YEREVAN, MARCH 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The International Day of Theater which is marked in the whole world on March 27, is also marked in Armenia in recent years. It is a professional festival and it is not obligatory to be celebrated by the whole nation. Ruben Babayan, the Art Director of Hovh. Tumanian State Puppet Theater, expressed such an opinion on March 27 at the meeting held in the Friday club. The representatives of Yerevan Hrachya Ghaplanian State Dramatic and H. Paronian Music Comedy Theaters, who were present at the meeting, said that the International Day of Theater is just an occasion and an opportunity to once again speak about the sphere's ups and downs. According to Dramatic theater actor Hrachya Haroutiunian, today such people speak about theater who are far from it. He considers that the situation in the theater considerably differs from the opinion about it voiced by TV. "Today there is an absolute lack of theater science: we cannot hear professional speech and opinion about theater's problems and performances anywhere," he said. R. Babayan in his turn said that the theater science has disappeared after we have begun to criticize the opinion of theater scientists and appeared in the state of desertification when in this sphere we should start everything from zero". H. Paronian Music Comedy Theater Director Karo Shahbazian touched upon the sad condition of the theater. As a result of not being heated the theater company does not have performances 6 months a year, which, according to him, has a negative impact on the creative activity of the theater company. The guests also touched upon the annual theatrical Artavazd award giving ceremony which is held by the Union of Theatrical Figures of Armenia and the state titles given to theater figures mentioning that they cannot have an essential role for the activity of a creator, in this case for an actor or producer. They are convinced that the titles and awards are given "according to personal attitude and not to their deserts."

---