"SULTANS OF SATIRE" TO PREMIERE LIVE ON STAGE MARCH 1st AT THE WORLD FAMOUS LAUGH FACTORY

Los Angeles, CA- Laugh Factory owner Jamie Masada and Levantine Cultural Center artistic director Jordan Elgrably have joined forces to present the "Sultans of Satire: Middle East Comic Relief," as seen on Fox News and in the Los Angeles Times, to a live audience the first Thursday of every month at 8 p.m. beginning March 1st.

Jamie Masada, who has long been an advocate of using laughter as part of the healing process, says he “dreams of the Middle East one day being known for its comedy instead of its conflict. That's why the Laugh Factory is proud to present this show.”

"For me," says Elgrably, "humor is the real smart bomb, satire the best stealth plane, and interfaith unity the safest power trip. Our shows use humor and satire to convey a message of peace and unity among Muslims, Jews, Christians and Bahais."

The show on March 1, a special edition called "The War and Peace Report" in deference to journalist Amy Goodman's morning radio show "Democracy Now", comes on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the Iraq war. Comedians Mike Batayeh (Jordan), Noel Elgrably (Morocco-Israel), Gulden (Turkey), Elham Jazab (Iran), Peter "the Persian" Shahriari (Iran) and Angelo Tsarouchas (Greece) will feature political satire in addition to humor on culture and identity. Comedian bios.

Thursday, March 1, 8 pm (doors 7:30 pm), The Sultans of Satire, special edition "The War and Peace Report", World Famous Laugh Factory, 8001 Sunset Blvd., corner of Laurel Ave., Hollywood CA 90046. T. 323.656.1336 x 1 or purchase tix at www.laughfactory.com. Tix $20 general admission, $30 VIPs (with prompt arrival enjoy early admission and priority seating). More info/tix at 310.559.5544.

Read Los Angeles Times story.

Photos and video clips of "The Sultans of Satire" are available upon request.
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Founded in the summer of 2001 by several Americans of North African/Middle Eastern heritage, Levantine Cultural Center, Levantine Cultural Center (LCC) has become a highly visible and prolific pan-cultural arts project for Middle Eastern cultures, producing numerous groundbreaking performances and lectures. LCC often forms cross-cultural partnerships with like-minded organizations, curates multidisciplinary programs, and regularly includes Arabs/Muslims, Christians and Jews in its outreach, attracting culturally and religiously diverse audiences. LCC celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2006 with a series of worldbeat shows, literary events in the series "Maktub: New Writing From/To the Mideast", the monthly comedy/satire show "Sultans of Satire: Middle East Comic Relief" and more. 2007 will usher in numerous new initiatives to further LCC's mission.

CONTACT
Jordan Elgrably 310.559.5544
jordane@levantinecenter.org

Jackie Plaza
323.848.2800 x10
jackie@laughfactory.com