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PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
AGBU Western District Celebrates Renowned Actor, Director And
Entertainer Krikor Satamian’s Golden Jubilee
By Aleen L. Khanjian
Pasadena, CA – On Sunday, October 30, 2011, at 6:30 pm, the Armenian
General Benevolent Union (AGBU) will celebrate the Golden Jubilee of
renowned actor, entertainer, comedian, and director Krikor Satamian. The
program featuring speakers Assadour Guzelian from London, England, and
Sarkis Minassian, as well as lifelong friends, co-stars, and admirers of
Satamian, will commemorate and honor his 50 years as an entertainer. The
event will also feature a highly anticipated artistic program.
While Satamian is well known for his current role as director of the
AGBU Ardavazt Theatre Group in Los Angeles, where he has served for a
large part of his career, in addition to his role as the AGBU Western
District’s Artistic Director, there is no denying that his history,
diverse training, and contribution to the international theatrical
community is broad and enduring.
A review of Satamian’s fifty years in theater proves outstanding to say
the least. Following his graduation from the American University of
Beirut (AUB), Satamian attended the London School of Film Technique as
well as the Bristol Old Vic Theater School. Following a season of
theatrical performances at the Belgrade Theater in Coventry City,
England, he returned to Lebanon to serve as the Artistic Director of the
AGBU Vahram Papazian Theatre Group. While in Lebanon, Satamian also
served as a lecturer of Drama at AUB.
Satamian joined the AGBU Vahram Papazian Theatre Group as a young actor
in 1960. Twelve years later, as its Artistic Director, he led the same
theatre group on a well-received tour of Armenia. In 1975, Satamian led
the group to France, England, and Cyprus. Following his work with the
Vahram Papazian Theatre Group, he went on to teach at the Bristol Old
Vic Theater School before becoming resident director at New York’s
famous Off-Broadway company, “Colonnades Theater Lab,” in 1976. After
his success at Colonnades, Satamian was invited to the “Hope Summer
Repertory Company” to direct on three subsequent occasions.
Satamian has been an avid, active member of the AGBU since his early
childhood. In 1978, he rejoined the world’s largest organization in New
York City as its national artistic director. Since the 1970s, he has
founded several AGBU theater companies in Boston, Detroit, New York, and
Philadelphia, as well as Los Angeles. He was the artistic director of
the AGBU Ardashad Theatre Group, as well as the producer and anchor of
the AGBU-Spotlight Armenians TV program in New York City. In 1988,
Satamian was appointed as artistic director of the AGBU Western
District, and permanently relocated to Los Angeles. He then became the
director of the AGBU Ardavazt Theater Group, which he had helped
establish in 1979, together with Haig Messerlian and Parsegh Kartalian.
To date, Satamian has directed and staged 75 plays and three operettas,
as well as acting in 85 productions.
Some of Satamian’s most memorable characters include: Off-Broadway, with
the Classic Theater, in Shirvanzadeh’s “Evil Spirit” in the demanding
role of Kij-Taniel and later, in Nishan Parlakian’s “Grandma Pray For
Me,” in the lead role of Deacon. Satamian acted in two successful AGBU
professional productions in English: “Three Acts of Love” at the
Fireside Theater, in North Hollywood, and Raffi Arzoomanian’s “The
Moths” at the Hudson Backstage Theater, in Hollywood. Satamian also
partakes in professional American productions. Some of his TV credits
include: Suddenly Susan, The Naked Truth, Team Knight Rider, Mad TV, and
Alias. Satamian’s film credits include: Assignment Berlin, Chickpeas,
One False Step, Subterfuge, Enemies of Laughter, After Freedom,
Pomegranate, as well as Must Love Dogs, which stars Diane Lane, John
Cusack, and Christopher Plummer. Must Love Dogs was directed by the
highly respected Gary David Goldberg.
Satamian is credited as the first actor to introduce the art of stand-up
comedy to the Armenian performance world in 1984. Since then, he has
given more than 150 performances in all the major cities of the United
States and Canada. Bristol Old Vic Theatre School Principal Nat Brenner
wrote about him, “Mr. Satamian has proved one of the most gifted and
brilliant students of the theatre it has ever been my experience and
pleasure to direct.”
The entire Armenian community has undeniably reaped a cultural profit
from Satamian’s lasting contribution. All are invited to partake in
Krikor Satamian’s Golden Jubilee celebration on October 30, at 6:30 pm,
at the Pasadena AGBU Center located at 2495 E. Mountain Street, in
Pasadena. For more information, please call the AGBU Western District
Office at (626) 794-7942.
Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually touching the
lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.
For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please visit
www.agbu.org
www.agbu.org
www.agbu.org.