People who laugh together can’t hate together.
That was the idea behind Saturday’s comedy show, “One Muslim, One Jew, One Stage.”
Azhar Usman and Rabbi Bob Alper took to the stage with a mission: to make people laugh.
The comedians wanted a turnout from the Muslim and Jewish communities.
“The American Muslim community is where the Jewish community was years ago, as far as being highly educated and wanting to succeed, but it not being easy for them,” Alper said. “And that can be a very unifying feature.”
Usman said the point is that their work becomes an event; people tell other people and the word spreads and it becomes phenomenal if people spread it.
“As a conscious artist, we’re not about just getting to Hollywood,” Usman said. “Our work is beyond money. It serves a higher purpose. Our show has a serious part to it.”
“I just want to tell people to lighten up. We’re in some heavy times and have some heavy issues, more anxieties, tensions and psychological baggage at the moment. It’s a cliché, but laughter is the best medicine.”
Alper described his work as a healthy addiction.
“You just have this powerful need to do it,” Alper said. “People think that what they see on stage is work, but the real work is booking the shows and getting recognition. Working on the stage is what we live for.”
The show was booked through the Muslim Student Association and SGA Multicultural Affairs Committee.
“The show was great,” said Julie Hildabrand, an international business sophomore. “I think it was a great way to learn about their culture, and it was a better way to learn than sitting in lecture.”
The show also cleared up some misconceptions for people and poked fun at some of the stereotypes of the Muslim and Jewish cultures.
Alex Jackson, a psychology sophomore, said it would be good for OSU to bring more multicultural comedians to campus.
“It’s always cool to see a comedian of non-American descent, because they can play off the stereotypes so well,” Jackson said. “And I can have my preconceptions cleared up, but in a funny way.”
Usman said he hopes there are bigger and better things for him on the horizon.
“Hopefully, people realize the value of booking us and we get to come back again,” Usman said.
Usman is working on a Muslim comedy tour video, “Allah Made Me Funny: The Official Muslim Comedy Tour,” expected to be available by 2008.
Alper can be heard on XM Satellite Radio on “The Clean Comedy Channel.”
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