Judith Boyajian Strang-Waldau

‘Women of Ararat’ in Cranston on April 30

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CRANSTON, R.I. — Local members of the Armenian community of Providence, led by Dorothy Martiesian, are bringing a performance of the acclaimed play, “Women of Ararat,” on Sunday, April 30, at 3 p.m. This performance will be in tribute to the centennial of the Armenian Genocide and will take place at the Scottish Rite Auditorium, 2115 Broad St., Cranston.

“Women of Ararat” is written by Boston playwright Judith Boyajian Strang-Waldau to mark the centennial of the Genocide. It focuses on her family’s role during the Armenian Genocide and tells the love story of two young musicians — Julie and William — who meet in London during the 1970s and their relationship with Julie’s family, four generation of Armenian women living in Watertown. The play explores the themes of family, memory, pain, love and ultimately hope.

The play will be directed by Carol Mikaelian Schlink, the 2015 Rhode Island Genocide Educator of the Year.

Proceeds from the performance will benefit Mer Doon, the Women’s Resource Center and the Women’s Support Center, all locate din Yerevan. Mer Doon’s mission is to help orphaned and disadvantaged young women in Armenia break the cycle of dependency by providing education, job training, and a loving family environment while instilling leadership skills and teaching self-sufficiency.

The Women’s Resource Center is a non-government organization that was founded in 2003 by women from Armenia and the Diaspora, and is the first resource center created in the post-Soviet Armenia for young women. It is working in the area of women’s human rights, reproductive rights, sexual violence and women’s role in conflict resolution and peace-building in the South Caucasus.

The Women’s Support Center’s objective is to create a safe environment for women, a place where they receive support, empathy and the knowledge that they are not alone in their struggles. The center offers a hotline, walk-in services, legal and psychological counseling, training sessions and community outreach.

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Teachers and students are encouraged to attend this performance at a special discounted rate.

Topics: New England
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