After its sold out debut, the Yes, And… Laughter Lab, alongside Noam Shuster-Eliassi and Fouad Dakwar, announced they would be hosting another showing of An Evening Of Comedy, Chords, & Conversation With Noam Shuster-Eliassi & Fouad Dakwar. The show, which premiered at YALL Comedy Fest in New York City on April 2, 2025, features two truth-telling comedians; An Israeli raised in the only place where Jews and Palestinians live together by choice and the other, a Palestinian Christian raised on the Upper West Side of New York City. The audience will see Noam Shuster Eliassi of Coexistence My Ass and Fouad Dakwar of Fouad of Nazareth share segments from their shows.
During the debut at the festival, attendees as they were treated to a musical comedy performance from Fouad Dakwar, Saum Seyed, Sahar Milani, alongside musical accompaniment from Ben Covello, Mohan Ritsema, and Jesse Chevan, followed by a standup comedy performance from Noam Shuster-Eliassi, and concluding with a talkback with Shuster-Eliassi, Dakwar, Yes, And… Laughter Lab co-founder Mik Moore, filmmaker and advocate Libby Lenkinski, and Pillars Foundation’s Arij Mikati.
The reprised show will take place Sunday, April 27 at 2:00pm at Asylum NYC. Get tickets at yallcomedyfest.com.
Noam Shuster-Eliassi will present a preview of Coexistence My Ass – Through humorous stories about everything from growing up in a binational Israeli-Palestinian peace village, to her dating life, to politics, Noam centers her complex identity as an Iranian-Jewish-Israeli woman. She uses her experience navigating three languages and the geopolitical chaos of her upbringing to call into question assumptions about what it means to be Jewish, Arab, the Middle East, and how we build relationships with people who are cast as our enemies.
The show, Coexistence My Ass, is the subject of the 2025 Sundance film by the same name. Winner of the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Freedom of Expression, Shuster’s life as a comedian and activist are documented by the Peabody Award-winning director Amber Fares.
Fouad Dakwar will present a preview of Fouad of Nazareth – Based on a true story, Fouad of Nazareth follows an awkward and hopelessly romantic Palestinian New Yorker as he revisits his birthplace for the first time. Little does he know, the supposed homeland that awaits him in Nazareth is an Americanized summer camp, full of the kind of summer camp temptations that would overwhelm any 17 year old, including prom nights, love triangles, and tug-of-war-crimes— On top of the border patrol interrogations, second class citizenship, and militarized occupation. Featuring an Arabic infused pop-punk score, this darkly comedic musical asks us all to question: is “homeland” found in a place, in a people, or from within?
Directed by Sivan Battat and music directed by Ben Covello, Fouad of Nazareth was performed off-Broadway at The Public Theater in New York City in February 2024. Dakwar will perform alongside cast members Sahar Milani, and Saum Seyed, and musicians Matt DeMaria, Jenny Giammanco, and Nathan Repasz on April 27.
Tickets to An Evening Of Comedy, Chords, & Conversation With Noam Shuster-Eliassi & Fouad Dakwar are on sale now for $25. Visit yallcomedyfest.com to make a purchase.
Yes, And… Laughter Lab is a competitive incubation lab, pitch program and showcase that uplifts the best comedy writers and performers creating new comedy about topics that matter, with a focus on BIPOC, immigrant, Muslim, LGBTQ, and women creators. Follow Yes, And… Laughter Lab on Twitter/X and Instagram at @YALLcomedy.
The Yes, And… Laughter Lab is generously supported by Doris Duke Foundation’s Building Bridges Program, MacArthur Foundation, Pop Culture Collaborative, Open Society Foundations, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
