Spirit & Place Presents the “Laugh in Peace” Comedy Show on May 19
Spirit & Place, a collaborative community initiative housed in the Indiana University School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI, is proud to present the “Laugh in Peace” comedy show on Thursday, May 19 for their second annual spring faith event. In partnership with The Indianapolis Public Library, the fun-filled, interfaith comedy show is free.
The “Laugh in Peace” comedy tour features the comedic trio of Muslim comic Gibran Saleem, Rabbi Bob Alper and Rev. Susan Sparks coming from different religious backgrounds to promote interfaith dialogue and highlight our commonalities. The show causes audiences to think, laugh, and leave with a different view of the world. The “Laugh in Peace” show will take place from 7:00 -9:00 p.m. at the Indianapolis Public Library’s Central Library, located at 40 E. St. Clair St. in Indianapolis, Indiana, and audiences can register for the event here.
EVENT DETAILS:
WHAT: The “Laugh in Peace” Comedy Show presented by Spirit & Place in partnership with The Indianapolis Public Library.
WHEN: Thursday, May 19 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
WHERE: Indianapolis Public Library - Central Library, 40 E. St. Clair St., Indianapolis, IN 46204
REGISTRATION: Tickets are free, but guests need to register prior to the event here. The maximum ticket limit per order is four, and availability will be determined by prevailing health guidelines.
ADVANCE INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES: “Laugh in Peace” comics Gibran Saleem, Rabbi Bob Alper and Rev. Susan Sparks are available for interviews/quotes in advance of the show as well as spokespeople with Spirit & Place. To coordinate, please contact Paige Liston, pliston@bohlsengroup.com, 630.460.4456.
About Rabbi Bob Alper:
Bob Alper is an ordained rabbi who has served congregations for 14 years and holds a doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary. He has had a 30-year comedy career with wonderfully unique material presented in a way that’s intelligent, sophisticated and 100% clean. Bob performs across North America and England, at corporate events, theatres, nonprofits, conventions, private parties, churches and, naturally, synagogues. He's done over 200 shows with his Arab and Muslim comedy partners at a variety of venues, but primarily colleges and universities. Bob is also the author of three books: Life Doesn't Get Any Better Than This, the award-winning full-color cartoon book A Rabbi Confesses, and the recently- published Thanks. I Needed That. He’s also produced two best-selling comedy CDs as well as a DVD. Bob resides in rural Vermont with his wife Sherri, a psychotherapist. Professionally, he makes people laugh, while she helps people cry.
About Rev. Susan Sparks:
As a trial lawyer turned standup comedian and Baptist minister, Susan Sparks is America’s only female comedian with a pulpit. A North Carolina native, Susan received her bachelor’s degree at the University of North Carolina and a law degree from Wake Forest University. In May 2007 Susan was installed as the 15th Senior Minister of the historic Madison Avenue Baptist Church in New York City. She was the first woman pastor in its 175-year history, and she remains there to this day. An internationally known preacher, speaker (including TEDx) and comedian, Susan is also an award-winning nationally syndicated columnist and the author of five books. Susan was the 20th recipient of the John L. Haber Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts given by the University of North Carolina (and comedian/alum Lewis Black), as well as the Intersections International Award for interfaith work to promote justice and reconciliation among diverse communities.
About Gibran Saleem:
Gibran Saleem was born in North Carolina and grew up in a Pakistani Muslim household along the east coast of the U.S. He started comedy while attending graduate school at New York University for psychology, completing a master’s thesis on extroversion. Gibran is one of the only comedians to ever be selected as a finalist for both the Stand-Up NBC and NBC Late Night program, where he was one of six individuals hand selected from over 1,000 submissions. He performed his stand-up television debut on Gotham Comedy Live for AXS TV and was featured on season two of “Better Things” on FX. Gibran was also the focus of an international documentary on NHK TV called “Asian Dreamers: Brown is Funny.” He has toured nationally in festivals, colleges and clubs throughout the U.S. as well as a comedy tour in South Korea and Japan for the Marines. Gibran is currently the host of the podcast “Why Did I Say That?!” and in post-production of his short film entitled “Gibranistan.” He is based in New York City where he is a regular performer at clubs around the city, including the legendary Comedy Cellar.
About Spirit & Place:
Celebrating the theme of IDENTIFY in its 27th year, Spirit & Place honors the role the arts, humanities, and religion play in shaping individual and community life. Through its November Festival, people-centered community engagement, and year-round activities, Spirit & Place connects central Indiana residents through creative events, community conversations, and skill-building opportunities aimed at launching innovative experiments, amplifying invisible stories, and sparking radical collaborations. A national model for building civically engaged communities, Spirit & Place is a collaborative community initiative housed in the Indiana University School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI. It is supported by numerous volunteers, partner organizations, and donors including the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation, Inc.; Bohlsen Group; The Indianapolis Foundation, a CICF affiliate, Lilly Endowment Inc.; Nicholas H. Noyes, Jr., Memorial Foundation; St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and over 200 other community members. For more information, click here.