Narek Duryan is luminescent, on and off stage

The venerable actor ponders life and art in the homeland

“The Aunt from Paris” continues to captivate audiences

by Maria Titizian

Published: Friday October 23, 2009

Duryan's transformation into Mrs. Bulbukian from Paris. Tigran Tadevosyan / Photolure.

Narek Duryan in "The Aunt from Paris." . Tigran Tadevosyan / Photolure.

Yerevan - The artists' entrance to Yerevan's State Puppet Theater behind Sayat Nova Avenue was buzzing with activity. Actors, technicians, make-up artists, and costume designers were busy preparing for that evening's performance of "The Aunt from Paris," a play written and directed by Narek Duryan, who also plays the lead role in the play.

I arrived early for our scheduled interview, so I was directed to a waiting area. A few minutes later, the doors to the back entrance of the theater swung open and in walked Narek Duryan, bringing in with him the warm autumn air, plenty of sunlight, and an abundance of infectious energy. Relatively short and a little on the heavy side, with recently cut silver white hair, he greeted some of the women who happened to be standing by the doors. He hugged and kissed each one, addressing them affectionately as "jan" and "azeez" (both meaning "dear"). There was a genuine feeling of respect and admiration for this venerable Armenian actor from Paris.

Before Paris, there was Yerevan...

Narek Duryan and his family left the Soviet Union in 1980 and settled in Paris. He was a young man at the time, but recalls vividly his feelings upon leaving. "I did not leave Armenia. I left the Soviet Union," he says. "We could have lived here at the time. We had a very comfortable life. We were living in the house that Brezhnev gave to my father. We still have that house."

Narek's father, world-­renowned conductor Ohan Duryan was born and raised in Jerusalem before immigrating to Soviet Armenia. In 1959 Ohan Duryan became the artistic director and principal conductor of the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra. He was the first to perform many symphonic works by Armenian composers. However, the family could no longer live under a regime that was stifling their creative and artistic abilities. "I often said that I would prefer to live as a bum, as long as I could be free," Narek explains.

While migration is a global phenomenon, for Armenians it has taken on a whole new meaning. "There are two kinds of immigrants - economic and political. I was a political immigrant. I can understand those who leave for economic reasons," Narek says. "But when Armenia gained independence, the continued existence for those of us who were political immigrants abroad became meaningless. I asked myself, ‘Why am I staying in Paris?' Since the day the Soviet Union collapsed, I have been in agony."

And has he now returned home? "I have not ‘returned.' I do not wish to make that announcement. I am here for my plays," he explains. "It is a luxury for me to be here, to be able to perform here. I have never felt such a sense of fulfillment in all my years on the stage, as I do here in front of Armenian audiences. That is what brought me here."

When he brought his play, "The Aunt from Paris," to Yerevan, Narek thought he would put on five or six performances and then return to Paris. He wrote the play in 1993. Those five-six performances have turned out to be a 14-month-long run to sold-out halls and critical accolades. "I will keep the play going as long as I can, as long as there is a demand for it," he says.

Before making the artistic sojourn to Armenia, Narek was charming audiences in Paris. His play, Dieu Merci (Thank You, God), which had a run of six months at the Theater De Jazet was critically acclaimed by the French theater world. "Theater de Jazet is considered the thirteenth most important and authoritative theater in Paris," Narek explains. The play was so successful during its initial month-long run in June, that the board of directors of the 700-seat theater in Bastille Square invited Duryan back.

"The Aunt from Paris"

Duryan's "The Aunt from Paris" is based on a play by English playwright Thomas Brandon (1850-1914) called "Charley's Aunt." Duryan's version has metamorphosed into a story about Armenian immigration, about the divide between the "Hayastantsis" and the "Spyurkahays."

The play is set in modern-day Armenia. Two young acting students are in love with two sisters and need a chaperone so they can entertain them. They ask Narek's character to help them woo the two sisters, whose father continues to be a staunch communist. When one of the young men receives word that his aunt, Mrs. Bulbukian, a rich widow from Paris whom he has never met, is coming to Yerevan to visit him, he sees this as an opportunity to invite the girls to meet her. But when the aunt's visit is delayed, they persuade Narek to impersonate her so as not to miss out on the chance of having the sisters over to their house.

And that is when the play becomes hilarious. I should know. I've been to see "The Aunt from Paris" three times. I realize that this might sound a little ridiculous, but there are legitimate reasons for my repeat attendance.

I had heard about Duryan's play from friends who had seen it and swore that it was one of the funniest performances they had ever seen. When I went to see the play the first time, the beginning was a little slow, so I was wondering what was so funny about it. But about 15 minutes into the performance, I was laughing so hard, I found it hard to maintain my decorum. Seeing Narek Duryan play the role of a rich Armenian-French woman who comes to Armenia to meet her long-lost nephew is one of the funniest things I've ever seen on an Armenian stage.

While it is comedic, there are moments when Narek expertly sheds light on our inherent differences, which forces you to see yourself either as a diaspora Armenian or a Hayastantsi. These lucid observations can make you cringe. He insists that his intention is not to preach but to simply hold up a mirror so that we can understand our reality a little bit better. His statements are on the mark.