Varto Terian (; May 11, 1896 – October 2, 1974) also known by the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...

LaLa, was an Iranian-born Armenian actress and educator. She was Iran’s first stage actress of theater.

Early life and education

Varto Terian was born on May 11, 1896, in

Tabriz Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...

Qajar Iran The Guarded Domains of Iran, alternatively the Sublime State of Iran and commonly called Qajar Iran, Qajar Persia or the Qajar Empire, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Qajar dynasty, which was of Turkic peoples, Turkic origin,Cyrus G ...

to an Armenian family. When she was a child her family moved to Tehran. After high school she moved to Switzerland to continue her studies at the

University of Geneva The University of Geneva (French: ''Université de Genève'') is a public university, public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded in 1559 by French theologian John Calvin as a Theology, theological seminary. It rema ...

, where she focused on acting. When she returned to Iran, many theater groups had recently been formed including the Young Armenians Theater Society in Tehran. She met her future husband Arto Terian (1892–1954) at the theater society, he later became a successful actor and theater director.

Career

After their marriage, in 1914 she launched her theater career. In Iran during the 1910s–1920s women were banned from theater acting and attendance. In order to protect their family she performed under the name ''LaLa'', and Arto used the name ''Arizad.'' The couple were the main members of the Armenian Theater of Tehran from 1923 to 1932. Later the couple joined the Young Iran Society, founded by

Abdolhossein Teymourtash Abdolhossein Teymourtash (; 25 September 1883 – 3 October 1933) was an influential Iranian statesman who served as the first minister of court of the Pahlavi dynasty from 1925 to 1932, and is credited with playing a crucial role in laying the ...

. Terian was also a professor of French language and literature at the Teachers College Tehran. Her daughter was astronomer and

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

Alenush Terian Ālenush Teriān (; ; November 9, 1921 – March 4, 2011) was an Iranian-Armenian astronomer and physicist and is called 'Mother of Modern Iranian Astronomy'. Early life She was born on November 9, 1921, to an Armenian family in Tehran, Iran. H ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Terian, Varto 1896 births 1974 deaths 20th-century Iranian actresses 20th-century Iranian educators Armenian educators Armenian women educators Armenian stage actresses Iranian people of Armenian descent Iranian stage actresses Iranian women educators People from Tabriz People of Pahlavi Iran University of Geneva alumni

Early life and education

Career

See also

References