Imagine Theatre presents the world premiere of Warrior Queen Anahit the Brave, written and directed by Armina LaManna.
Anahit (Ani Marderosian), a peasant girl, is drawing water with her two friends Nairi (Christianne Holly Santiago) and Maral (Sophia Vitello) when Prince Vachagan (Nathan Mohebbi) walks by with his friend Arman (Kyle Caldwell). As Prince Vachagan starts to flirt with Anahit, she tells him to learn to work with his hands if he wants to court her. The Prince then promises he will learn to weave rugs to show her that his intentions are serious. He learns to weave and marries Anahit, taking the throne. But their happiness is disrupted with the news that men keep disappearing throughout the kingdom. The antagonist in the story is the demon Apep (Alistair McKenzie, Theatre Review: The Merry Wives of Windsor, Theatre Review: Trouble the Water), the villain responsible of the mysterious disappearances. Queen Anahit and King Vachagan are now faced with the necessity of making critical decisions that will determine the fate of the kingdom and rescue the men that have been kidnapped to return them to their families.
The play is based on Ghazaros Aghayan’s 1881 fable “Anahit”. It is a classical tale of good versus evil, geared towards a young audience. Keeping children’s attention is a monumental challenge nowadays, but this production succeeds in entertaining the kids throughout the whole play. The costumes, the traditional dances, the humor, and the music (Apep is a rapper too), grabs the young audience’s attention and the interactive nature of the play makes it even more engaging. There are also sword fights and technical elements that contribute to the success of the play. The scenic and projection designer Tom Buderwitz and lighting designer Josh Epstein create a visual palette that is a boost to the senses and build up the crescendo of the story.
Armina LaManna and Ani Marderosian are able to catch the attention of a young audience and to deliver a positive and reaffirming message to young girls, all of this while bringing some of the history of Armenia to the American Armenian diaspora of Los Angeles.
Warrior Queen Anahit the Brave
Written and Directed by Armina LaManna. Original Music by Shahen Hagobian. Puppet Design and Fabrication by Douglas Wright. Starring Kyle Caldwell, Ani Marderosian, Alistair McKenzie, Nathan Mohebbi, Christianne Holly Santiago, Sophia Vitello. Presented by Imagine Theatre. Creative team: Master puppet designer and fabricator Douglas Wright; scenic and projection designer Tom Buderwitz; lighting designer Josh Epstein; sound designer Joseph “Sloe” Slawinski; costume designer Dianne K. Graebner; and properties designer Jenine MacDonald. The musical director is Elizabeth Curtin, and the production stage manager is Elna Kordjian. Produced by Laura Hill and Gabrieal Griego.
Colony Theatre
555 N 3rd St.
Burbank CA 91502
(in Burbank Town Center)
November 5 – November 18
Opening: Saturday, November 5 at 7 p.m.
Friday, November 11 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, November 12 at 7 p.m.
Sunday, November 13 at 4 p.m.
Friday, November 18 at 7 p.m.
Tickets: imaginetheatreca.org
