“Theater is a second church. It is a kind of temple for educating human morals.”
—Khrimian Hayrig
Throughout its history, Armenian theater has always strived for the noble and the beautiful, addressing various issues influencing the Armenian people. Its primary focus has been the Armenian individual and the cares, flaws, and suffering of their time, alongside universal human concerns.
Starting from the idea that Armenian theater is a necessary presence in Armenian life, the Hamazkayin Kessab “Hamo Ohanjanian” Chapter Executive Board and Theater Committee undertook the presentation of the comedy, Love in a Suitcase (Taxi-Taxi). The performance was held on August 3, 2025, at Kessab’s Sardarabad Hall, under the patronage of the Hamazkayin Regional Executive Board for Syria.
Reverend Father Yesayi Eordekian and Very Reverend Father Karnig Hovsepian attended the performance along with representatives of the relevant body, Hamazkayin Central Executive Board member Garo Manjigian, chairperson of the Hamazkayin Regional Executive Board for Syria, Raffi Sulahian, Regional Executive Board member Sosi Garjigian, representatives of national bodies and associations, and a large crowd of Kessab-Armenians.
The enthusiasm of the cultural-minded people of Kessab was inspiring. Despite all kinds of difficulties, they continue to not only maintain Kessab’s cultural life but also to develop and expand it.
In an opening speech, Mirna Degirmendjian Demirdjian of the Theater Committee said, “Throughout its rich 97-year history, the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society has aimed to maintain, preserve, and transmit the Armenian language and culture. It has founded schools, theaters, and musical groups and has spared no effort to instill an Armenian upbringing and artistic taste.” She then emphasized that the people of Kessab have always given special attention to theater as a crucial cultural medium, staging and presenting numerous plays both in Kessab and in various parts of Syria, thanks to the dedicated and culturally-minded members of the society.
