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Jesse Einstein, Gina Manziello
Photo by Kevin Mills
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From time to time guests are invited to see a show that I may be unable to make time to see. This is from
Guest Reviewer, Arpine Eloyan. Thank you, Arpine.
The story of Komitas is synonymous with and revered by Armenians all over the
world. His unique, all encompassing
musical talents have made him a national icon.
Revolutionizing Armenian music, he purified it from early Turkish influences. His music has become a symbol of joy, sorrowful perseverance
and triumph for an entire nation. In
addition to his musical talents, he was also a poet, a philosopher, a teacher and a priest. His inner struggles between
his personal faith and church made him an unconventional hero. Ultimately, “he was so traumatized by the 1915
Genocide that he spent the last 20 years of his life in an asylum in virtual
silence.”
Komitas has said that life begins when sound is born and so
with his familiar music playing in the background the play begins at the Circle X Theater in Atwater
Village.
On a minimalistic but yet poignant set, Lilly Thomassian has
demonstrated her craftsmanship of fine writing by presenting this very complex
and challenging biographical play which tackles the many facets of Komitas’s
intriguing life.
Director Pavel Cerny has done a unique job in terms of
creating scenes of make believe, fantasy and symbolism. It’s hard to imagine the difficulty of
creating a genocide march on a relatively small stage where one is able to visualize,
feel and hear the stomps of the tens of thousands of the marchers who were
about to be mass murdered on a remote island.
To accomplish a scene of this intensity with a limited amount of actors
is touching, surreal and profound.
Jesse Einstein, as Komitas, exudes
a high level of energy, rhythm and dynamism keeping the audience’s attention
from start to finish on his life’s journey. The onstage chemistry between the Young Komitas,
Arthur Parian, and his grandmother, Takui Akopyan, is dynamically refreshing, powerful
and moving.
Komitas is an interesting, engaging and emotional play that
has all of the major elements of one man’s struggle within himself: his passions and
choices vs. his destiny. Ultimately, Komitas's beliefs and convictions come to resolution; best expressed through his music with love.
Komitas
By Lilly Thomassian
Atwater Village Theatre
3269 Casitas Avenue, Los Angeles
July 14th through August
19th.
