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| Maz Jobrani plays the Wilbur tonight |
It is an extraordinary time in the Middle East, with the political landscape altering at times by the minute as individuals rise up against their governments. That should be fertile ground for a comic like Maz Jobrani, who is at the Wilbur tonight. Jobrani is Persian and was born in Iran, and his cultural background figured heavily into his act on the “Axis of Evil” tour.
But you’ll have to forgive him if he is nonetheless processing the daily headlines. “It requires some time to write materials about present events and attempt it out on new audiences,” he told me by e-mail. “I just had a child daughter a month and a half ago, so I haven’t had a chance to get on stage when I’m in LA considerably, which is when I usually operate out new material. So I’ve had to attempt my material about all that is going on in the Middle East when I’m on the road. I have a number of jokes about Egypt and Ghaddafi. Not confident if they’re fine tuned yet.”
Jobrani has usually discussed Middle Eastern culture in his act, particularly as it applies to his personal Persian heritage. You can get a taste of taste of that from his Brown and Friendly special, released in 2009. Jobrani humanizes a region that seems frequently to be homogenized in the well-known imagination. “I do point out that they’re various countries and not to be lumped collectively,” he says. “I feel some folks do think that the entire region is just one particular country controlled by Al Queda.”
Jobrani is also the star of a new film named David, about the obstacles facing an eleven year old Muslim boy growing up in Brooklyn. The film is at present generating the rounds at festivals, and Jobrani is hoping it gets a wider theatrical release. It is a much more dramatic role for him. “I play David’s dad who’s a quite critical guy,” he says. “There are a number of moments of comedy in the film, but they’re not provided by my character.”
His character is really religious, in contrast to Jobrani’s personal upbringing. “My family members wasn’t religious,” he says. “However, my dad could be pretty critical and strict at occasions. I’d say that came from getting traditional. Having experienced some of these characteristics from my dad did support me play David’s dad in the film.”
Jobrani was originally brought onto the project as an actor, but wound up with a creating credit. “I assume the filmmaker Joel Fendelman and the producers Julian Schwartz and Patrick Daly, who was also a writer on the project, felt that I could almost certainly support bring some consideration to the film just via my contacts and the fanbase I have developed through stand-up, says Jobrani. “So I’ve been attempting to be involved as a producer in that way. I was also involved in suggesting some suggestions for my character that the writers had been good adequate to alter so you could say I was involved as a producer in that way as well.”
Jobrani is also trying to raise income for his very own film project, Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero. “If anyone’s got any rich uncles who’re searching to finance a film please get in touch,” he says. You can verify out the details on the Facebook internet site and the official web site.
Maz Jobrani: 7:30PM. $ 30-$ 40. Mehran opens. The Wilbur Theatre, 246 Tremont St., Boston. 866.448.7849
