(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Sometimes a breakdown coincides with the biggest breakthrough. In 2021, Sydney comedian Sam Kissajukian quit stand-up, rented an abandoned cake factory, and became a painter. Over the course of a six-month manic episode, he created 300 large-scale paintings—unknowingly chronicling his mental state in real time.
In 300 Paintings, Kissajukian takes audiences on a hilarious, deeply human rollercoaster ride exploring creativity, mental health, and the artistic process. Fresh from a critically acclaimed off-Broadway run, the show comes to McCarter Theatre Center for a limited, one-week engagement, October 29 through November 2, 2025. Following each performance, audiences are invited to meet Kissajukian and view his incredible paintings in a curated lobby exhibition.
Originally intended as a one-night-only performance, 300 Paintings quickly drew critical and festival acclaim, winning multiple awards in Australia and the U.K. before an off-Broadway run at New York’s Vineyard Theatre. His international recognition includes Best Comedy Award, Sydney Fringe 2022 & 2023; Best Comedy Weekly Award, Perth Fringe World 2023; and Outstanding Show Award, Edinburgh Fringe 2024.
Sam Kissajukian is a comedian and visual artist based in Sydney, Australia. For over a decade, he toured globally as a stand-up performer across the U.S., U.K., and Europe. His creative practice now bridges art and comedy, blending storytelling and visual exhibition to examine the intersections of creativity, mental health, and recovery. Since his first solo exhibition in 2022, Kissajukian has received acclaim for his two-tiered approach—melding live performance and visual art to explore the creative process and emotional expression.
Tickets are available for purchase online or by calling Patron Services at (609) 258-2787. McCarter Theatre Center is located at 91 University Place in Princeton, New Jersey.
Critics have praised 300 Paintings as “a whistle-stop art tour enfolded in a stand-up comedy routine” (The New York Times), “a triumph… a visceral, funny, and deeply moving testament to resilience and the transformative power of art” (Times Square Chronicles), and “part autobiography, part art history lecture, part psychotherapy session, part stand-up comedy routine—and fully brilliant, revealing, engaging, and funny” (DC Theater Arts). New York Theatre Guide called it “a dive into the necessity, and limits, of creativity through the best and most perilous moments of life.”
The show is produced by Sally Horchow and Matt Ross in association with Octopus Theatricals.
McCarter is one of the country’s flagship theaters and a vibrant center for community and the performing arts. Located on the campus of Princeton University, the company is an independent nonprofit, serving as a nationally renowned, multi-disciplinary creative hub for arts and ideas, offering theatre, music, dance, spoken word, and educational programs for all ages.
A two-time Tony Award winner, McCarter’s legacy of artistic excellence dates back to its first performances in 1930. Our Town, You Can’t Take It with You, and Bus Stop all premiered at McCarter, paving the way for a long history of launching remarkable works that have gone on to tens of thousands of performances worldwide.
The company is equally revered for presenting global artists on its stages, including Yo-Yo Ma, Samara Joy, Hasan Minhaj, Jon Stewart, Caetano Veloso, Rhiannon Giddens, Patti Smith, Esperanza Spalding, Lake Street Dive, and Herbie Hancock. Of the 100,000 community members who engage with McCarter each year, more than 5,000 are students participating in educational programs in Princeton, Trenton, and schools across the region. McCarter leads with values of justice, joy, and beauty in belonging—creating a space where artists and audiences can come together to celebrate the power of live performance.
