Mikhrdat Amrikian

Born May 1 (13), 1843; died Feb. 5 (17), 1879. Armenian actor and theatrical figure.

Amrikian began appearing on the stage in 1859. Beginning in 1863, he worked in G. Chmshkian’s troupe and performed in Yerevan, Alexandroupolis, Shusha, and Constantinople. He became famous for his roles in G. Sundukian’s plays: Zambakhov in Khatabala, Sarkis in One More Victim, and Zimzimov in Pepo. His best roles also included Franz Moor in Schiller’s The Robbers and Malomal’skii in Ostrovskii’s Know Your Place. Amrikian was one of the founders of stage realism in the Armenian theater. He was a theater critic and in his articles advocated a socially significant theatrical art and opposed national narrow-mindedness, melodrama, and pomposity.