Aramazd Stepanian
Encyclopedia
Aramazd Stepanian is an Iranian-Armenian actor
, producer, director and playwright born in Abadan
, Iran
.
He grew up in Tehran and finished High School in 1969. He left Tehran for Manchester, England at 18 for further education. After receiving three GCE 'A' Levels and studying Gas Engineering for two years at Salford University (near Manchester), he abandoned plans to become an engineer and moved to London to work and study. He graduated from Thames Polytechnic (later to be merged into the University of Greenwich
), obtaining a BA degree in Humanities, including courses in Politics, Drama and Philosophy. After living in England for twenty years, in 1990 he moved to the USA. Stepanian is married to actress and teacher Gabrielle O'Sullivan and together they have one son, Argishti Stepanian (born December 1 1993). A prolific stage director/producer Stepanian runs a small 45-seat theater in Glendale, California named the Luna Playhouse (after his late mother's hair salon.) The Luna Playhouse is the only continuously working independent theatre run by an Armenian in the entire Western World and possibly beyond. It stages American, European and all types of theatre as well as Armenian plays and playwrights. Other performing arts events are also produced and hosted at Luna. It has been termed "The Little Theatre that Could."
Aramazd Stepanian has been directing plays since 1979. He has many "firsts", "onlys" and world premieres to his credit. The first ever (known) English language production of Hagop Baronian's comedy classic "Uncle Balthazar" (Baghdasar Akhpar) the most popular play in the Armenian theatre repertoire- staged at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1986. The play was translated by Paul Rapley (with Stepanian as co-translator). He was the first to stage the Armenian version of Samuel Becket's "Waiting for Godot" (Tabard Theatre, London, 1990). The only diasporan director to have staged Yeghishe Charents' KAPKAZ tamasha. His is the first ever productions of Aghasi Ayvazian's "Dekorner" (Decors) and "Zhangark" (Twilight) and Grikor Chalikian's "Deghadarap" (Stormy Weather). Aghasi Ayvazian is a world class playwright and Stepanian has taken on the championing of his work and spreading of his name. Stepanian has also written and adapted several plays, directing most of them himself. "Last Tango in Kensington", a satirical show, "Brave Nazar Jr.", "I Don't Remember Gougoush Anymore", "The Hired Killer" "In the Name of the People and the Fatherland". In 2007, he took the first ever Armenian, and the English productions of Harold Pinter's "The Lover" to London and Cologne. This play was directed by his wife Gabrielle and his co-star was the Actress Nora Armani.
From 1994 to 2008 (14 years) Aramazd Stepanian produced and presented "Lightwell TV-Hour" a public-access television
cable TV program.
Said Arin Keshishan (gesticulating in a characteristically Armenian fashion), star of Luna Playhouse's recent production Arthur Schnitzler's "La Ronde," of Stepanian's directorial technique, "that man should have been my father!!!"
for the April, 2009 race. According to a Glendale barber who has chosen to remain anonymous, Stepanian's influence in the community "can already be seen in the street, heard in the words of the little guy. We'll be back under socialism before you can say 'breadline.'"
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, producer, director and playwright born in Abadan
Abadan
Abadan is a city in and the capital of Abadan County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. It lies on Abadan Island , from the Persian Gulf, near the Iraqi-Iran border. The civilian population of the city dropped to near zero during the eight-years Iran–Iraq War. In 1992, only 84,774 had returned to live...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
He grew up in Tehran and finished High School in 1969. He left Tehran for Manchester, England at 18 for further education. After receiving three GCE 'A' Levels and studying Gas Engineering for two years at Salford University (near Manchester), he abandoned plans to become an engineer and moved to London to work and study. He graduated from Thames Polytechnic (later to be merged into the University of Greenwich
University of Greenwich
The University of Greenwich is a British university located in the London Borough of Greenwich, London, England. The main campus is located on the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College, a central location within the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site.-History:The history of the...
), obtaining a BA degree in Humanities, including courses in Politics, Drama and Philosophy. After living in England for twenty years, in 1990 he moved to the USA. Stepanian is married to actress and teacher Gabrielle O'Sullivan and together they have one son, Argishti Stepanian (born December 1 1993). A prolific stage director/producer Stepanian runs a small 45-seat theater in Glendale, California named the Luna Playhouse (after his late mother's hair salon.) The Luna Playhouse is the only continuously working independent theatre run by an Armenian in the entire Western World and possibly beyond. It stages American, European and all types of theatre as well as Armenian plays and playwrights. Other performing arts events are also produced and hosted at Luna. It has been termed "The Little Theatre that Could."
Aramazd Stepanian has been directing plays since 1979. He has many "firsts", "onlys" and world premieres to his credit. The first ever (known) English language production of Hagop Baronian's comedy classic "Uncle Balthazar" (Baghdasar Akhpar) the most popular play in the Armenian theatre repertoire- staged at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1986. The play was translated by Paul Rapley (with Stepanian as co-translator). He was the first to stage the Armenian version of Samuel Becket's "Waiting for Godot" (Tabard Theatre, London, 1990). The only diasporan director to have staged Yeghishe Charents' KAPKAZ tamasha. His is the first ever productions of Aghasi Ayvazian's "Dekorner" (Decors) and "Zhangark" (Twilight) and Grikor Chalikian's "Deghadarap" (Stormy Weather). Aghasi Ayvazian is a world class playwright and Stepanian has taken on the championing of his work and spreading of his name. Stepanian has also written and adapted several plays, directing most of them himself. "Last Tango in Kensington", a satirical show, "Brave Nazar Jr.", "I Don't Remember Gougoush Anymore", "The Hired Killer" "In the Name of the People and the Fatherland". In 2007, he took the first ever Armenian, and the English productions of Harold Pinter's "The Lover" to London and Cologne. This play was directed by his wife Gabrielle and his co-star was the Actress Nora Armani.
From 1994 to 2008 (14 years) Aramazd Stepanian produced and presented "Lightwell TV-Hour" a public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
cable TV program.
Said Arin Keshishan (gesticulating in a characteristically Armenian fashion), star of Luna Playhouse's recent production Arthur Schnitzler's "La Ronde," of Stepanian's directorial technique, "that man should have been my father!!!"
City council candidacy
Stepanian achieved ballot status as a candidate for City Council in Glendale, CaliforniaGlendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
for the April, 2009 race. According to a Glendale barber who has chosen to remain anonymous, Stepanian's influence in the community "can already be seen in the street, heard in the words of the little guy. We'll be back under socialism before you can say 'breadline.'"