→ The Armenian Tradition ←
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→ The Armenian Theater ←
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→ The Armenian Theater in France from 1930 to 1948 ←
The Armenian Theater of France has been very rich in representations,
with talented artists, over three periods from 1930 to 1948.
Around 1939 a first troupe named "Nor Bem" (New Stage)
was created under the aegis of the Armenian Relief Committee (ARC)
and the direction of Asho Shahkhatuny.
During the Second World War, another theater troupe
was formed on the initiative and under the direction of Khoren Papazian.
After the liberation, a new troupe was created under
the direction of Mrs. Anna Budaghian, Asho Shahkhatuny and
Trdat Nshanian within the National Front association formed from
the union of several parties and associations, which lasted three years.
Among the artists, we can cite among the most known
Mr Misha and Mrs Knar Aznavourian, and their daughter Mrs Aïda Aznavour
Charles' parents and sister.
Misha Aznavourian who was a tar player, (see the different pages
about this instrument in the summary of the website,)
was also the musical director of the troupe.
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@ Link towards the "Posters and Artists of the Theatrical Representations" page @
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→ Excerpt from the Biography of the Artist of the ←
Armenian Theater in France Sirak Mirtat Surenian
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I was born in Van on January 14, 1909.
I began my theatrical career in 1923 at
the age of 14, in the city of Kharkov.
At that time, our masters actors were among others
Hovhannes Abelyan (1865-1936), Vahram Papazyan (1888-
1968), Armen Armenian (Armenak Ipekyan 1871-1965).
Finally, in February 1930, I left for Paris, where my aunt and
her husband Markos Natanian (historian) were waiting for me.
In the very first month, Markos Natanian introduced me to Ardashes
Kmpetian, who had been his student in Constantinople, and through
him, to Trdat Nshanian, Arman Kotikian and other local actors,
who were preparing Shirvanzadeh's "For Honor", and it was offered
me the ungrateful role of Artashes Otaryan, which I was able to
successfully get out of, earning the praise of my new friends.
To earn a living, I became a merchant, creating
a fairly prosperous situation for myself.
Thus, I was able to help some actors in one way or another.
Arman Kotikian introduced me to the Armenian Relief Committee
(HOC), which was gaining momentum at that time, and with the
help and support of some friends, I undertook to establish
an amateur theater troupe affiliated with the HOC, called
"New Stage", inviting Arshavir (Asho) Shahkhatuni, the main
makeup artist of French cinema at that time, as a director
and manager, presenting old and new plays and, with my own
initiative, some of the aforementioned operettas, under
the musical direction of musicologist Alim-Shah.
The theater troupe had a fruitful activity until
the 2nd World War, and the solution of the HOC.
During the war, a new theater troupe was formed under the
initiative and leadership of Khoren Papazian, in which I was
called to be one of the main pillars, often with responsible
roles and, as always, as the treasurer of the troupe.
During the entire war, giving performances every month
in the Great Hall of the Mutuality, a committee was
formed at that time under the chairmanship of Arshak
Chobanian to help the Armenian prisoners of war in Germany,
and before that, I had organized the very popular operetta
"Sos and Varditer" in this Great Hall of the Mutuality,
with about 3000 spectators, generating a lot of money entirely
allocated to the Armenian prisoners through Arshak Chobanian,
whose warm letter I received will be kept like incense.
Immediately after the liberation of Paris, a new union,
the National Front, was formed, with united parties, and some
associations, to which it was proposed to form a new theater troupe.
I received an invitation from the National Front
Committee to be part of the theater organizing committee.
The troupe was formed under the leadership of Mrs. Anna Budaghian,
Asho Shahkhatuni, Trdat Nshanian, among whom I was as a member
of the organizing committee, and it was decided for the first
time in Paris to pay 15 actors monthly, according to their
ability and sometimes their need, but they refused to
receive payment, and Anna Budaghian, Asho Shahkhatuni
and your servant, decided to participate for free.
The opening took place with great pomp on April 2,
1945, at the Grand Theater of the Champs-Elysees
with Levon Shant’s “Emperor”, and continuously every
month, for 3 years, the troupe gave 36 performances.
We were delighted, especially since the National Front
undertook to purchase a palace-like building on rue
de Trevise in the center of Paris through shares, to
which a theater hall for 1,000 people was to be built.
Finally, we were to have our own theater, what a cherished dream!
but, alas, as always, irreconcilable Armenian divisions and
the withdrawal of some party members from the union, even
boycotting the theater’s performance, caused great difficulties
for the wonderful theater troupe, and the National Front, having
its own difficulties, was unable to provide the financial
assistance it had promised, and I, often participating in
the performances with responsible roles, and at the same
time being the treasurer of the Committee, all the financial
burden fell to me, and I had to take care of the actors
salaries, theater rent, announcements, and other expenses.
Often at board meetings, Shahkhatuni shouted that
this group should not be called the National Front
Theater Group, but the Surenian Theater Group.
Finally, after 3 years of coping with external and
internal pressures, often spending sleepless nights, and
especially damaging my own work, I decided to leave.
Later, the National Theater Group had already ceased to exist.
Moreover, my family and financial conditions, especially the
problem of raising my children's education to a good level,
forced me to stay away from the theater scene, during 25 years.
Without that too, Paris had lost its main theatrical forces and
young people were absolutely not interested in Armenian theater.
How having been absent from the stage for many years,
How I organized in 1976, finding actors with great difficulty,
an operetta, "Ouch Lini, Nouch Lini", playing easily
the role of the 17-year-old idiot Arshak at the age
of 67, and giving the audience warm satisfaction and
convincing them that the actor was really a young man.
On the advice of many, I tried very hard to restore the
former national theater troupe with young people, but my
efforts were in vain, having had not any encouragement.
Sirak Surenian,
Paris, November 12, 1980.
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