Booked & Scene

In 2021, Sam Kissajukian walked away from stand-up comedy, rented out an abandoned cake factory, and began painting. What followed was a six-month manic episode that produced over 300 large-scale works of art. 300 Paintings created and performed by Sam Kissajukian takes audiences on that ride an 80-minute solo show that is equal parts hilarious and deeply human.

Mania, Meet Mic
From the moment the lights went down, I was laughing to the point of tears. This show works because Sam marries his years of experience as a stand-up comic with his own personal story. The overarching arc follows his manic episode, but the piece takes us through specific moments: the first few days, scattered flashes throughout the months, a side tangent or two, and ultimately the “end” (quotation marks intentional—you’ll have to see the show to understand why). Sam makes a point of telling us that there’s no script, that he’s just sharing the story as he sees it in his head, and that choice makes the show even better. It means no two performances are the same, depending on whether he’s leaning more manic, more depressed, or more stable.

The Art of Timing (and Timing of Art)
Sam’s comedic timing is impeccable. The audience around me was howling, wheezing, or, like me, wiping away tears. The humor is sharp and rooted in the truth that Sam lived. But what makes the piece remarkable is how it lands emotionally, too. It never veers into cringe or discomfort, the way experimental theater sometimes can. Instead, the whole experience feels satisfying and strangely cathartic.

The Brushstrokes Behind the Story
The paintings themselves, the witty titles Sam gave them, and the trajectory of his creative life add layers to the performance. To leave behind one “questionable” career path in comedy for another in painting feels daunting, but the way he shares that choice makes it not just understandable but inspiring. The 80 minutes fly by, and amid the laughter, he manages to ask big, life-altering questions.

Flawless Execution
Normally, I make a point in every review to highlight what didn’t land for me. But here? I have nothing. Truly nothing. This is the first time since I started Booked & Scene that I’ve come away without a single critique. As someone with anxiety, ADHD, and OCD, hearing someone so openly describe their own mental illness, and do so in a way that made perfect, understandable sense, was incredible to see executed flawlessly on stage.

The (300) Big Pictures
If you love art, if you’ve ever loved or hated stand-up comedy, or if you’ve ever faced a battle with your brain, this show is for you. Before October 25, run to grab a ticket to 300 Paintings and see what moments hit you just as hard as they hit me.

📸: Sam Kissajukian in performance of 300 Paintings at A.R.T. Credit: Evgenia Eliseeva