Gerald Papasian was born in Egypt into a musical and artistic Armenian family. He holds an MFA in Directing form the Yerevan State Institute of Art and Theatre of the Stanislavski School and he studied in LA with teachers of the Lee Strasberg Institute. A founding member of the Irina Brook (daughter of the legendary Peter Brook) Theatre Company in Paris, he is currently touring with Ms. Brook's productions of "Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Don Quixote." His notable stage work includes several works of Shaw, that he directed and performed in Los Angeles, London, Cairo and Yerevan, and "Much Ado about Nothing," for which he was awarded the "Golden Star" by the California Motion Picture Council. In France, he has appeared in leading roles in classics by Gogol, Molière and Shakespeare. Among his numerous translations is Armen Tigranian's opera "Anoush," which he also directed at the Michigan Opera Theater in 1981 and again in 2001 at the Detroit Opera Theatre. (Local press labeled it "Best of the M.O.T. Season.") He restored the original score (in collaboration with Haig Avakian) and book of Tchouhadjian's "Arshak II" (Arsace II). The work had its world première at San Francisco Opera in 2001, directed by Francesca Zambello.
He has translated, adapted and directed "Taparnigos, Ladies' Dentist" by Hagop Baronian in London and the USA (Washington, Boston and New York). He created and directed the French version of the same at the Théâtre Firmin Gémier in Antony (Paris suburb) and the Théâtre Déjazet in Paris. He was recently awarded the Movses Khorenatsi medal by the president of the Republic of Armenia; it is considered the highest possible award in the Republic. He has been based in Paris since 1993, where his career includes acting and directing for theater, TV and film. Most recently, he was featured in a multiple award-winning, soon to be released film, "8th Wonderland."
It is ironic that "Sojourn to Ararat," with its great international stature, never before reached New York. After its North American premiere in L.A. in the late '80s, its creators were drawn to live and work primarily in Paris. Nora Armani began to divide her time between Paris and London in the late 90's, but Gerald Papasian remained based in Paris, so when they collaborated, it was in Europe. Four years ago, Armani returned to NYC. This production is a rare reunion of the duo, who, after two marriages and two divorces from each other, are reuniting to recreate their most successful production together.
The show has enjoyed a resurgence of interest since a Los Angeles production in 2007 demonstrated that it could be successfully produced without the authors in the two parts. Nora Armani directed the production, with Korken Alexander and Mary Kate Schellhardt as "He" and "She." BackStage West (Jeff Favre) declared, "Sojourn at Ararat premiered 20 years ago, but the poems it incorporates remain timely and timeless -- and they are a worthwhile experience for anyone, regardless of cultural background."
For more information, including a production chronology, list of awards, enlarged bios of the authors please see the show's website, www.sojournatararat.org.
