BURBANK — On November 1, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, bestowed St. Sahag-St. Mesrob Medal of Honor and Holy Encyclical upon popular actor and director Krikor Satamian who was honored for his lifelong dedication to the arts and contribution to Armenian theatre.
Surrounded by friends, family and colleagues at the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church, Satamian accepted the award, thanking His Holiness Karekin II and the Diocese. “Receiving this medal of honor is an unparalleled moment for me. It has been a great journey and I feel lucky to have had this unique opportunity to do what I love,” said Satamian. “I am proud to serve the Armenian people through Armenian theatre and cultural programs of AGBU.”
Satamian’s decades-long commitment to his craft has had a significant impact on the development of theater across the diaspora. In 1960, he first joined the famous AGBU Vahram Papazian Theatre Company in Beirut, Lebanon, as a young actor and later was appointed as its artistic director. In the following years, he became AGBU’s national artistic director in New York and had since established several AGBU theater companies in Boston, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Buenos Aires. Since 2013, Satamian is the artistic director of the AGBU Krikor Satamian Theatre Group in Los Angeles, previously known as the AGBU Ardavazt Theatre Company.
Satamian has directed over 87 plays, three operettas and has acted in over 70 plays, shows and films, including “24,” “Subterfuge,” “Mad TV” and “Suddenly Susan.” He also worked with celebrities like Brooke Shields, Joey Travolta and John Cusack. He also taught drama at the American University of Beirut (AUB), his alma mater, and the AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School in Canoga Park for thirteen years.
