AGBU to celebrate actor Krikor Satamian’s golden jubilee

PanARMENIAN.Net - On October 30, 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 life-long friends, co-stars, and admirers of Satamian will commemorate and honor his 50 years as an entertainer. The event will feature a highly-anticipated artistic program as well.

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 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, three operettas, and acted 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 is credited as the first actor to introduce the art of stand-up comedy in the Armenian performing art, in 1984. Since then, he has given more than 150 performances in all the major cities of the United States and Canada.