“The Play’s the Thing…”: Theater Is Therapy for Armenian Children

Abraham Khojoyan knows what he very much wants to have: “In my inner world belief and the happy moments of my childhood, friendship, endless love, and kindness live side by side. I want very much to overcome challenges while moving from childhood to adolescence. I would love not only to see people on my journey but get know and reveal them.”

These brief, concise utterings capture the essence of a perceived inner world in powerful metaphors that become the subject of images rendered in sketches. Prior to the premiere, guests visited an exhibition of these sketches, drawn by the children to give visual form to their ideas. Ceramics teacher Taguhi Stepanyan then helped to transfer the sketches onto the cloaks that the children donned as costumes on stage. Musical therapist Meline Mnatsakanyan oversaw the musical components and performance in the play. Noteworthy is the fact that every one of the children acting has some level disability: autism, mental disorders, learning problems, and so forth.

Real Life Drama

The play brought all these elements to life on stage. Children dressed in robes bearing the images that identified their stories, and acted out their personal dramas through dialogue and movement. The premiere on July 2 took place at the newly renovated drama therapy hall at the Center for Children with Learning Disabilities. The renovation was done by FAR with financial support from several US-based organizations including John Mirak Family Foundation. Drama group leader Marine Asatryan, who is also the director, introduced the play, then the curtain parted and the play was on.

Several children appear on stage holding up in front of them props that represent windows and seem to be trying to look through them. These are the windows that stand between their world and our world. Perhaps this is the image that Sofi Movsisian had in mind when she wrote about people living in buildings with many floors, not visible to the outside world.

In telling their stories, the children delivered their lines with vigor and expression. Margarit Piliposyan, who is FAR’s Executive Director of Operations, described the premiere as “a wonderful fusion of positivity, emotions, openness, love, inclusivity radiating from the stage to all of us in the hall.” She was “able to observe the improvements the children had made compared to their former presentations (better articulation, less shyness, improved self-confidence).” Of course, the most important feature of the performance was the successful execution of its basic purpose: to portray, — or, better, actualize — through drama inclusion and participation as a social process. “Most importantly,” she commented, “the entire process, as the director explained, was participatory – the children came up with their scenarios, did sketches to describe their world, then used the sketches   for the clothing made for them.” And the entire journey from conception to realization was a result of teamwork: “drama therapist/director, ceramics/applied arts teacher, music therapist, the children, their siblings, and parents. Isn’t it wonderful?” Piliposyan was enthusiastic: “There is room for everyone in our world! was the message we got from the excellent work the team did!”

Following their summer vacation, the children in the drama group plan to take their play on tour, as they had done with the previous productions, bringing their message to other children in the country.

A video of the play is found below.