Siranoush

A multimedia, multilingual one woman show that explores the writer/performer’s desire to dig deeper into her cultural roots through a reimagining of Siranoush, a 19th century ethnic Armenian actress who was a trailblazer both on and off the stage. Tapping into ancestral knowledge and diasporic memory, the performance takes us across time and space to explore the power of theatre as a way of cultural survival and female empowerment.

Created with the support of Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council.

October 9, 2019 at 7:30 PM

About the artist

Lara Arabian is a trilingual Dora nominated Toronto-based performer by way of Beirut, Lebanon, upstate NY, and Paris. Favourite theatre credits include: The Silver Arrow (Citadel), Blood Weddings (Modern Times/Aluna Theatre), Upon the Fragile Shore (CorpOLuz Theatre), and Theatre Fix’s The Container. Recent TV credits:  “The Handmaid’s Tale”, “Murdoch Mysteries”, “Kim’s Convenience”, “Taken”, “Dark Matter”. She’s a current member of Nightwood’s “Write from the Hip” program, which will feature Siranoush at Groundswell in September. She’s a member of Directors Lab North and a recent participant of the Banff/Citadel Professional Theatre Program. Upcoming: The Solitudes (Aluna/Nightwood). 

Carla Melo has been performing and directing since the late 90s. She co-founded, co-directed and performed in Corpus Delicti (2003-2010), an LA-based, butoh-inspired performance ensemble focused on developing interdisciplinary street performances. Since moving to Toronto (2014), she founded CorpOLuz Theatre and has directed the world premiere of Upon the Fragile Shore by Caridad Svich — a show listed among the top SummerWorks shows of 2015 by the Torontoist. She has also appeared in the award winning Modern Times Stage Company’s production of Blood Weddings (2017), and played a protagonist role in Our Lady of Delicias (2018).

Armen Bazarian is a Toronto based composer, singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and music producer. In 2015 he was selected as one of three composers-in-residence for the Canadian Film Centre’s Slaight Music Residency, chaired by Oscar-winning composer Mychael Danna. Having completed a master’s degree in Psychology from the University of Toronto, Bazarian deepened his understanding of how music effects the brain while studying with music researcher Daniel Levitin, the author of New York Times bestseller This Is Your Brain on Music. Since graduating, Bazarian has spent the last two years composing and songwriting. Recent film credits include “CLEO” (dir. Sanja Zivkovik, TIFF 2016), and the web-series “Inhuman Condition” produced by Shaftesbury Films (Murdoch Mysteries, Carmilla). Bazarian is currently working on a variety of short films as well as a self-produced album. 

Magi Oman is a Toronto-based designer specializing in projection, lighting and set design. She is thrilled to be working with the Siranoush team. Magi holds an M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama. She is also a graduate of Queen’s University and the Ontario College of Art and Design. Selected credits include Three Sisters (Erindale), The Cradle Will Rock, Little Women, Marathon of Hope, (Sheridan), My Name is Raj (TIFF Bell Lightbox). Magi has worked across Canada and abroad with Cirque du Soleil (Las Vegas), Arvisura (Budapest), and Amakhosi (Zimbabwe). Magi is currently on the full-time faculty at Sheridan College.

Melissa Joakim is a lighting and projection designer, scenographer and stage manager in Toronto. She has been nominated for two Dora Mavor Moore Awards in Outstanding Lighting Design and Scenic Design, and the Pauline McGibbon Award. Recent credits include: Scenography: Prophecy Fog (Theatre Centre with Paper Canoe Projects). Lighting and Projection Design for This is the Point (Theatre Centre and Ahuri Theatre), A Side of Dreams (Paper Canoe Projects), Heathers the Musical (Hart House Theatre). Lighting Design for Isitwendam (Native Earth Performing Arts and Theatre Northwest), Balaklava Blues (Luminato and Latitude Festivals). Projection Design for Flashing Lights (Bad New Days and Ahuri Theatre), Dissidents (ARC). She is the touring lighting designer and stage manager for Theatre Centre’s Sea Sick which has toured internationally and across Canada, travelling most recently to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Ellen Brooker is a scenic designer and builder, and stage manager newly based in Toronto. She has a Master’s in Applied Imagination in the Creative Industries from Central St Martin’s (University of the Arts London), and applies her imagination to all sorts of creative projects, including but not limited to her recent theatrical credits: Production Stage Management for Bella Donna (Tarragon Extraspace), Scenic Design and Build for all 24 brand-new shows in the Newmarket National 10 Minute Play Festival, Assistant Production Management and Technical Direction for the Kingston-based digital arts festival foldA 2019 (SpiderWebShow), and Costume and Design Assistant for Punchdrunk’s Small Wonders in London, England. She’s glad to be working with such a powerhouse team, and looks forward to her Caminos Festival debut.