In 1975, thirteen talented young people joined the class directed by Henrik Malyan at the Department of Culture of the State Pedagogical Institute named after Khachatur Abovyan. The wise and sophisticated experience of the Master encouraged their creative growth, and it was during these years that the Henrik Malyan’s class laid the foundation for the future theater and performances.
Later the Film Actor Theater was established in the structure of Hayfilm studio by Henrik Malyan, a famous film director and People's Artist of the USSR, on August 27 in 1980. The theater became a unique and progressive phenomenon in the cultural life of Armenia.
As a prominent and accomplished film director, Henrik Malyan succeeded in creating a unique synthesis of visual means of cinematographic and theatrical arts, which worked as his brand style on the stage.
Malyan’s Film Actor Theater performances in different years:
1980 - The educational tales of my homeland, dir. H. Malyan
1981 - H. Tumanyan, Fairy-tales, dir. H. Malyan
1981 - D. Demirchyan, Nazar the Brave, dir. H. Malyan
1982 - G. Boccaccio, The Decameron, dir. H. Malyan
1983 - W. Saroyan, My Name is Aram, dir. H. Malyan
1983 - A. Chekhov, Uncle Vanya, dir. H. Malyan
1984 - B. Nusic, Autobiography, dir. M. Stepanyan
1985 - V. Aygektsi, Aghvesagirk , dir. S. Shahinyan, H. Malyan
1985 - I. Shtok, The Devine Comedy, dir. A. Adamyan
1985 - An Evening of French Plays, dir. N. Malyan, M. Stepanyan, A. Adamyan
1986 - N. Simon, The Prisoner of the Second Avenue, dir. D. Hakobyan
1988 - H. Kochar, Nostalgia, dir. G. Babayan
1989 - E. Otyan, Comrade Pandjuni, dir. G. Babayan, N. Malyan
1989 - G. Arden, The Happy Heaven, dir. N. Malyan
2001 - Aramuni, Tickets to and back from Paradise, dir. M. Stepanyan
2004 - The Race Physiology, based on short stories by Aghasi Ayvazian, dir. N. Malyan
2007 - N. Gogol, Marriage, dir. V. Khachatryan
2008 -The Trains, based on short stories by W. Saroyan, dir. N. Malyan
2010 - Ler Kamsar, Brutal Communists, dir. M. Stepanyan
2012 - Kh. Chalikyan, Rosinant 2012, dir. Kh. Chalikyan
2014 - J. Patrick, Dear Pamela, dir. N. Malyan
2015 - An Unprecedented Performance, dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the theater and Henrik Malyan's 90th birthday, dir. N. Malyan
2017 - M. Delaporte, Al. de La Patelliere What’s in a Name, dir. N. Malyan
2017 - H. Paronyan Dentist…Again? dir. Zh. Babazyan
The Theater was named after Henrik Malyan in 1988:
The Theater toured in almost all regions of Armenia and performed numerous charity performances both locally - in Yerevan, Gyumri, Artsakh, Vanadzor, Spitak, and internationally - Adler, Paris, Lebanon, Syria, France, Canada, Latvia, Russia, Estonia, Azerbaijan and Bulgaria.
Festivals and Awards:
1992 - Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre, Egypt
1996 - ASSITEJ - International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People, Germany
2000 - Festival Est-Ouest, France
2001 - Aramuni's Tickets to and back from Paradise (dir. M. Stepanyan) was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by the State Legislature of California
2003 - 2004 - HIGH FEST International Performing Arts Festival, Armenia
2004 - The Honored Art Worker of the Republic of Armenia Narine Malyan heads the Theater
2004 - Sibfest International Theater Festival, Romania
2004 - The performance H. Tumanyan’s Fairy tales, (dir. N. Malyan) won major awards in 8 categories at the 3rd Isfahan International Theater Festival for Children and Young Adults, Iran
2004 - A. Avagyan’s Race Physiology (dir. N. Malyan) was awarded the “Artavazd” medal
2005 - New Drama Moscow International Theater Festival
2007 - Tour in Paris and Marcel within the framework of the "Cultural Year of Armenia in France" program
2007 - Samvel Topalyan, one of the actors in N. Gogol's play Marriage (dir. V. Khachatryan), won the "Artavazd" award in the category of the best young actor of the year
2009 - Narine Malyan won the "Artavazd" award for Best Director for the performance The Trains (based on short stories by W. Saroyan), Georgy Hovakimyan was awarded as Best Supporting Actor, and Christina Hovakimyan as Best Supporting Actress
2009 - The Theater was invited to Montreal by the AGBU Montreal Cultural Committee of Canada with the three performances - H. Tumanyan's Fairy Tales, A. Ayvazyan’s Race Physiology, V. Saroyan's The Trains.
2010 - N. Malyan received the Tekeyan Cultural Foundation's annual award in the "Theater" category for the performance The Trains, based on short stories by William Saroyan.
2011 - The performance Race Physiology (dir. by N. Malyan) was invited to participate in the Tbilisi International Festival of Theatre.
2015 - The performance Dear Pamela (dir. by N. Malyan) won the "Artavazd" medal for the best performance of the year
2016 - The performance Race Physiology (dir. by N. Malyan) won the main prize at the "Theatrical Lori" festival.
2016 - The performance Race Physiology (dir. by N. Malyan) participated in the "Theatrical Lori" festival.
2017 - Race Physiology (dir. by N. Malyan) was performed within the framework of the Abovyan annual theater festival
2017 - Race Physiology (dir. by N. Malyan) was performed at the Republican Theater Festival after Hovhannes Abelyan
2018 - The Malyan Theater was invited to the official opening of the Lori Theatrical Festival with its Fairy Tales performance
2018 - What’s in the Name was performed within the frameworks of Abovyan annual theatrical festival
2018 - Vahagn Gasparyan won the "Artavazd" medal in best supporting actor nomination of the year for the performance Dentist…again (dir. by Jh. Babazyan)
2019 - On the occasion of Hovhannes Tumanyan's 150th anniversary the theater toured in France and Russia with the performance Hovhannes Tumanyan's Fairy tales (staged by H. Malyan). The tour was supported by the Ministry of Science, Culture, Education and Sport of the Republic of Armenia.
2021 - An Upsidedown Dream (dir. Narine Malyan) won the "Artavazd" award in the nomination for the best children's play of the year.
