ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. — Rehearsals are taking place every evening at the Tekeyan Cultural Association Center in Englewood Cliffs, NJ in preparation of a performance of William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” in Armenian translation with English text as subtitles. The Center’s theatre company, the Mher Megerdchian Theatrical Group, is getting ready for a special evening to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
The challenge is enormous since the actors are amateurs and Shakespeare and its Armenian translation are quite demanding for them, to say the least. Yet these amazing men and women come every day from different places such as Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn, which depending on their homes, may take an hour or more to drive. They even must pay tolls to cross bridges to enter and exit New Jersey. Even those who live in New Jersey sometimes must drive half an hour to 45 minutes.
Director Gerald Papasian exclaimed, “I am awed at the dedication and love they have for theatre. But of course, ‘amateur’ means love; it comes from the Latin word for ‘lover’ (amator), ‘one who performs something for love rather than for money.’ Many professionals could learn from them on this issue. Bravo to all and break a leg for the opening of the show on November 4! We’re doing our best to offer a memorable evening for our audiences.”
Tickets for the November 4 7:30 p.m. performance at the Peter Norton Symphony Space (2537 Broadway and 95th Street, NYC) are available either by calling 212-864-5400 or visiting www.symphonyspace.org/events/vp-tca-mmtg-much-ado-about-nothing
