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AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.agbu.org
PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Queens College Audience Enchanted by Saroyan Celebration
On Sunday, November 23, 2008, the most anticipated celebration of the
William Saroyan Centennial took place in LeFrak Concert Hall of Queens
College, Flushing, NY. The program of drama, music, readings, and an
exhibit were well received by an appreciative audience of well over 150
dazzled Saroyan fans. Even before the actual start of the program, a
pleasant mood was created by an ensemble of Queens College music
students, directed by Ben Arendsen, playing Vivaldi and Mozart, followed
by "Missouri Waltz," one of Saroyan's favorite numbers, by pianist Ivy
Adrian.
A few years before William Saroyan died, he penned a few lines in
appreciation of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, as follows:
"Always we are pleased about the astonishing, heroic, magnificent
achievements of the AGBU, which means simply all Armenians concerned
about all Armenians - gone, here, & scheduled to arrive. My profound
admiration and gratitude."
With this link between the world's most renowned Armenian writer and the
world's largest charitable organization, it was only fitting that AGBU
responded favorably to a request for financial assistance to mount a
William Saroyan Centennial Celebration, presented by the Aaron Copland
School of Music at Queens College, in conjunction with the Anthropology
Museum of the People of New York and the Armenian Cultural Educational
Resource Center Gallery.
Introductions about the readers and comments about Saroyan and his
legacy were made by Drew Keil, director and master of ceremonies. The
famous quote, "The Armenian and the Armenian," from Inhale and Exhale,
was read by writer/translator Aris Sevag, after which Stephen Valenti,
Professor of Accounting and Finance at NYU and an actor in his own
right, enlightened the audience about the worldwide Armenian population
of around 10 million. Keil then evoked Saroyan's memory by reading from
the preface to Saroyan's play "The Time of Your Life."
Welcoming remarks were delivered by Margaret Tellalian-Kyrkostas,
Executive Director of the Anthropology Museum and Armenian Center
Gallery, who had worked tirelessly for several months to ensure the
program's success.
A musical interlude followed, with Ms. Adrian giving a spirited
rendition of "Ellis Island," Opus 3, a 1987 concerto written by
Margaret's late son Mark Kyrkostas. Readings in tandem about Saroyan's
life and works were done humorously by Edward Jamie, Jr., Chairman, and
Raymond Tellalian, President of the Museum and Gallery. Aris Sevag
followed with brief passages pertaining to the beginning and the end of
the illustrious writer's life, bringing tears to many eyes. After the
reading of short stories by Valenti and Sevag, the audience delighted to
the performance by the aforementioned ensemble of Arno Babadjanian's
composition for the Armenian production in Yerevan of "My Heart's in the
Highlands."
The main feature, a gem of a production, was the moving presentation of
Saroyan's 1941 one-act play, "Hello Out There." Actors Andrew Keil,
Sarah King, Theo Kyrkostas, Annie Schlegel-Kyrkostas, and Stephen
Valenti, under the direction of Drew Keil, played out man's dilemma with
life's predicaments, a theme that festered in Saroyan's psyche and
works. Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar of the Armenian Prelacy of the
Armenian Apostolic Church of America (Eastern United States), reminisced
about meeting Saroyan in Lebanon in the early 1970's and summarized the
writer's legacy as respect for both spiritual life and our material
environment.
The program came to a close with Saroyan's own voice in a recording of
his 1939 CBS "Radio Play," followed by closing remarks from Margaret
Kyrkostas and the playing of "The Daring Young Man on the Flying
Trapeze" by the Queens College orchestra. A birthday cake was rolled
out on stage and the audience joined the performers in singing happy
birthday to "Bill," followed by the Armenian version sung by Bishop
Anoushavan Tanielian and Aris Sevag.
Having gained a greater familiarity with Saroyan's legacy, most audience
members availed themselves of the opportunity to visit "William Saroyan
Remembered," an exhibit of photos and text about his life and works
expertly and lovingly prepared by Margaret Kyrkostas, which was on
display at the entrance to LeFrak Concert Hall. The exhibit was also
displayed at the Saroyan event at the Diocesan Center on 2nd Avenue on
Friday, December 5. The exhibit is now on display at the Rosenthal
Library of Queens College until February 28, 2009; for hours, call the
Museum at (718) 428-5650.
A reception in the Atrium of the Music Building afforded audience
members the opportunity to share their decidedly positive impressions of
the program, which was a most fitting tribute to the enduring legacy of
this worthy Armenian-American writer.
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.agbu.org
PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Queens College Audience Enchanted by Saroyan Celebration
On Sunday, November 23, 2008, the most anticipated celebration of the
William Saroyan Centennial took place in LeFrak Concert Hall of Queens
College, Flushing, NY. The program of drama, music, readings, and an
exhibit were well received by an appreciative audience of well over 150
dazzled Saroyan fans. Even before the actual start of the program, a
pleasant mood was created by an ensemble of Queens College music
students, directed by Ben Arendsen, playing Vivaldi and Mozart, followed
by "Missouri Waltz," one of Saroyan's favorite numbers, by pianist Ivy
Adrian.
A few years before William Saroyan died, he penned a few lines in
appreciation of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, as follows:
"Always we are pleased about the astonishing, heroic, magnificent
achievements of the AGBU, which means simply all Armenians concerned
about all Armenians - gone, here, & scheduled to arrive. My profound
admiration and gratitude."
With this link between the world's most renowned Armenian writer and the
world's largest charitable organization, it was only fitting that AGBU
responded favorably to a request for financial assistance to mount a
William Saroyan Centennial Celebration, presented by the Aaron Copland
School of Music at Queens College, in conjunction with the Anthropology
Museum of the People of New York and the Armenian Cultural Educational
Resource Center Gallery.
Introductions about the readers and comments about Saroyan and his
legacy were made by Drew Keil, director and master of ceremonies. The
famous quote, "The Armenian and the Armenian," from Inhale and Exhale,
was read by writer/translator Aris Sevag, after which Stephen Valenti,
Professor of Accounting and Finance at NYU and an actor in his own
right, enlightened the audience about the worldwide Armenian population
of around 10 million. Keil then evoked Saroyan's memory by reading from
the preface to Saroyan's play "The Time of Your Life."
Welcoming remarks were delivered by Margaret Tellalian-Kyrkostas,
Executive Director of the Anthropology Museum and Armenian Center
Gallery, who had worked tirelessly for several months to ensure the
program's success.
A musical interlude followed, with Ms. Adrian giving a spirited
rendition of "Ellis Island," Opus 3, a 1987 concerto written by
Margaret's late son Mark Kyrkostas. Readings in tandem about Saroyan's
life and works were done humorously by Edward Jamie, Jr., Chairman, and
Raymond Tellalian, President of the Museum and Gallery. Aris Sevag
followed with brief passages pertaining to the beginning and the end of
the illustrious writer's life, bringing tears to many eyes. After the
reading of short stories by Valenti and Sevag, the audience delighted to
the performance by the aforementioned ensemble of Arno Babadjanian's
composition for the Armenian production in Yerevan of "My Heart's in the
Highlands."
The main feature, a gem of a production, was the moving presentation of
Saroyan's 1941 one-act play, "Hello Out There." Actors Andrew Keil,
Sarah King, Theo Kyrkostas, Annie Schlegel-Kyrkostas, and Stephen
Valenti, under the direction of Drew Keil, played out man's dilemma with
life's predicaments, a theme that festered in Saroyan's psyche and
works. Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, Vicar of the Armenian Prelacy of the
Armenian Apostolic Church of America (Eastern United States), reminisced
about meeting Saroyan in Lebanon in the early 1970's and summarized the
writer's legacy as respect for both spiritual life and our material
environment.
The program came to a close with Saroyan's own voice in a recording of
his 1939 CBS "Radio Play," followed by closing remarks from Margaret
Kyrkostas and the playing of "The Daring Young Man on the Flying
Trapeze" by the Queens College orchestra. A birthday cake was rolled
out on stage and the audience joined the performers in singing happy
birthday to "Bill," followed by the Armenian version sung by Bishop
Anoushavan Tanielian and Aris Sevag.
Having gained a greater familiarity with Saroyan's legacy, most audience
members availed themselves of the opportunity to visit "William Saroyan
Remembered," an exhibit of photos and text about his life and works
expertly and lovingly prepared by Margaret Kyrkostas, which was on
display at the entrance to LeFrak Concert Hall. The exhibit was also
displayed at the Saroyan event at the Diocesan Center on 2nd Avenue on
Friday, December 5. The exhibit is now on display at the Rosenthal
Library of Queens College until February 28, 2009; for hours, call the
Museum at (718) 428-5650.
A reception in the Atrium of the Music Building afforded audience
members the opportunity to share their decidedly positive impressions of
the program, which was a most fitting tribute to the enduring legacy of
this worthy Armenian-American writer.