Starting Wednesday, October 1-13, 2008
The Big Fresno Fair!
1121 South Chance
Fresno, CA
Phone: 650-3247
Visit the William Saroyan Centennial display in the Home Arts building at the Big Fresno Fair.
Come and enjoy Fresno’s own Pop Laval Collection and the photographs taken during Saroyan’s
time in Fresno.
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Friday, October 3-11, 2008 (dark on October 6)
Theatrical Performance: Slaughter of the Innocents
California State University, Fresno, Theatre Arts Department
John Wright Theatre Speech Arts Building (Fresno State)
All Performances 8 PM (except Sunday, October 5)
October 5 at 2PM
Tickets: $15 General; $13 Fresno State Faculty/Staff, Seniors, Members of the Alumni
Association* and Students at other schools*; $8 Fresno State Students* and
(discount for groups of 20 or more/48 hour advance purchase required)
*ID REQUIRED
William Saroyan’s powerful drama, Slaughter of the Innocents, will be presented by the Fresno
State University Theatre Arts Department. The play involves a government in an unnamed
country, set some time in the future, that has gone crazy! It has suspended all civil rights and is
now holding witch hunt trials in every conceivable place including Archie’s Bar, where the play is
set. Archie becomes a willing accomplice to murder until he can’t stand it any more and rebels
even though he knows his life is now in jeopardy. For more information contact the University
Theatre Box Office at (559) 278-2216, or you can purchase tickets on-line www.csufresno.
edu/Theatre .
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October 11-December 10, 2008
Art Installation—Carol Tikijian: Why Abstract? Reflections on Saroyan
Merced Multicultural Arts Center
645 West Main Street, Merced, California
Reception: October 17 (Friday), 2008, from 5 PM to 7 PM
Monday through Friday, 10 AM-4 PM
Saturday, 10 AM-2 PM
Free to the Public
If you missed Carol Tikijian’s Saroyan art installation earlier in the year, here is another wonderful
opportunity to see her tribute to the writer. Tikijian's art features a large circle constructed of
black and white dots on which are imposed objects representing important elements of Saroyan’s
life. The concept of the exhibition is based on a book, Why Abstract? authored by modernist
writer and painter Hilaire Hiler, who was born ten years before William Saroyan. Saroyan wrote
the introduction to Hiler’s book. The two became close friends, finding philosophical commonality
in many aspects of life. For more information about the exhibit, contact the Merced County Arts
Council at (209) 388-1090 ext. 10.
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Beginning Tuesday, October 7-November 15, 2008
Exhibition: Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in honor of Literary Artists
Reception: Saturday, November 1, 2008, 3 PM at St. John’s Cathedral, proceeding to
Arte Américas
1630 Van Ness Ave., Fresno, California
Museum Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 11am - 5pm; Thursday, 11am - 8pm;
Sunday-closed
Huellas, Reflejos y Sombras—this year’s Dia de Los Muertos is in honor of Literary Artists. In
recognition of the citywide celebration of William Saroyan, we will honor Saroyan along with
other local, national and international Latino/a writers and poets in this year’s annual exhibition
with dedicated altar pieces. Other literary artists to be honored include Ernesto Trejo
(Mexico/Fresno), Leo Politi (Fresno), Ruben Salazar (Mexico/LA), and Rumi (India), and Sor Juana
Ines de la Cruz (Mexico), Gerardo Antonio Horta (Mexico), and Federico Garcia Lorca (Spain). For
more information contact Arte Américas at (559) 266-2623.
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Saturday, October 11, 2008 POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
Performance Portraying William Saroyan by David Fox-Brenton
Pilgrim Armenian Congregational Church
3673 N. First, Fresno, California
Social Hall
6 PM Mezza
6:45 PM Shish Kabob Dinner
8 PM Performance
Reservations $40
Enjoy a delicious dinner and one-man show with David Fox-Brenton, in a Saroyan tribute:
Performance Portraying William Saroyan. Mr. Fox-Brenton has been acting in theatre, film and
television in England, Canada and the United States. The dinner and show is a fundraising event
for the Armenian Home of California (in Fresno) and the Centennial. For reservations and more
information contact the Church office at (559) 229-2915.
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Saturday, October 11, 2008 POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
(Originally scheduled April 19, 2008)
Saroyan Musical Celebration
Tower Theatre
815 E. Olive Av., Fresno, California
7 PM
Tickets Prices TBA
Join the Academy of Classical Music and Art (www.acmamusicians.com)
in celebrating the genius of writer, William Saroyan, with a musical
extravaganza, featuring virtuoso duo pianists Gianeh and Ovanes
Arakelyan, violinist Patrick Contreras, and other musical friends. Along
with this tribute, enjoy video interviews of "Saroyan Memories" from
family and friends of this legendary writer. For more information,
contact the Academy at (559) 230-2262 or (559) 577-8495.
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Saturday, October 18, 2008
Salute to Saroyan: Book Fair
12 - 5 pm
Arte Americas
1630 Van Ness
Downtown Fresno, California
Heritage Fresno is a local historic preservation group. This is Heritage Fresno's Third Annual Book
Fair. We will feature William Saroyan biographers, Fresno County history authors, the Fresno
County Free Library, and Friends of Heritage Fresno. Over eleven local authors will be selling their
personally autographed books.
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Tuesday, October 21, 2008, 7:00 PM
At the Auberry Library
33049 Auberry Road
Auberry, CA 93602
Phone: 855-8523
Fresno historian William Secrest, Jr. will present a multi-media program entitled, Saroyan: The Man
and His Fresno. Learn how Saroyan, born in Fresno, traveled the world, rubbed elbows with
celebrities, and received international accolades for his writing.
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Saturday, November 1, 2008
William Saroyan: A Century of Saroyanesque
2:00-5:00 PM
Los Angeles Public Library Cahuenga Branch
4591 Santa Monica Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90029
This event is presented by the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council and the Los Angeles Public
Library, Cahuenga Branch. [click here for press release] [click here for event flyer]
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Wednesday, November 12, 2008, 7:00 PM
At the Leo Politi Branch Library
5771 N. First Street
Fresno, CA
Phone: 431-6451
As part of the Town Hall Book Discussion Series, Barlow Der Mugrdechian, CSU Fresno faculty
member in the Armenian Studies Department, will lead a discussion on the book, Essential
Saroyan, a compendium of excerpts from Saroyan’s fictional and nonfictional work.
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Tuesday, November 19, 2008
Public Lecture
San Joaquin Valley Town Hall Lecture Series
William Saroyan Theatre
Downtown Fresno, Inyo and M Streets
10:30 AM
Tickets $20.00
The San Joaquin Valley Town Hall Lecture Series will feature a panel presentation on the life and
writings of William Saroyan. Town Hall panelists will include Bruce Janigian, Saroyan’s attorney;
Richard Rodriguez, journalist and author; Annette Keogh, Curator William Saroyan Collection at
Stanford University and Jon Whitmore, President of Texas Tech University, will moderate these
distinguished panelists for a lively discussion. For more information about the speakers and
tickets, please contact (559) 444-2180 or www.valleytownhall.com.
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Saturday, December 6, 2008
Theatrical Performance--One-Man Show with David Fox Brenton
"My Name is Saroyan--A Matter of Will"
Pilgrim Armenian Congregational Church Hall
3673 N. First Street
Fresno, California
Mezza (Reception) 6 PM
Dinner 7 PM
Performance 8 PM
$35 per person (All proceeds will be donated to the California Armenian Home)
This one-man play is a monolog about William Saroyan. Originally commissioned by the Armenian
Museum in Fresno, the play portrays the author being disturbed at work in his study. The
audience experiences what Saroyan was most famous for--his humorous storytelling.Reserved
Seating, to make reservations contact the Church office at 559-229-2915.
(Click for Details)
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