Sunday, September 24th, 2006
(& the last Sunday of every Month)

(not just for chicks)

Armenia/L.A.: A Soiree to Celebrate Armenian Culture in Los Angeles

Curated by Lori Yeghiayan
…Spread the Word

Los Angeles County is home to the largest population of Armenians outside of Armenia. Much more than a compelling demographic, Armenian culture makes up a vibrant component of our city--come experience the Hye life through the poetry of Tom Babayan , the stories of playwright/performer Lory Tatoulian and the original artwork of the evening's featured bookmark artist, Lisa Kasparian . The evening will begin with a curious parlor game based on Armenian idioms, composed by the evening's producer, Lori Yeghiayan .

As always, we will serve piping hot, organic, locally roasted, sustainably farmed coffee from the Coffee Cellar ( www.coffeecellar.com ) and, yes, there will be a secret pomegranate cocktail.

Password:
“You entered my eye. ”

RIDE YOUR BIKE TO THIS EVENT AND GET TWO -FOR-ONE ADMISSION www.bikemetro.com for routes.

Why socialize on a Sunday? Because mingling is good for your mental health.

Lori Yeghiayan is proud to be a Smart Gals veteran, having appeared as a sly and angry Sylvia Plath in The Dead Poets Slam Speakeasy of August, 2005. Other past performances with the Gals include: Are you Interested? Loosely Based on Love , Labor , Mother's Day and The Twelve Days of Christmas . Lori has performed at regional, small and very small theatres throughout Southern California including the La Jolla Playhouse, South Coast Repertory, Sledgehammer Theatre in San Diego, Moving Arts in Downtown LA and the ASK Common Ground Festival. She now spends most of her time bashing Big Pharma and doing battle against the global AIDS epidemic as the AIDS Healthcare Foundation's Associate Director of Communications.   Nevertheless, Lori holds an MFA in Acting from the University of California, San Diego.  She visited Armenia for the first time this past June.

Tom Babayan worked as a field biologist in desert and wetland habitats of the West before returning to UCI to earn his MFA in Creative Writing. He has taught writing at various institutions and is currently studying to be a family therapist in Long Beach, California. His poems have appeared in journals such as Alaska Quarterly Review, Blue Mesa Review and Runes among others. Poems from his new manuscript, The Black Country, draw on survivor accounts and family stories connected to the Armenian Genocide. He lives in Long Beach, California.

Lisa Kasparian graduated from Woodbury University's School of Architecture in 1993 and received her Master's Degree in Education in 2000. She has worked as an art educator for over ten years and was appointed to Glendale Unified School District's Curriculum Committee for Visual and Performing Arts. Lisa has received further training from UCLA's Professional Level Program in Interior Design and recently started her own design firm where she is currently creating her first furnishings line.

Lory Tatoulian is an actress and playwright whose work explores issues of cultural identity, gender, and ethnic community dynamics. Tatoulian's comedic character-studies define the core of her style. Her explorations take root in theatrical monologues that meld the comedic and absurd experiences of several ethnic groups. Lory is currently performing her solo show Sketched which is a collection of colorful stories, zany characters and cabaret style musical vignettes.

Smart Gals Productions is a 501(C)3 not-for-profit, public-benefit arts organization dedicated to creating original gatherings in unlikely places, and to building the greater arts community of Los Angeles. On the last Sunday of every month, Smart Gals brings together curious, likeminded people via their socially progressive underground salon, The Speakeasy, now enjoying its fifth year.