Artistic Director’s Welcome
Welcome to 300 Paintings!
Sam Kissajukian’s extraordinary journey from stand-up comic to visual artist was a prolific period of boundless creativity. Exploring the ties between art, mental health, and creativity, his one-man-show is both infused with comedy and deeply personal. It reminds us that theater creates spaces for us to examine our humanity and dare to be vulnerable.
The premiere of 300 Paintings at New York City’s Vineyard Theatre garnered Sam multiple award nominations for his solo performance. He comes to us following an acclaimed run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and will then take his show to the McCarter at Princeton at the end of October. I’m thrilled he is in residence with us at the A.R.T. this month.
300 Paintings invites us to re-evaluate our relationship with art—to consider how it can offer portals into our lived experiences, change the way we see, and help us to be truly seen by others. I hope you’ll join Sam after the show to view his paintings up close and to continue the conversation.
We are very grateful to be at Farkas Hall for the run of this production, a residency made possible through our ongoing partnership with Harvard University’s undergraduate concentration in Theater, Dance & Media.
Thank you for joining us!
Diane Paulus
Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director
American Repertory Theater
Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director:
Diane Paulus
presents
300 PAINTINGS
Created and Performed by Sam Kissajukian
Creative Team
The North America premiere of 300 Paintings was produced by VINEYARD THEATRE, Sarah Stern and Douglas Aibel, Artistic Directors, New York City, 2024.
First performance at Harvard’s Farkas Hall on October 1, 2025.
This production is supported, in part, by The Robert Brustein Endowment Fund for New Works.
A.R.T. Season support is provided by Harvard University, The Barr Foundation, The Bob and Alison Murchison New Work Development Fund, The Shubert Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Barton & Guestier, and Meyer Sound.
The A.R.T. 2024/25 Season is supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which receives support from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Runtime: 90 minutes with no intermission
This production contains discussions of mental illness, including bipolar, insomnia, and psychosis.
Company & Staff
Cast
Performer
Sam Kissajukian
Performer
Sam Kissajukian
Sam Kissajukian, who lives in Sydney, had been working professionally as a stand-up comedian for twelve years until he became disillusioned by his career and quit. In June 2021, in the seclusion of an old cake factory, Sam experienced a six-month manic episode followed by a debilitating five-month depressive episode. In May 2022, he was diagnosed with Bipolar. Since seeking treatment, Sam’s life was transformed by his newfound stability. After a yearlong hiatus, Sam began performing again in September 2022.
Octopus Theatricals
A.R.T. Staff
Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director: Diane Paulus
SENIOR STAFF
Director of Facilities and Capital Projects: Peter Atkinson
Public Relations Director: Rebecca Curtiss
General Manager: Connor Davis
Managing Director: Anna Fitzloff
Executive Administrator: Kathleen Fowkes
Director of Finance: Julia Goldmacher
Senior Theater and Facilities Manager: Tracy Keene
Chief Development Officer: Eileen Kennedy
Director of Production: Krystin Matsumoto
Director of Artistic Programs & Dramaturg: Ryan McKittrick
Associate Artistic Director: Dayron J. Miles
Producer: Evan O’Brient
Chief Marketing Officer: Jennifer Weissman
STAFF
Artistic & EngagementArtistic Coordinator & Special Assistant to the Artistic Director: Karina Cowperthwaite ProducingAssociate Producer: Emma Watt Marketing & CommunicationsAssociate Director, Creative Services: Joel Zayac DevelopmentAssociate Director, Institutional Giving: Anna Cline FacilitiesAssistant Project Manager: Alex Giorgetti FinanceController: Toufiq Aitelfqih Patron ServicesHead of Patron Services: Emma Putnam |
ProductionProduction Manager: Skip Curtiss ScenicAssistant Technical Director: Victor Gutierrez PaintCharge Scenic Artist: Gerard Vogt Stage OperationsStage Operations Manager: Kevin Belcher CostumesCostume Manager: Muriel Mangual-Bennett WardrobeWardrobe Manager: Alycia Marucci SoundSound Manager: Camilo Atehortua LightingLighting and Projections Supervisor: Matthew Adelman PropertiesProperties Manager: Erin Kehr Production OverhireElectrician: Andy Tran |
