On October 6th, 2012, the Consulate General of the Republic of Armenia in partnership with the Los Angeles Public Library welcomed the Yerevan State Pantomime Theatre to the Taper Auditorium in celebration of 500 years of Armenian printing and UNESCO’s designation of Yerevan as the World Book Capital. The world-renowned Yerevan State Pantomime Theatre Company performed a piece entitled, “The Book of Flowers,” written and directed by the talented Art Director, Girayr Dadasyan, and music by Vahan Artsruni. This breathtaking mime play is a story of the creation of the ancient book— or the manuscript. The little poet of the play is introduced to the letter, through the Armenian alphabet, and begins writing his manuscript of blossoms. The book then begins its own journey while acquiring magic force and persevering against odds and evil.
The performance opened with an introduction into the history of Armenian printing, the Armenian alphabet and language by cinematic artists Alex Kalognomos and Ken Davitian. Davitian, an Armenian-American actor, was most recently acclaimed for his role in the award winning silent movie, “The Artist.” Davitian and Kalognomos expressed the importance of pantomime in Armenia’s national art scene—a perfect way to articulate and celebrate Armenia’s traditions of text and literature. The performance was attended by members and directors of the Library as well as the International Languages Department at Central Library.
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