkissian and First Lady Nune Sarkissian, and Starkey Hearing Technologies
director William Austin visited the Hayk and Elza Titizian Children’s Rehabilitation Center,
where they provided 100 hearing aids to children from throughout Armenia and
Artsakh with hearing problems.
During the three-day charity campaign—their third such
mission to Armenia—Starkey
Hearing Technologies will donate 2,500 hearing aids to children and adults.
The team’s visit is part of the worldwide Starkey Hearing
Foundation initiative, which has provided over 1.9 million hearing devices in
more than 100 countries. Its mission is to give the gift of hearing to those in
need, helping them to achieve their potential. High-profile supporters include
Richard Branson, Bill Clinton and Elton John.
During Starkey Hearing Technologies’ previous visits in
2017, the mission worked closely with local teams to help fit more than 1800
Armenians with hearing devices.
“Providing access to hearing care opens up a whole new world
of opportunity. It connects individuals to life and helps them accomplish more
than they ever thought possible—bridging gaps at school, work and in life for
both children and adults with hearing loss. Our aim is to establish an ongoing
community based hearing service in Yerevan.”
According the World Health Organization, more than 360
million people have disabling hearing loss, with the greatest number living in
developing countries. Unfortunately, less than three per cent can afford
hearing aids or access to care.
“We have a lot of Armenian friends in England and in America. They always talk about Armenia—how
it’s emerging as a new country. It’s only been independent for 25 years. So,
we’ve always wanted to come here and this is why we’re here—to see for
ourselves the progress that the new country is making. I think the wind of
change is here and I think it’s very, very positive, and I’m very happy to be
here and feel the vibrancy of this country,” said John.
President Sarkissian said Sir Elton John is a longtime
friend of Armenia.
“Elton is not only a great singer, but also a great intellectual who knows the
history of Armenia
well. I remember that when Catholicos Karekin I died, Elton wrote me a letter.
We met and discussed the history of Armenian Christianity. Secondly, he carries
out a huge charitable work to help patients with HIV / AIDS,” said Sarkissian.
“As an organization, the Elton John AIDS Foundation hopes to
do some work within the field of HIV and AIDS in Armenia with the LGBT community, and
that’s what we’ve come here for—to establish contact with them and the point of
reference so that we can start helping,” said John.
***************************************************************************************************
5 – DerGrigorian,
Keushguerian Appointed Deputy Ministers of Diaspora
On May 28, Armenian Minister of Diaspora Mkhitar Hayrapetyan
announced the appointment of repatriate Vahe Keushguerian (pictured, right) as
his advisor. Keushguerian was born in Homs, Syria in 1957, grew up in Beirut, Lebanon
and speaks six languages. He attended the Armenian
Evangelical College
and the Haigazian College in Beirut.
He later moved to the United States
where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from the University of La Verne
in Los Angeles.
After living in the San Francisco Bay Area for 10 years,
Keushguerian moved to Tuscany, Italy with his
family. There, he established wineries in Tuscany
and Puglia.
In 2009, Keushguerian and his family repatriated to Armenia where he founded Semina
Consulting, a winery consulting company, and has been involved in the start of
various wine projects, some of which are Karas, Kataro, Koor and Keush. He owns
WineWorks, a wine incubator that produces high-quality wine for new startup
wine projects.
Keushguerian is also a co-founder and Chairman of the Board
of EVN Report and Impact Hub Yerevan; co-founder of EVN Wine Academy; as well as member of the
trustee board of Vine and Wine Foundation of Armenia.
On May 24, Hayrapetyan announced the appointment of Babken
DerGrigorian (pictured, left) as Deputy Minister within the Ministry of
Diaspora, and Economic Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister.
Born in Paris, DerGrigorian
was reared and educated in the United
States. He has collaborated with The HALO
Trust, Transparency International, and the United Nations Development Program.
He also worked in Open Society Foundation – Armenia as a Project Coordinator.
Since February 2018, he has been an advisor to the NKR Human Rights Defender.
DerGrigorian has two master’s degrees in political and
economic development, as well as political communication at the London School
of Economics. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from UCLA.
*****************************************************************************************************
6 – In
Glendale,
Objections Arise Over Proposed Artsakh
Street Renaming
By Alejandra Reyes-Velarde
(Glendale
News Press)—Residents and business owners largely oppose a proposal to change
the name of two blocks of Maryland
Avenue to Artsakh Street in an effort to recognize
the Republic of Artsakh.
During a Glendale Planning Commission meeting last week,
about 40 people gave their opinions on the proposed name change, with the
majority saying the change would be costly to businesses and cause confusion.
Ultimately, the planning commission members opposed the name
change and suggested searching for other more viable options.
The nonprofit Unified Young Armenians (UYA) first proposed
the name change to the City Council in February, because it would honor the
Armenian heritage of many Glendale
residents.
The UYA sought consideration of changing the name of Sanchez Drive to Artsakh Drive.
The City Council studied the options presented by the UYA,
and ultimately unanimously selected the two blocks of Maryland Avenue between Wilson and
Harvard out of six other options presented to them by staff.
At the time of the decision, the Armenian National Committee
of America – Glendale
(ANCA Glendale) also expressed strong support for the option to rename Maryland Avenue to Artsakh Street—but
were incorrect in their assessment of how local businesses would respond.
“The area, which is situated in the Glendale Arts and
Entertainment district sees significant foot traffic, attracts thousands of
shoppers every day, and is home to several local Armenian American business who
would welcome the name change,” said ANCA Glendale Community Outreach Director
Margarita Baghdasaryan, after the March 13 council decision.
Though many opponents to the name change didn’t disagree
with the name Artsakh or honoring Armenian American culture, they felt the
obstacles for businesses would be too great. Business owners said they would
have to pay thousands of dollars just to reprint documents. About 10 supporters
of the name change spoke during the public hearing.
A sign posted at the corner of N. Maryland and Wilson avenues advises of
the proposed street renaming.
“With a staff of 100 people, we have many expenses that
would be adversely affected by an address change,” said Pamela Spiszman, chief
executive of Pegasus Home Health Care. “Most of the field staff and all of the
office staff have business cards, We have brochures and marketing materials for
two companies with many components bearing the address and all professionally
created by a graphic designer.”
Some felt that by changing the name to Artsakh, Glendale would be taking
a political position. The Republic of Artsakh, more commonly known by its formal name
Nagorno-Karabakh, is a disputed territory between Azerbaijan
and Armenia.
“The city of Glendale
getting involved in this is dipping our toes in something we have no business
in,” said Ross Nelson during the public hearing. “We will not enrich the area.
We will not attract businesses. In fact, it will only attract political
attention, doing nothing to solve an issue that is so much larger than anything
such a petty gesture could possibly impact.”
Leonard Manoukian, who said he has donated to build roads in
Artsakh, disagreed with the motion.
“This is the single most useless hearing I’ve ever
participated in because it has proven itself so divisive over something that is
symbolic to some but has a true cost to many,” he said.
*************************************************************************************************
7- Tribute
Monument for historic Armenian battle
Built at Eternal Valley
Eternal Valley Memorial Park
introduced the Garden of Sardarabad to its grounds on May 22, in remembrance
of the 100th anniversary of a military victory in Armenia. The tribute features a
20-foot high replica of the monument which stands at the battle site in Armenia.
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese
of the Armenian Church, presided over the dedication of the monument. He was
accompanied by Diocesan clergy the Very Rev. Fr. Dajad Dz. V. Yardemian;
Archpriest Fr. Sarkis Petoyan; Rev. Fr. Vazken Movsesian; Rev. Fr. Yeghia
Isayan; Rev. Fr. Yeremia Khachatryan; Rev. Fr. Serovbe Alanjian; and Rev. Fr.
Yeghishe Ksachikyan.
Armenian-Americans and representatives of civic officials
participated in the ceremony. In his remarks, Archbishop Derderian expressed
his gratitude to the leadership of Eternal
Valley Memorial
Park for the noble initiative. “This is a
historic day in the life of the Armenian community, as we all witness the rise
of a monument which reminds the nation of Armenia and the world about the
heroic battle of Sardarabad for the defense of our Christian faith and the
ancestral land of Armenia,” said Derderian.
“This was actually a dream of mine for a long time,” said
Market Sales Manager Arthur Keledjian. He added that he had developed an idea
for the tribute three years ago in collaboration with Eternal Valley.
“The Garden of
Sardarabad is an example of our
dedication to understanding, working with and serving the diverse cultures or
our neighbors and the communities we serve,” said Curtis Woods, II,
general manager of Eternal
Valley Memorial
Park.
The commemoration remembers the Battle of Sardarabad, a
major Armenian victory against the Turkish army on May 21-29, 1918. Keledjian
said it was a major success in fighting off their enemies and defending
Armenian culture and faith, preventing a greater tragedy from unfolding after
the initial years of the Armenian Genocide.
Keledjian said the idea behind the tribute also serves as a
recognition for the Armenian communities across southern California. He also said there is a
possibility for descendents or relatives of those who fought at Sardarabad may
show up at the tribute, but could not confirm.
“It will be the only
replica of the monument in the world,” said Keledjian. “One in Santa Clarita,
and one in Armenia.”
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8- Commentary:
Sardarabad
By Mitch
Kehetian
A visit to Armenia
is a must for every living Armenian in the diaspora.
And a pilgrimage to the Sardarabad battlefield memorial
should be a must on your agenda.
I’ve been there four times and as you bow to honor the
fallen men and women you grasp at what it means to be an Armenian. It was at
this village 100 years ago, May 28, 1918, that Armenia was able to free itself of
Turkish rule for nearly 600 years.
Stop for a moment. After nearly 600 years our people did not
knell. They fought to save Holy Etchmiadzin, the anchor of our faith and nation
and these Armenians fought heroically to force the Turkish army to a
standstill. The advancing Turks were stopped. Soon word was received that
Armenian forces at Karkilisse and Bash Abaran had forced the Turks to retreat
in their failure to head south to entrap the Armenian troops at Sardarabad.
When Gen. Silikian’s embattled troops heard of the heroics
in the northern battles a renewed spirit swept through the trenches. The
Armenians were now at ground level throwing all their remaining power to force
the heavily armed Turks to retreat. It was a battle that erupted on May 23 and
on May 28 the acting Dashnak government proclaimed Armenia a free nation. Georgia and
the Azeri Turks rejected a coalition to guard against any future Turkish
attacks.
It was the Turkish losses at the three Armenian battlefronts
that turned the tide to independence.
In my visit to Armenia in 1970, a year after having
journeyed through Turkish occupied Western Armenia, this trip was motivating
after seeing what was left of our homeland from Sepastia to Ezeroum and on to
Moush, Bitlis and Keghi.
Even communism was of no impact. If it had not been for the
May 28 republic, there would be no Armenia today. On September 23,
1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed, Armenia was free. We survived 600
years of Turkish tyranny, and then 60 more years of communist dictators.
There’s no denying that the battle of Sardarabad was the
greatest battle for freedom fought on this planet.
We survived man’s inhumanity of humankind.
In my 1970 visit to the battlefield memorial my journalist
friend, Barkev Mardirossian, insisted we have lunch at the memorial cafe where
he introduced me to several elderly men in their 80’s who fought in this great
battle. Barkev and I had developed a bond only Armenians experience. His
parents and my wife Rose’s parents were natives of Moush. That made us fellow
cousins. He, the Communist and I the Dashnak, were Armenians first and
foremost.
I vividly remember the comments from the old men. As their
tears flowed they were so proud of their war efforts stating “we won to save
Holy Etchmiadzin and Armenia
for our people. The Turks could not advance. We barely had enough ammunition to
last another day. When the Russian troops deserted and returned to Moscow, the Bolsheviks
took over leaving a small supply of weapons to defend ourselves.”
Barkev said “If it wasn’t for their victory here and the
Dashnaks, this would have been like present day Moush. No Armenians.”
There was an understanding at that time on all three
battlefronts the men and women represented the ranks of Ramgavar, Hunchak and
Dashnak political movements,
Let me repeat this! Every Armenian should visit Armenia at
least once. Stand at the Sardarabad memorial looking westward beyond Mt.
Ararat, offer a prayer to our massacred ancestors, and then give thanks to the
men and women of Karkilisse, Bash Abaran and Sardarabad.
If they had failed there would be no Armenia today.
Mitch Kehetian is a retired editor of The Macomb Daily and
former board trustee at Central
Michigan University.
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9- Leslie
Ayvazian’s Play ‘100 Aprils’ Opens June 9 at Rogue Machine
100 Aprils is a darkly comic look at the generational
consequences—and insanity—of history denied. John Saypian is a modern-day Don
Quixote. He and his family are second-generation Armenians whose parents
escaped the Genocide. John believes that a tormentor is pursuing him. Is the enemy
a haunted memory from his childhood or is he real?
“I needed to contribute something to honor, and coincide
with, the centennial commemoration of the Armenian genocide,” says playwright
Leslie Ayvazian. “It is a story that all Armenians carry, and tell throughout
generations. This particular telling comes from an absurdist world. It lives
partially in hallucination and partially in dreams that cannot be silenced.”
Ayvazian is the author of eight full-length plays and seven
one-acts, published by Samuel French and Dramatists Play Service. Nine
Armenians won the John Gassner/Outer Critics Circle Award for best new American
play, The Roger L. Stevens Award, and second place for the Susan Smith
Blackburn Prize. Produced in Los
Angeles at the Mark Taper Forum and directed by Gordon
Davidson, Nine Armenians continues to be staged regionally. Ayvazian has
received commissions from the Manhattan Theatre Club, Windancer Productions and
South Coast Repertory Theatre. High Dive was produced at the Long Wharf Theatre
and the Manhattan Class Company, directed by David Warren, and went on to be
produced in Poland and Slovakia. Her short film Every Three Minutes starring
Olympia Dukakis was produced by Showtime and won a Telly Award.
Director Michael Arabian was honored with five Los Angeles
Drama Critics Circle Awards, including Best Production and Best Direction, for
Waiting for Godot at the Mark Taper Forum. The production was nominated for 10
Ovation Awards, winning five, including Best Production; and was cited as one of
the ten most memorable productions of 2012 seen in either New York or LA by Los
Angeles Times critic Charles McNulty who called it a “luminous revival.” He has
directed and produced numerous west coast and world premieres in New York and Los
Angeles winning over 50 awards. Selected directing
credits include Disgraced (SD Critics Award nom Best Production) and Red at San
Diego Rep (both shows were in the San Diego Stage Beat’s top 10 list), Kingdom of Earth
(Odyssey Theatre), Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks with Leslie Caron (Laguna
Playhouse), Staging the Unstageable (Kirk Douglas), and God of Carnage (La Mirada).
The 100 Aprils ensemble cast includes Leslie Ayvazian
(Beatrice Saypian), Robertson Dean (Ahmed/Dr. Ahmed), John Perrin Flynn (John
Saypian), Janet Song (Nurse), and Rachel Sorsa (Arlene Saypian).
The creative team includes John Iacovelli (Scenic Design),
Brian Gale (Lighting Design), Kevin Anthenill (Sound Design), and Kate Bergh
(Costume Design).
Rogue Machine Theatre won the Ovation Award this year for
Best Season and received, for the second time, the Polly Warfield Award for an
Excellent Season from the LA Drama Critics Circle in 2016 and 2011.
They were recently recognized with 12 Ovation Award
nominations, including one for Best Season and two for Best Production.
KCRW’s nod to Best Theatre was a highlight of the 2016
season, as was receiving a Shubert Foundation grant awarded to select theatre
organizations for their artistic achievement, administrative strength, and
fiscal stability along with the company’s development of new work and other
significant contributions to the field of professional theatre in the United States.
A recipient of the American Theatre Wing’s 2014 National Theatre Company Grant,
given only to 12 theatre companies in the country, Rogue Machine presents plays
that are new to Los Angeles.
They recently received support from the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, and the
company has garnered recognition for their work in upwards of 75 awards and
nominations.
100 Aprils opens on Saturday, June 9 at 8:30 p.m.
For more information, visit www.roguemachinetheatre.com.
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10- ‘The Story of
Dikran’: Abandoned, Disabled Armenia
Gampr Defies Odds
MAITLAND, Fla.—Within the pages of The Story of Dikran,
readers will be inspired by the miraculous true story of Dikran, an abandoned,
starved and disfigured Armenian Gampr dog that was a one-third sized runt.
“The story follows his life from his rescue and trip to America, to his
unique and unforgettable ministry,” said author David Guild says. “Everyone can
relate to having some kind of hardship, struggle, and doubt in their lives.
This book will give hope and inspiration to all who open its cover, and show
every person that God has a wonderful plan for them.”
The story of Dikran is told through the life of Benjamin, a
fictitious 10-year-old boy who was adopted into a family that includes Rebecca,
his 12-year-old sister, and Brenda, his mom. Ben is small for his age, does
poorly in school and does not believe in God.
At the end of each school year, Ben and his family go to
visit his grandparents at their farm in the country. Ben loves the farm life
and the biggest thrill happens every evening after supper when Grandpa tells
Benjamin and Rebecca a story. That year’s story is about a dog, Dikran, and it
takes the whole week to tell. As Dikran’s fantastic story unfolds,
Ben falls in love with a dog that he is able to identify
with on a deeply personal level. Ultimately, Ben must deal with his own past as
well as his beliefs about God. “The Story of Dikran is a true story that points
to Jesus Christ and the Bible every step of the way. It is a story of
salvation, adoption, healing, trusting, and ultimately living a life of
ministry,” says Guild.
Since 1980, David Guild has professionally trained dogs in
law enforcement, the film and entertainment industry and for dog owners all
over Southern California. For more
information, visit unleashthefun.com.
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