Muslim comic Gibran Saleem, Rabbi Bob Alper and the Rev. Susan Sparks will bring their different religious backgrounds to promote interfaith dialogue and highlight commonalities during the Laugh in Peace comedy show to be staged Thursday, May 19, at the Central Library.
The show is the second annual spring faith event organized by Spirit & Place, in partnership with the Indianapolis Public Library. The free event is offered on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The show seeks to cause audiences to think, laugh and leave with a different view of the world. Laugh in Peace will take place from 7-9 p.m.
Tickets are free, but guests need to register prior to the event at www.eventbrite.com/e/laugh-in-peace-comedy-show-tickets.The maximum ticket limit per order is four, and availability will be determined by prevailing health guidelines.
About Rabbi Bob Alper: An ordained rabbi who has served congregations for 14 years, Alper holds a doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary. He has had a 30-year comedy career with unique material presented in a way that’s intelligent, sophisticated and 100% clean. He 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 publishedThanks. I Needed That.
About the Rev. Susan Sparks: As a trial lawyer-turned-standup comedian and Baptist minister, Sparks is billed as America’s only female comedian with a pulpit. She received her bachelor’s 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. Sparks is also an award-winning nationally syndicated columnist and the author of five books.
About Gibran Saleem: Born in North Carolina and raised in a Pakistani Muslim household along the east coast of the U.S., Saleem started comedy while attending graduate school at New York University for psychology, completing a master’s thesis on extroversion. He 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. Gibran is currently the host of the podcast, Why Did I Say That?! and in post-production of his short filmed entitled “Gibranistan.”
Spirit & Place is a a collaborative community initiative housed in the Indiana University School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI.
PHOTO ABOVE: Gibran Saleem, Rabbi Bob Alper and the Rev. Susan Sparks will bring their Laugh in Peace show to Indianapolis on May 19.
