FAIR LAWN, N.J. — The united effort of St. Leon Armenian Church and the Tekeyan Cultural Association Mher Megerdchian Theatrical Group (TCA MMTG) drew close to 300 people to the presentation of Anton Chekhov’s comic play, “The Marriage Proposal,” directed by Harout Chatmajian.
It was a dinner comedy night which began with a cocktail hour, followed by food and entertainment. Not only was the Abajian Hall packed to capacity, more importantly it was the celebratory mood of the people that was most noticeable.
“There is a strong demand for these cultural/social events and it seems that collaboration between organizations spells success. It is about time we abandon isolationist policies and cooperate,” said Vartan Abdo, director of the Armenian Radio Hour of NJ. “The highlight of the evening was a hilarious slide presentation by Professor Harout Chatmajian about the origins and evolution of marriage proposal. From the cavemen to medieval times and to the present, Harout educated us about the various acceptable norms of proposals and the challenges of married life that follows.”
“The Marriage Proposal,” a short one-act farce, is the story of a young man who comes to propose to his neighbor but they keep on fighting over various topics.
Chatmajian is a veteran actor and director that has brought laughter and joy to many.
Following the performance, Chatmajian commented, “Our idea for ‘The Marriage Proposal’ dinner theater event was to bring the community together – to create an elegant and friendly atmosphere where people can have drinks, dinner, mingle with friends, and then enjoy a light, funny and entertaining performance. ‘The Marriage Proposal’ play is a comedic, genius view of people’s relationships and behavior. The surprise pre-show about the evolution of marriage and marriage proposals gave me an opportunity to be creative, entertain and share insights about ancient, traditional and contemporary customs. The event reminded me of the agoump atmosphere we used to have back in the Middle East. This was all possible because of the collaboration between the Tekeyan Cultural Association Mher Megerdchian Theatrical Group and St. Leon Armenian Church. We hope to bring similar events to the community in the future. As we all witnessed, there is strength in unity and it should be contagious.”
