About the Show

ArmeniaMania! is a broad comedy that tackles the tough subject of cultural assimilation in modern Los Angeles through the unique Speak Theater Arts theatrical approach. A blend of spoken word, stand up & sketch comedy, slam poetry, as well as traditional theater weave together to tell the story of Sona, a young woman with a stage, a grant, and 80 minutes to kill.

From Armenian Idol(s) to the funny but sad state of the Armenian Genocide Memorial (it’s located on a Golf Course in Montebello); and even a commercial for a real Armenian detergent with a very unfortunate name (Barf), ARMENIAMANIA! is both a send-up of one of LA’s fastest growing but least understood populations and a poignant look at what it means to find yourself without losing your cultural identity.

Co-creator and star Sona Movsesian is unwillingly joined on stage by actresses Arpie Mikelian (Veronica) and Tatiana Simonian (Piss). Though arguably Sona’s best friends, the trio has reached a point of separation. As the show slides repeatedly off its own rails attempting to meet the grant criteria that funded it, Sona finds that in faking her way through an appreciation of her ethnic identity, she’s actually come to understand, accept, and celebrate it.