BEGINS OCTOBER 29
THE PERSHING SQUARE SIGNATURE CENTER / OFF-BROADWAY
MEET THE CARTOZIANS
BY
TALENE MONAHON
DIRECTEDÂ BY
DAVID CROMER
WITH RAFFI BARSOUMIAN, WILL BRILL, ANDREA MARTIN, NAEL NACER, SUSAN POURFAR, TAMARA SEVUNTS
Based on a real story ... and a ârealityâ story.
Part riveting historical drama, part scorching satire, Talene Monahonâs Meet the Cartozians pulls back the curtain on a startling chapter of American history you may never have heard. This bold, witty new play follows two sets of Armenian Americans: one man fighting for legal recognition in the 1920s, while a century later, his descendant fights for followers and a competent glam team. A wildly imaginative and deeply compelling story of culture and heritage, Meet the Cartozians asks who gets to belong â and at what cost?
Second Stage Theaterâs programs are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
The Season is supported by a grant from the Howard Gilman Foundation.
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^ 30 Under 30 Party Stick around after the show for complimentary drinks and snacks and chat with your fellow young theatergoers. For all productions at the Pershing Square Signature Center; open to 30 Under 30 buyers and Flip the Script subscribers.
* Across the Boards Join us after the show for a discussion with the creative team and learn how a 2ST production goes from page to stage.
(i) Insiderâs Night An exclusive event for 2ST Subscribers. Join us one hour before for wine, hors dâoeuvres, and intimate discussion with one of the showâs designers.
OC Open Captioned Performance Text is displayed at the side of the stage in real time, including dialogue and sound effects from the production.
AD Audio Described Performance Using special audio equipment, commentary and narration is provided during the performance, guiding the listener through the show with descriptions of scenes, costumes, etc. in between dialogue or songs.
s Student Matinee

RAFFI BARSOUMIAN
Broadway: Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Off-Broadway: Translations (Irish Rep); Macbeth (CSC); Privacy, Pericles (The Public Theater); King Lear, Arok of Java (Exit, Pursued By a Bear). Los Angeles: Henry IV (Shakespeare Center of L.A.); Guards at the Taj (The Geffen Playhouse); Red Noses (The Actorâs Gang). Regionally: 3 seasons with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; American Shakespeare Center; Actorâs Shakespeare Company; Stanford Summer Theater. Television: Seal Team (Paramount+); DCâs Legends of Tomorrow (CW); The Code (CBS); Shameless (Showtime); The Vampire Diaries (CW).

WILL BRILL
Will Brill won a Tony Award in 2024 for his role in Stereophonic. Heâs known for standout performances in Fellow Travelers, portraying Roy Cohn, and fan-favorite roles in The OA and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.  Film work includes Test Pattern and Not Fade Away. A Broadway veteran, heâs starred in You Canât Take It With You, Oklahoma!, and Act One. Up next, Brill will star in Netflixâs The Whisper Man opposite Robert DeNiro and Michelle Monaghan & Being Heumann for Apple Studios.

ANDREA MARTIN
Andrea Martin is the recipient of the two Tony Awards for her work on stage and two Emmy Awards for her work on television. She has also been recognized by the Drama Desk, Outer Criticsâ Circle, SAG-AFTRA, and Television Criticsâ Association for her performances, and has been honored with a star on the Canada Walk of Fame. She received the Governor Generalâs Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in 2024.

NAEL NACER
Second Stage debut. Broadway: Prayer for the French Republic (MTC). Off-Broadway: The Orchard (BAC/Arlekin). Regional: Leopoldstadt (STC); Triumph of Love, A Dollâs House, Bedroom Farce, Our Town (The Huntington); Angels in America (Bedlam/CST); Winter's Tale, Macbeth, The Tempest (Comm Shakes); People, Places & Things, Small Mouth Sounds (SpeakEasy Stage); The Merchant of Venice (Actors' Shakespeare Project); The Ding Dongs (Kitchen Theatre); Tiny Beautiful Things, The Flick (Gloucester Stage); Intimate Apparel (Lyric Stage); Awards: Elliot Norton, IRNE. @naelnacer

SUSAN POURFAR
Most recently Susan Pourfar appeared on Broadway opposite Rachel McAdams in the Tony nominated play Mary Jane. Pourfar's performances Off Broadway have garnered her an Obie Award, a Theater World Award and the Clarence Derwent Award from Actors Equity. Susan has been in multiple acclaimed television series including: âBlack Mirror,â âThe Staircase,â âThe Sinner,â âManifest,â âThe Loudest Voice,â âScandal,â âElementary,â âRay Donovan,â and âHouse of Cards.â and will appear in the upcoming series âThe Beast in Me.â Films include Manchester by the Sea directed by Kenny Lonergan, Journal for Jordan directed by Denzel Washington, In the Heights, Emelie, Baby Ruby, Rosemead and the upcoming indie Last Hand.

TAMARA SEVUNTS
Tamara Sevunts will be humble bragging about sharing the stage with these geniuses forever. Off-Broadway: Daybreak (Beckett Theatre), Your Alice (BAM), The Good Girl (59E59 Theatres) and Loose Canon (SoHo Playhouse). International: Your Alice (EdFringe), Black Garden (Théùtre de lâOpprimĂ©, Paris). She is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and speaks six languages â though doesnât plan on singing about it (yet). Most importantly: Tamara is oh-so grateful to Talene for writing this story.

BY TALENE MONAHON
Talene Monahon (Playwright) is a person of Armenian and Irish descent and a playwright of actor descent. Off-Broadway: The Good John Proctor (Bedlam Theater, The New Yorkerâs âTop 10 Best Plays of 2023â), Jane Anger (New Ohio; 2022 Off-Broadway Alliance Best New Play Nominee), How to Load a Musket (Less than Rent; TheaterManiaâs âThe 10 Best Theater Productions of 2020â), and Frankie & Will (MCC). Regional: Trinity Rep, Shakespeare Theater of D.C., The Warehouse Theater, Maryland Ensemble Theater, and Peterborough Players. International: The Good John Proctor (Jermyn Street Theater, London, Off-West End NomineeâBest New Play). Her plays have been developed with SouthCoast Rep, Classic Stage Company, Lincoln Center, Clubbed Thumb, Northern Stage and LA Shakespeare. Taleneâs work is published by TRW, and has also been featured in The Cincinnati Review and McSweeneyâs. She teaches Playwriting at the Sewanee Writersâ Conference. Education: B.A. Senior Fellow, Dartmouth College. Talene was featured in the NYTimes 2023 list of "Rising Theater Stars."

DIRECTED BY DAVID CROMER
David Cromer (Director) New York credits include Dead Outlaw; Good Night, and Good Luck; The Antiquities; The Counter; Iâm Almost There; Prayer for the French Republic; Camp Siegfried; A Case for the Existence of God; The Sound Inside; The Bandâs Visit; The Treasurer; The House of Blue Leaves; Brighton Beach Memoirs; Nikolai and the Others; The Effect; When the Rain Stops Falling; Tribes; Adding Machine; Our Town; and Orsonâs Shadow. For his work he has received a Tony Award, a Drama Desk, three Obies and three Lortels, and in 2010 he was named a MacArthur Foundation fellow.Â
Scenic Design by Tatiana Kahvegian
Costume Design by Enver Chakartash
Lighting Design by Stacey Derosier
Sound Design by Lee Kinney
Voice and Dialect Coach: Gigi Buffington
Casting is by Daniel Swee, CSA.