Armenian actor brings Grand Prix from intn’l theatre festival

Merited Armenian actor Murad Janibekyan has returned with a Grand Prix from the international theatre festival ATSPINDIS.

His mono-spectacle, Confession (based on Michel de Ghelderode’s motives) secured his success at the ninth annual cultural event in Lithuania. The other Armenian participant, Ara Gevorgyan, presented the mono-play, On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco (Chekhov).

Earlier this year, Janibekyan’s performance brought him a Grand Prix at the annual international festival of monospectacles, Vrosya 49 (held in Wrocław, Poland from 18 to 22 June).

Armenia participates in ATSPINDIS every year, the festival’s director, Marianna Mkhitaryan, told reporters on Thursday, adding that the event is a good opportunity to attract a maximum possible number of participants. “We cannot focus on just a couple of people,” she said.

Ara Gyurjyan, Head of the Culture Ministry’s Department for Contemporary Arts, said for his part that their agency is working to the best of its efforts to keep events of intercultural significance under spotlight.

“The Armenian theatre’s trends are not only consonant with the international theatre but also appreciated by them,” he noted.

Janibekyan said he sees that keeping paces with foreign theatres is not an easy task, especially when the language appears unfamiliar. “A more difficult thing is to bring something good for your country from the world beyond,” he added.