Dear Armen

Thick House
1695 18th St. San Francisco

Inspired by the mysterious and fascinating Armenian poet-performer Armen Ohanian, a survivor of the anti-Armenian pogroms, this immersive theater experience blends traditional Armenian dance, erotic performance, spoken word, live music and excerpts from Ohanian's memoirs. Ohanian, much like fellow trailblazers Sarah Bernhardt and Frida Kahlo, dared to take on roles traditionally assigned to men, even working as a producer, choreographer and director in the early 20th century. Dear Armen follows young Garineh, who looks to Ohanian as a role model and begins researching her life and art. But because information on Ohanian's life is scarce, Garineh struggles to fill in the gaps using the clues in the poet's writing. In the process, Garineh begins unraveling questions about her own gender, sexuality, ethnicity, family and the role of the artist.