In Our World: A Stage for Expression, Growth, and Connection

“Mer Ashkharum” (“In Our World”) is a story about people living in their own worlds; some in the outer world we all see, and some in quiet inner worlds. It’s about individuals who, while seeming like small dots in a vast universe, carry deep meaning as they search for purpose and strive to understand who they are. Each of them is on a journey to find their truth and bring it into the world.

This new performance, which premiered on July 2 at the newly renovated drama therapy hall of the National Center Supporting Inclusive Education for CWDs, was made possible thanks to a generous donation from the Mirak Weissbach Foundation. It was staged by MIASIN ("Together"), an inclusive theater group founded in March 2022 and led by Marine Asatryan, a director with deep experience using theater as a tool to support children with special needs and promote inclusion.

For Abraham, Vardan, Martin, Vika, Michael, and their fellow castmates, this performance was more than a play. It was their moment, a chance to share the world they carry inside, to express the feelings they often can’t put into words, and to tell the stories they’ve long held within them.

Although inspired by the works of William Saroyan’s The House of Humanity and Hrachya Manukyan’s When I Became an Adult, the soul of the performance came from the children themselves; their emotions, thoughts, and creativity.

“Before the performance, the children shared their reflections on the world around them,” said Marine Asatryan. “They turned their thoughts into drawings and painted their feelings onto the clothes they wore on stage. Every detail, from the script to the costumes, holds a piece of who they are. That’s what makes this performance so special.”

The children involved come from diverse backgrounds and have faced different challenges. Some are still learning how to express themselves. But through MIASIN’s creative program, a combination of games, theater exercises, and play, they begin to open up, build confidence, and learn how to connect with others.

“I’ve been coming here for over a year,” said 11-year-old Vardan Ghushchyan, who played the tightrope walker. “Thanks to this theater, I’ve learned to speak more freely, connect with others, and better understand people. Now I feel more confident, and I’ve made a lot of new friends.”

“It was a beautiful blend of joy, emotion, and inclusion. The children’s confidence had clearly grown, and the entire process—from writing their own stories to designing their costumes—was a true team effort. The message was clear: there’s room for everyone in our world,” said Margarit Piliposyan, FAR’s Executive Director of Operations, describing the premiere as “a wonderful fusion of positivity, emotions, openness, love, inclusivity radiating from the stage to the hall audience.

The National Center Supporting Inclusive Education for CWDs is generously sponsored by the Fund for Armenian Relief through generosity of our Friends "Hovsep Foundation," "The John Mirak Foundation" and "Myron and Mary Shahinian Stapanian Fund."