On August 5 was the birthday of famous actress Violet Gevorgyan. She is currently at exactly the same age as her heroine, Aghun. Since 1980 she has performed Hrant Matevosyan’s “In the autumn sun” casting her heroine Aghun for over 800 times. Everybody was admiring Violet – colleagues, theater experts, etc. However the actress hasn’t seen the generation of the independence age on the stage. She has lived in the US the past 16 years. She moved to the US on January 1, 1991. “When I got here I was terribly disappointed, I was in hysteria. Perhaps my first feeling was right…” remembers the actress.
Before speaking of her American life I asked the reasons why she’s moved to America. She said, “Why do you want to know that? That’s a complicated story. Who knows it’s fine who doesn’t let them not know.” For the first time in 16 years she told what made her run away from Armenia and what happened in 1988. Thus, in March 1988 convinced by the Central Committee and 3 employees of the culture department Violet Gevorgyan leaves for Azerbaijan to participate in the cinema festival of Baku. “Everybody was refusing to go but I didn’t know. If I knew what was going to happen to me I wouldn’t ever agree to go. At that time I was thinking that the worthy representation of my nation is very important. We went there with four – 3 men from the culture department and me. It was March. This festival took place in Baku and I didn’t participate. Plus my main purpose wasn’t to participate in it. Our mission was to inform people about Sumgait because nobody spoke about that. I went there with fear in my heart. I approached many artists from different state, who arrived in Baku, especially spoke with Russian artists. And I convinced them to come with us to Stepanakert to speak to people, who fled from Sumgait. In the result these artists have started to speak about Sumgait during the “Cinema Panorama” program,” tells the actress. But this mission deserves a totally different attitude in my fatherland. They entitle Violet Gevorgyan as a traitor. The actress was not leaving her apartment for eight months (living in fear and terror). After eight months she goes back to the stage, plays a few performances and receives high estimation from the audience. But her colleagues refuse to work with her and start to boycott. Violet had to leave the theater. “I wasn’t able to imagine my life without theater even a day,” she says. In two years as I was deserted by everybody I had to leave the country.
During these 16 years Violet Gevorgyan was from time to time busy with performances. She has played the performances of her son, Hrachya Mkhitaryan. This year the Armenian-American actresses of the two Armenian theaters – Sundukyan and Dramatic Theaters, have jointly staged a new performance, named “Three women, two men” in participation of Violet Gevorgyan, Tatevik Ghaplanyan, Shake Tukhmanyan, Levon Sharafyan and Zhan Nshanyan. The actress was also involved in “My sweet boy” performance, which was staged by Tatevik Ghaplanyan (dedicated to her son, who suddenly died at young age). Gevorgyan has also played episodic roles in the American soap operas, named “General Hospital” and “Six Feet Under”. “We have not reached much in here. Mostly lots of efforts were spent. I receive pension but pay for the rent of the whole house. When I am one the stage seems I am going to die because of excitement. I have the whole responsibility of the performance,” says Gevorgyan.
In Glendale actresses Alla Tumanyan, Violet Gevorgyan and Tamar Hovhannisyan are almost neighbors. When I asked whether they communicate often. She said, “No, very rarely.” As of the beautiful Armenian actresses, who moved to the US in 1980s Gevorgyan said, “We are a very unfortunate generation. We had this very unfortunate fate. When I went to Armenia in 2004 I didn’t play a performance in the Dramatic Theater. But when they get here I play with them. They wanted to celebrate my birthday I refused.” Violet Gevorgyan’s eyes start to shine when she speaks about her grandchildren. She has four grandchildren. After grandchildren her second pleasure is the casino. She gambles to win great amount. “I want to go back to my fatherland. What do I have here? When they show those muddy rural streets in villages that kills.” Gevorgyan was telling her life without mentioning any dates. The actress says that she remembers only one date – 1988 earthquake. “It was the earthquake date, which also quaked my heart. At that time I got deprived of many things. Could have lost my life as well.”