William Saroyan

The story of how William Saroyan became the darling of the New York theatre scene and his rapid fall from grace is bound inextricably to the circumstance under which he grew up. He was an ethnic minority in America-an Armenian-and he became a rebel with a cause. Saroyan took upon himself the mission of bringing love and hope to the outcasts and working people of America at a time when the country was emerging from the Great Depression. He championed the poor, the downtrodden, and the ethnic and racial minorities, yet he could not find peace within his own troubled life. He was never able to merge his personal philosophy of the need for love among all people with his personal growth and development. While being a humanist, he was, at times, not a compassionate human being. This tug of war between his inner strife and his drive to champion the little people and to infuse their stories with hope and mutual love and respect is the background on which his career as a writer and practitioner of the theatre arose.

Armenak Saroyan, William's father, emigrated alone to the United States from Bitlis, Armenia in 1905. He was a preacher, teacher, and spare-time poet. Takoohi, William's mother, came to America two years later, bringing his two sisters and brother with her. They began family life in New Jersey, but in 1908 moved to the San Joaquin Valley in California. Because of a misunderstanding about a preaching job that did not materialize, Armenak became a farm laborer.

William Saroyan was profoundly influenced by two elements of his youthful development: his Armenian heritage and his rabid attendance at vaudeville performances and movies. Traditionally, the Armenian people use storytelling to keep their history alive, as well as for social entertainment. He grew up hearing the wild, boastful, romantic stories of Armenian heroes and heroines. William also grew up knowing the sting of ethnic intolerance. He was keenly aware of what it was like to be a foreigner in America. During the day he was confronted with American schools, newspapers, movies, and books, but at home he lived the cultural and social life of an Armenian. According to Saroyan, the Armenians of Fresno were considered not only foreigners, but "unattractive foreigners". Saroyan's Armenian heritage taught him the importance of the family as a place to find solace, warmth, and a sense of connection to other human beings. The value of human interaction and support is reflected in nearly every piece of his writings.

Saroyan was able to see local and traveling theatre performances. The first play that he saw was a "Punch and Judy" puppet show, and the first movie was about cowboys and Indians. In 1919 he saw his Uncle Aram act in Ibsen Pillars of Society at Fresno High School. Several years later he read A Doll's House and The Lady of the Sea and concluded that Ibsen was a dull playwright. Saroyan also saw Otello in Armenian. He attended the circus every time it came to town and was influenced by the simultaneous activity and multiple focal points of this curious brand of theatre. Saroyan also saw traveling Broadway productions in San Francisco, as well as visiting New York in 1935, where he saw Ceiling Zero.