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 The Sultans of Satire show has captivated audiences throughout Southern California since 2005, and ran for eight months at the Laugh Factory, with regional shows taking place in Orange County and Riverside (Dec. 2, 2007) and plans for a national tour shaping up for 2008. Says Jordan Elgrably, the show's creator, "Each of these comedians, though they come from cultures that are often in conflict, has come to really respect each other. They 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. After the events of 9/11 and the resulting vilification of most things Arab or Muslim, this has become the mission of Levantine Center." These irreverent comedians spoof the "clash of civilizations" between "us" and "them", between America/the West and the Arab/Muslim East. They also have fun with culture, family and identity. They are funny people who also work steadily as dramatic/comedic actors in film, television and theatre. Jordan Elgrably, who produces the show for Levantine Cultural Center, is the center’s cofounder and artistic director. He has been working as a cultural activist on behalf of Middle East peace, building relationships among diverse communities in Los Angeles, for more than a decade. His work as a producer includes dozens of world music concerts, literary arts programs and conferences. He is a frequent radio talk show guest and public speaker, as well as a longtime writer on arts, media and intercultural dialogue. A portion of the show's proceeds benefit Levantine Center's programs for peace through arts. |
 Sultans 21 (1/30/2008) "Thank you. It was a great show...Mike and Peter were very funny. We had a good time, especially two of my friends who were new to stand-up comedy. Keep up the good work." —Zari Shayegh "My wife and I had a good time and we'd like to go again." —Victor Kozaski "Thank you—we all had a wonderful time. Please don't forget to let us know about the next Sultans show!" —Mike Fatorechi "It was a great evening! Enjoyed the comedians, who were quite good. I believe that comedy is a wonderful way to cross barriers (making fun of ourselves) and it creates tolerance. Keep up the good work!" —Sharon Malca "Each one had their high moments, but we liked Peter the Persian the most, then the Jordanian Catholic guy. Apologies if the rest is not that enthusiastic. Rochelle and I used to go to various comedy clubs, but two things stopped us. We saw Robin Williams, and he was so much better than the others, that they became hard to watch. Plus, the jokes about sex, drugs, and LA got tiresome. Some of that still appears to be the case, and the vulgarity no longer seems very cutting edge or even funny to us. Maybe we are just too old for it since the crowed seemed to like it, but for us it must be 45 years since Lenny Bruce did this kind of humor and the world has moved on. "Personally, I would love to see some humor, of which there was some last night, which skewers the rich and powerful. If Groucho could do it in his movies and Raymond Chandler could do it in his detective mysteries, then I am sure good comedians can figure out how to do more of it the current period. Plus Mort Sahl (sp?) can do it with today's newspaper." —Dick Platkin "It was much better than I expected. Bravo! The comedians were good. The atmosphere was nice and friendly. Your intro was brief, funny, informative and to the point. I will certainly spread the news (I already have). Keep up the good work." — Jahan Ardalan "My friends and I really enjoyed it – everyone had a positive experience I think. We definitely liked Peter the Persian the best (as did most people there I’m guessing), and we also all felt bad that Shereen wasn’t given more time. The only thing we were unhappy about was that we were not told in advance about the two item minimum. I don’t think it would have changed anyone’s decision to come, but we felt taken by surprise by it. But overall it was a wonderful event and we were glad to come." — Ahilan Arulanantham "I was slightly disappointed by the show. There was an overload of *#@&)$(*&%)*! language, too much on sex. I needed more jokes or fun about politics, cultural differences, peace and so on. That a what makes us different from Americans and that a what I am attracted to. The last show I saw, in Irvine, was more about the culture etc..." Sabine Gemayel Sultans 17 "I absolutely loved it. I originally thought to myself, well, I know some of these people and they're super talented, but Middle Eastern stand-up? Could be redundant, which it wasn't AT ALL. Every single comic had a distinct routine. You have great info on your site...I'm wondering how you think the tide of Middle Eastern humor is headed in our post 9/11 society? What I really want to know is...do the comics ever have heated political debates amongst themselves? Comics are always the most opinionated people and rightly so. Any funny anecdotes would be great as well." — Vida Ghaffari "Overall, the show was a lot of fun. It was different than any other comedy show I know. Even though I'm not immediately of Middle Eastern descent, I felt at home. The audience felt mixed, but the same—so in that respect, I guess the show was a success! I generally like going to shows with a number of comedians, so that if one isn't terrific, you know it's not forever. It works well obviously with the theme. Max Amini stood out for me as being the act where I laughed the most. He was energetic and put his whole face and body into it...I did enjoy Elham since I don't get out to see many comediennes, and I'm always up for girl power. I liked Peter and appreciated his gig. I like when people study something (like accents/languages) and use it in their act." — Sapphira
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