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 (www.agbu.org) 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.

By Aleen L. Khanjian