About Kumail...
Kumail spent the first
18 years of his life in Karachi, Pakistan, then made the natural transition to Iowa. He was so excited to leave Iowa four
years later that he started performing comedy immediately. If you think that you know everything a Pakistani-Iowan might have
to say, think again. Kumail's comedy covers a broad range of topics, from giant squids to units of measurement, from men
on the moon to his love of chocolate.
His comedy leaves audiences gasping for air. Quickly
rising through the comedy ranks, Kumails talent has been recognized by industry and fellow comedians alike. He's been
featured in theaters and clubs around the country and has had to pleasure to to work in large theaters with comedians including
Zack Galifianakis, Eugene Mirman and Arj Barker.
He forged his distinctive style and unusual content while living
in Chicago post-college, including as part of the groundbraking live and video stand-up comedy collective BLERDS.com.
Kumail moved to Brooklyn in 2007, which is better than Iowa in his opinion.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT KUMAIL'S MYSPACE PAGE, SEE VIDEO AND FULL CALENDAR (SUMMER 2007)
CLICK HERE TO READ REVIEW OF "UNPRONOUNCEABLE" IN TIME OUT NEW YORK (MARCH 2008)
About UNPRONOUNCEABLE...
When Kumail started performing stand-up comedy 7
years ago, he avoided comedy bits about his upbringing in a devout Muslim family in Pakistan. In
some small way he did so out of a feeling of "cautiousness" during unsure times. But more important than
"political correctness," Kumail didn't want to create an act that was a one-dimensional stereotype or over-the-top
caricature of himself and his family.
In 2007 Kumail thought the time was right to address all the background,
stories, and "material" he had been putting to the side relating to his experiences growing up in Pakistan, arriving
naively on the fields of Iowa at age 18 and his subsequent personal growth.
Instead of inserting this
rich array of stories and lessons into his stand-up routine, Kumail wrote and developed his one-man show Unpronounceable.
Unpronounceable is at once hilarious, poignant and gripping. It is the story of Kumail's devout
Muslim upbringing in tumultuous Pakistan, surviving often very personal threats of Shiite vs. Sunni battles, the
son of a loving an protective mother (a universal truth), while at the same time being groomed in American culture, custom
and language so that he might come to this country for college and thrive.
Through storytelling, photos and music,
we travel with Kumail through his life's journey and the evolution of his beliefs and world view.
Unprounceable's
original run, directed by Paul Provenza, played to sold-out audiences at Chicago's 330-seat Lakeshore
Theater.
Unpronounceable will make its New York debut at the Upright Citizens Brigade
Theater March 14 & 28, 2008.
READ ABOUT "UNPRONOUNCEABLE" IN "TIME OUT CHICAGO"
CLICK HERE SEE A PROMO VIDEO OF "UNPRONOUNCEABLE"
SELECT PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
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UNPRONOUNCEABLE
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Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
307 West 26th Street
New York, NY
www.ucbtheatre.com/ny
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FRIDAY, APRIL 26
8PM
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UNPRONOUNCEABLE
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Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
307 West 26th Street
New York, NY
www.ucbtheatre.com/ny
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