In an Armenian densely populated Beirut suburb, Bourj Hammoud, it used to operate “The Popular House of Bourj Hammoud” which was governed by a committee who used to provide the theater to the population for different goals and events.
Nearly 50 years ago, at May 1964, the committee of the House of Bourj Hammoud decided to assign the task of the modernization and the gracing with full equipments of the theater to the “Kaspar Ipekian” troupe, which had already asked about this because it faced many difficulties regarding the presentations of its plays when it referred to foreign theaters to present its plays someplace else. The members of the troupe had always dreamt to have their own theater, in the embrace of their own people, so that many Armenians could watch their plays and through culture to evolve more and to be accepted in the Armenian collective life as native Armenians. So the “Kaspar Ipekian” troupe became the leading force to create the enjoyable Armenian cultural center, the theater.
It was essential to create a foundation for this important project, in which the population would participate with all its levels and organizations by uniting all’s capabilities. The House committee and the “Kaspar Ipekian” troupe were the first to work in this direction by providing venerable amounts, each in its limits of capabilities, to which later would be added other amounts to replenish the important earmarked expenses of the theater’s construction.
So that all these expenses would be organized in a smooth and accurate way, immediately it was created a construction committee which would organize and follow the construction of the theater, to surmount with success this mission. At August 1965, the construction committee begins its work.
In parallel of the construction committee’s works, the “Kaspar Ipekian” troupe called to life all of its capabilities and speeded up the support of this foundation. First, it referred to the “Kalousd Gulbenkian” foundation and secured a venerable amount. Then it organized fund raisings, referred to close patriots and friends securing tidy amounts too.
To secure the follow-up of the fund raisings and construction smoothly, immediately the municipality of Bourj Hammoud and the Cultural Association “Hamazkayin” hurry to provide some generous amounts, which would become more leading forces to the success of this difficult project.
The construction work of a tie so dreamt theater was going in a difficult and slow way not because of financial crisis only, but because the meticulous followers of the construction wanted to do the project perfectly so that afterwards we would have a modern and adequate theater.
Therefore one of Beirut’s patriots, Mr. Hagop Der Melkonian makes a huge donation which becomes the greatest of all donations made so far and which makes the dream of each Armenian possible, the opening of a modern Armenian theater.
So with the united efforts, work and donations of the Armenian people, the impossible became reality; we had what we didn’t have so far thinking that it was just a dream. But with the Armenian will, the peculiar persistence and untiring work we had our own theater.
Being grateful to all the donations made to the construction of the theater and by expressing its maximum emotions to the biggest donor, the committee decided to name the theater by his name.
“On February 17 1969 occurred the formal opening ceremony of the “Hagop Der Melkonian Theater” in the presence of hundreds of invited. The patriot benefactor Hagop Der Melkonian cut the traditional rope at the entry of the theater and the invited entered into the theater to admire the beauty that was spread in front of their eyes.” So, the Hagop Der Melkonian theater was ready, the theater of all Lebanese Armenians, where for many years would be presented high-graded arts events. It was decided from the very beginning and till today it is meticulously pursued that the theater’s prestige remains sublime. So from the first years accumulated till today, they witness that the Hagop Der Melkonian theater, the former Popular House, became and continues to stay the true cultural house of each Armenian, where its emits Armenian atmosphere, high quality culture and immediate genuine.
From the beginning, the committees of the theater that organized and followed the work of the theater were always open to local, Lebanese arts events, to secure an international prestige to our theater and to transform it in terms of the Lebanese land to a sought theater.
The Hagop Der Melkonian Theater didn’t even enjoy the prosperous and peaceful years of Lebanon for ten years; there came the Lebanese civil war at 1975 which lasted for more than 15 years by creating a difficult and unsecure living situation. But even in these circumstances, the Hagop Der Melkonian Theater continued to operate unobstructed and even became a more important and safe environment for all Armenians, by continuing to raise the flag of culture and becoming the beloved place of Lebanese Armenians.
During the past years, the theater’s committees have always been zealous to keep the theater, with all its parts, in a great form and to do all needed repairs, which gave the opportunity to list the theater among the best theaters in Lebanon and to fulfill its mission for the Lebanese Armenians.
The Lebanese postwar era came to prove that there was prosperity, development and progress in the country. The country developed with construction, and new up-to-date theaters were created in different areas. Therefore, the Hagop Der Melkonian Theater’s committees could not stay doing nothing and dispose the proper and needed, so that the theater would be at the level of the newly created theaters, and to serve the best to our people in the newly created life style and conditions.
So in the last years, the theater’s committee started undertaking to the theater’s basic repair and appliance to the new conditions.
We believe that as from the beginning the Hagop Der Melkonian Theater was the cultural house of Lebanese Armenians, will continue to stay loyal to its mission, by transmuting all levels of our beloved arts’ artists gathering place into a more warm and beloved place, which itself would become an inspiration to the new generation by encouraging them to stick to the Armenian culture and through that path to serve our people, which would also foster the maintenance of the Armenian trait, the perseverance of a healthy colony and the fulfillment of Armenian visions.