Actor Vardan Petrosyan Asks Faculty Not to be Present at his Performances

Actor Vardan Petrosyan will be taking his production Varq Hayastani (loosely translated to Armenia’s conduct or behvaior) to universities and higher educational institutions in Armenia. Meeting with journalists today, the actor spoke about his initiative to perform only for students.

“I am asking organizers that faculty members, rectors, pro-rectors, not be present at my performance for students. The information which I provide at the performances to students is complicated: the shock and the jolt is quite big. And the presence of faculty will immobilize students [meaning, they won’t feel free to express their opinions] during the dialogue which takes place after the performance,” he said. 

The performances will be free of charge. In his production, by focusing on the works of Khachatur Abovyan and making comparisons with current reality, Petrosyan hopes to “identify the different sides of our reality” for students.

“Abovyan, for me, is a means. With Abovyan’s writing, I show our educational system, our psychological condition, and relations between the sexes,” he said. 

Note that university students themselves have organized the performances.