BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN TZID:America/Detroit X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Detroit BEGIN:VEVENT UID:32832@arabamerica.com DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20240517T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20240517T203000 DTSTAMP:20240514T235859Z URL:https://www.arabamerica.com/events/dc-comedy-festival-turning-pain-int o-punchlines/ SUMMARY:DC Comedy Festival: Turning Pain into Punchlines DESCRIPTION:WASHINGTON\, DC\n\nThe Middle East Institute (MEI) and comedy h ost Rola Z proudly present Washington\, DC’s first annual ‘Traumedy’ Festival\, where laughter meets healing in the most unexpected and profou nd ways.\n\nOver the two-night festival\, a diverse group of comedians\, i ncluding some of Arab origin\, will open up about their struggles\, sharin g stories of heartache\, loss and adversity with raw honesty and gut-wrenc hing humor. Join us for a journey of self-discovery and catharsis where ev ery punchline is a step towards healing.\n\nThe festival program includes a free panel discussion on the role of comedy in healing with leading ex perts on Friday\, May 17 at MEI followed by two nights of comedy on Friday \, May 17 (MEI) and Saturday\, May 18 (BusBoys and Poets).\n\nThis project is supported in part by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities\, wh ich receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.\n\nComedian s\nYasmin Elhady is a comedian and attorney who has toured nationally and internationally. She performed at The Kennedy Center and was featured on NBC's True Story with Ed Helms and Randall Park in 2022. She has also appe ared locally on WUSA9 with Reese Waters\, NPR\, 'Netflix is a Joke Radio' on SiriusXM\, and The Washington Post. She was named a 2022 "Yes\, And...L aughter Lab" finalist for comedy and social justice.\n\nJoe Marshall is a standup comedian\, who has performed at the DC Improv\, Hotbed\, and the DC Comedy Loft. He currently produces a monthly comedy show called\, Comed y Lab\, which has been featured in District Fray Magazine\, WUSA 9\, and T he Washington Post. He also partners with Victory Christian Ministries Int ’l in NE\, DC to produce and host a monthly men’s session where men ca n heal emotionally through their progressive conversations\, unpacking the traumas of life.\n\nSami Tamimi is an Iraqi standup comedian based in Ri chmond. He moved to the United States 7 years ago and uses his experience living with a Southern host family as fuel for his shows. Sami has perform ed all over the DMV area including Union Stage and Richmond FunnyBone. Add itionally\, he performed many times at the Funny Arabs Show in DC.\n\nRola Z is a producer\, Emcee and host/comedian in DC. She is the creator of T RAUMEDY\, DC’s only Dark Comedy show\, FUNNY ARABS COMEDY SHOW and has b een dubbed ‘Traumedian’ by the Washingtonian\, May 2023. Her comedian line-up includes people who have been through different life hardships and turned that into something funny. Rola Z has been featured in District Fr ay\, Washingtonian\, The National\, Dubai TV\, WUSA9\, Washington City Pap er and more.\n\n \;\nMay 18 Show (Anacostia)\n \;\n\n\nSaturday\, May 18th at 7:00pm\nBusboys &\; Poets\n2004 Martin Luther King Jr Ave S E\n\nJoin us for the second night of the Traumedy festival at Busboys and Poets in Anacostia where Lebanese-born Rola Z returns to the stage with fe llow comedians. As they confront their pain and struggles through laughter and comedy\, their performances and humor help break down barriers\, buil d connections and dissolve pain.\n\nPurchase Tickets\n\n ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.arabamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2 024/05/Screen-Shot-2024-05-14-at-19.58.22.png LOCATION:The Middle East Institute\, 1761 N ST NW\, Washington\, DC\, Unite d States GEO:38.907565;-77.04087600000003 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=1761 N ST NW\, Washington\, DC\, United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=The Middle East Institute:g eo:38.907565,-77.04087600000003 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Detroit X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Detroit BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20240310T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR