Sultans of Satire
The Sultans of Satire show, with American comedians of Iranian, Arab and Turkish descent, has captivated audiences since 2005. The comedians represent all the major religions and most of the Middle East and North Africa. The show uses humor and satire to convey a message of peace and unity among us all, and is sponsored by Levantine Cultural Center.
Comedians
Mike Batayeh: A native of Detroit who is of Jordanian descent. A working actor, comedian and writer, he has appeared on stage at such prominent comedy venues as The Comedy Store, Laugh Factory, The Improv and the Ice house in Pasadena. As an actor Mike has appeared in several movies as well as guest starred on shows for all of the major networks, with noteworthy appearances on "JAG," "Everybody Loves Raymond", "The Shield" and currently he has a recurring role on Showtime's "Sleeper Cell." You can also catch him in "American Dreamz," starring Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid, Willem Dafoe and Mandy Moore. He was recently part of the line up at the Amman Stand up Comedy Festival in December 2008 in Jordan.
Max Amini graduated from UCLA Film and Television and is actor with numerous film and TV credits, including "Heroes," "The Mind of Mencia," and "The Nick Cannon Show." A native of Iran, he is a stand-up comedian who regularly performs at the Laugh Factory, the Improv and every Friday night at the World Famous Comedy Store. His humor and stories capture what it's like to be an Iranian in America these days. He performs regularly in the Sultans of Satire.
Elham Jazab: Born in Shiraz, Iran, her family soon moved to Tunisia and later Zaire, Africa. Her comedy explores issues that are current and controversial, including the unusual nature of transplanted Persian culture (Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian community outside of Tehran). With rave reviews on the street, Elham has been called "outrageous," "hilarious" and "the world's funniest female Persian comic."
With a degree in theatre and film from Northwestern University, and a Masters from Columbia College, she is well equipped to see the funny side of most any situation. She appeared in Cornerstone Theatre's highly acclaimed "A Long Bridge Over Deep Waters," and can be seen in local clubs dispensing her sly blend of cross-cultural humor.
Noel Elgrably grew up in the nation's capital but left his day-job selling insurance to pursue his calling as a stand-up comedian in Los Angeles. The son of a French-Moroccan father and Moroccan-Israeli mother, he offers an original comedic perspective on growing up as a child of Middle Eastern immigrants chasing the American dream below the Mason-Dixon line. Noel's can be seen performing regularly at Los Angeles area comedy clubs such as The World Famous Comedy Store, The Laugh Factory, The Improv, and The Icehouse. He recently appeared in the 2008 New York CITY Arab-American Comedy Festival, performed with the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour, is a regular cast member of The Sultans of Satire. He has trained as a dramatic actor and was featured in the indie film Clean and the short Gone Too Far.
Gulden, a regular at the Comedy Store, the Laugh Factory, and the Ice House in Los Angeles, was born in Istanbul and came to the U.S. after high school for higher education. She completed her B.A. and M.S. and is working on a Ph.D. in Business Administration. After she became an American citizen, she started doing comedy, which made all her relatives and her parents disown her! Just as in her own life, her comedy takes a twisted look at her relationships with her family, men, and various ethnic groups. She also works for "Catch A Rising Star" and has been on the "Leeza Talk Show" and the "Drew Carey Show."
Peter Shahriari, also known as Peter the Persian, is a Los Angeles native whose family immigrated from Tehran, Iran. He is moderately ethnic and specializes in voices and character humor. Not afraid of big crowds, he's let it all hang out in front of at least 10,000 people. With a B.A. in political science from UCLA, Peter is one of the few stand-up comedians who is also a practicing attorney by day.
Other Regulars, Guests and Emcees
K-Von (Persian father and an American mother), Ara Basil (of Armenian descent), Shereen Faltas and Ahmed Ahmed (Egyptian Americans), Fariborz and Maz Jobrani (Iranian Americans), Aron Kader (Palestinian father and Mormon mother), Marc Maron, Maysoon Zayid (Palestinian-American), Joey Nibras (Chaldean-American), Raya Meddine (Lebanese-American), Jordan Elgrably (Jewish-Arab-American).
