DEAR ARMEN in VANCOUVER

DEAR ARMEN TOURS THE PACIFIC COAST - OCT. 2015 Dear Armen follows the story of a genderqueer writer and student, Garo, as they study the life and work of Armen Ohanian, an enigmatic Armenian performer and survivor of the early 20th-century anti-Armenian pogroms in Baku. As Garo grapples with the discrepancies between Ohanian’s biography and memoirs, they are forced to confront memories from the past, unraveling experiences around gender, sexuality, ethnicity, family, and the role of the artist. An interactive-theatre experience blending traditional Armenian dance, erotic performance, monologue and live music, Dear Armen weaves together the voices and struggles of three generations of gender nonconforming Armenians. Unveiling fragmented legacies of genocide and displacement, the narrative kaleidoscopes stories that highlight the complexities of survival. SHOW DETAILS: October 19th & 20th, 8:00pm Roundhouse Performance Center 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver, BC TICKETS: $15 Early Bird (Student/Senior) $20 Early Bird (General) Available via Eventbrite http://www.eventbrite.com/e/dear-armen-in-vancouver-tickets-18401002895 Cash sales at the door. $20 Student/Senior $25 General PAY WHAT YOU CAN TICKETS We have a limited number of PWYC tickets available for folks who need them. You can reserve your PWYC spot online via Eventbrite, or contact us at tickets.deararmen@gmail.com TRAILER: https://vimeo.com/75593828 CAST AND CREW: created, produced and performed by lee williams boudakian & Kamee Abrahamian directed & co-produced by Anoushka Ratnarajah featuring live music by Haig Ashod Beylerian ACCESSIBILITY: The Roundhouse is wheelchair and scooter accessible (washrooms included, with one on the first floor and two on the second, accessible by elevator). There will be wheelchair and scooter accessible seating in the theatre. Restrooms will be gender neutral/inclusive. Thank you to the incredible work and efforts of Radical Access Mapping Project (RAMP), whose audit of this venue has proved an invaluable resource. For more full info on the accessibility of the venue, follow this link! https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B81n0augDG8kflMzRVl5d2FYa1VYWGlMNmhzVkkwVS1rZFBCRTRzNm1ZMVYyX3JMZGIxME0&usp=sharing&tid=0B81n0augDG8kU2NfRlZSa3pIQ00 Flour, as well as raw onions and raw garlic are featured in the show. We suggest folks with allergies not to sit in the front row. SCENT REDUCTION: we ask that folks please refrain from wearing highly scented products so that folks with multiple chemical sensitivities can enjoy the show. This includes hairspray, perfumes, lotions, etc. For more info on scent reduction and MCS you can check out this amazing resource from Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha: http://www.brownstargirl.org/blog/fragrance-free-femme-of-colour-realness-draft-15 We are committed to creating increasingly accessible theatre. This means that we are actively growing in our awarenesses of different access needs. We are looking forward to making changes and modifications to our work and our understandings, so that with each production we move closer to realizing a greater spectrum of access. Please visit our event pages and feel free to contact us at unpackingableism@gmail.com with any questions, feedback and/or suggestions. ADDITIONAL PACIFIC TOUR DATES/LOCATIONS: San Francisco: https://www.facebook.com/events/821838257934211/ Berkeley/Oakland: https://www.facebook.com/events/1467086040284264/ Los Angeles: https://www.facebook.com/events/1619576828315964/ Portland: https://www.facebook.com/events/941401952576322/ Seattle: https://www.facebook.com/events/490064511168665/ NOTE FROM CREATORS: Dear Armen centres the struggles and successes of queer, trans* and gender nonconforming Armenians, exploring the intersections of identity, history, and cultural memory. By remembering Armen Ohanian, we bring to the fore an avant-garde Armenian figure who is too little discussed or remembered, and highlight the parallels that exist between her story and contemporary experiences. In so doing, this work hopes to break through memoricide, ensuring more of our cultural memories are passed down and used to help heal the intergenerational trauma left by genocide and displacement. Our hope is to connect these stories with both Armenian and non-Armenian audiences, and in particular, to reach those who see themselves on the fringes, and who are searching for representations of themselves on the stage and in stories.