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Critically acclaimed comedian, ASU alum to perform in Tempe


Maysoon Zayid
February 02, 2015

Arizona State University School of Film, Dance and Theatre alumna Maysoon Zayid will bring her one-woman comedy show to Tempe, at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 27 at ASU's Galvin Playhouse.

An actress, stand-up comedian and writer, Zayid received her bachelor's of fine arts in acting from ASU and is the co-founder/co-executive producer of the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival.

Zayid was a full-time, on-air contributor to “Countdown with Keith Olbermann,” and has recently appeared on "The Queen Latifah Show" and Huffington Post Live. She is a recurring columnist at The Daily Beast and was a speaker at TEDWomen 2013.

“We are pleased to welcome Maysoon back to our campus to perform,” said Steven Tepper, dean of Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, of which the School of Film, Dance and Theatre is a part. “We celebrate Maysoon's successful career. She is a star, and it is great to have her return to ASU to share her talents and her deep commitment to social causes.”

“Having up-and-coming voices like Maysoon on our campus is critical to our student body and the community," added Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, executive director of ASU Gammage.

Zayid has appeared on Comedy Central, PBS, CNN, HBO, MTV, ABC and the BBC, and had a feature role in Adam Sandler's "You Don't Mess With the Zohan."

As a professional comedian, Zayid has performed in top New York clubs, and has toured extensively at home and abroad. She was a headliner on the Arabs Gone Wild Comedy Tour and The Muslims Are Coming Tour.

Zayid's screenplay, “LAW,” was chosen for the Sundance Middle Eastern Screenwriters Lab. She was a delegate at the 2008 Democratic National Convention and named one of 21 leaders of the 21st century by Women's Enews. She is the founder of Maysoon's Kids, an education and wellness program for disabled and wounded refugee children. Zayid was delighted to be a 2013 honoree of United Cerebral Palsy of New York City's Women Who Care Awards and currently sits on the planning committee.

Zayid’s performance is presented by ASU Gammage and the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. Tickets are on sale now for $25 ($10 for students) at the ASU Gammage Box Office, or online at asugammage.com and ticketmaster.com.