July 19, 2006

PRESS RELEASE

    "THE ARMENIAN DRAMATIC ARTS ALLIANCE LAUNCHES $10,000 SCREENWRITING & PLAYWRITING AWARD"

The Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance (ADAA) is thrilled to announce the inauguration of its annual contest for a play or screenplay based on Armenian themes: The deadline for submission for The Frances Paul Lyons/ Almas Paul Annual Screenwriting & Playwriting Award. is May 15, 2007, and the winning writer will be honored with a $10,000 award in the Fall of 2007.  The contest will be administered by the Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance (ADAA), which will establish a panel of noted theatre and film professionals to select the winning script.  The contest rules have just been posted online at www.armeniandrama.org/contest.php.  Scripts must have an Armenian theme, but writers are not required to be of Armenian descent.

The Paul Family generously established The Frances Paul Lyons/Almas Paul Annual Screenwriting & Playwriting Award via their fund at the Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church of North America, under the auspices  of  Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, ensuring the continuance of this award for years to come.  Actress and ADAA Board Member Karen Kondazian, a member of the Paul Family, was honored to facilitate the creation of this award, particularly to recognize her dear father and mother, Varnum Paul and Lillian M.Paul. The ADAA appreciates the generosity of such donors and welcomes the benevolence of future donors.

The Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance's mission is to make the Armenian voice heard on the world stage through the dramatic arts of theatre and film.  The organization accomplishes this mission by supporting playwrights and screenwriters and provides production opportunities, commissions, scholarships, research tools, networking resources and writing awards.

The Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance is currently working on creating relationships with leading theaters in the United States to establish reading series so that the winning scripts - and other scripts by ADAA-affiliated playwrights -- will be seen and heard.  ADAA's headquarters are in Cambridge, MA with worldwide affiliates in Paris, Yerevan, Los Angeles, Boston, New York and other major cities.

For more information about Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance and how to contribute to it's important mission please visit our website at www.armeniandrama.org or call us at 617-871-6764.