No Politics, No Religion, One Love.
An Interview with Nemr Abou Nassar
By Mina Liccione
Lebanese Comic is in Dubai getting ready to unleash his new show “EPIC” this Friday, December 3rd at Al Murooj Rotana Hotel. Upon speaking with him I quickly realized that he wasn’t just a funny man but also a visionary. His notion that comedy can bring together a community consisting of diverse nationalities and religions really hit home as it is our belief too. Just as Bob Marley believed that he could bring the world together through music, Nemr tries to do so through laughter. Comedy is a powerful tool if used wisely and Nemr is definitely on the right path. He has a high level of integrity supporting his work and has raised the bar for Comedy in the region.
When and where was your first Stand Up Performance ?
I have been doing Stand Up Comedy my whole life. I feel most comfortable when I am on stage and I think that's because growing up I would always be talking in stand up, addressing groups of kids in the playground, or at university or at work, it was always about drawing people's attention and building upon it. But the first time I ever got on a stage to professionally do stand up comedy was when I was a freshman at the American University of Beirut, it was to host their annual music club concert. There was a full house with some 300 people and a technical error caused me to be shoved on stage and what was supposed to be a 2 minute intro turned into a forty five minute set. I killed it, and I felt on top of the world, untouchable. I hosted the rest of the show and it was incredible.
It was a three day concert, the next day I went onstage, brimming with confidence, and used the same material I had improvised the day before, I bombed. It was a disaster. I came off stage feeling terrible. I peaked my head out and stared at the crowd without the glare of lights in my face and realized the crowd was full of parents, and I was doing material about the Matrix which most of them probably had never even heard of. I went back out after the first band finished their act and tried again, this time with a more mature subject matter (basically I made fun of us as students and glorified parents), I won them back and it went great from there!
An incredible experience as every year I would host those concerts culminating in an outdoor forty five minute set in my final year to a crowd of 7,000 - It was like boot camp for stand up comedy, you would go up do material, get off, have about 15 - 20 minutes while the other band played to figure out how on earth you were going to entertain the crowd until the next band setup, and then repeat. I was able to truly hone my improv skills during that time.
What is the process you go through when creating new material?
I focus on getting focused, I don't script my shows I feel it’s not the same to recite material than to actually live material, and to be able to do that I have to get into a zone and be able to draw on everything I have experience in my life up to that very moment. It is really tough saying I have one technique it flows depending on where I am in my life and what I'm going through, its varied as much as focusing on kata in martial arts to playing playstation and sleeping.
Tell us about your new show EPIC and what to expect?
I have put more work into this show than anything I have ever done. I feel like a traveling warrior kind of like in the old days, haha, not that I am powerful and all encompassing, quite the contrary but I went on an adventure to prepare for this show. I worked my way up in comedy clubs in the US to end up headlining in some of the most legendary comedy clubs such as the Improv in a five month stint. I have also been through a lot this past year, I am at a place in my life where I feel wise enough to finally be able to truly comprehend everything that is happening with me, and EPIC will reflect that. It is a much more mature controversial show, and may I add, this is the funniest thing I have ever done, and I can't wait to hit a stage with it anywhere I can!
What do you feel makes a Stand Up Comic unique from other types of comedic performers?
The process of stand up comedy is the most unique factor. How a comic prepares is what really sets him/her apart from the rest of the crowd, so to speak, the process of doing hundreds of shows editing, tweaking, changing material, perfecting and growing, until you reach a level where you are able to gather a solid hour or hour and a half at least into a brand new special and present it as a finished product. That would be in the preparation side, there is a remarkable difference on stage as well.
A true stand up comic is one who can draw the entire crowd into his/her world, fantasy and atmosphere completely isolating the crowd from the outside world. By the end of the show the crowd returns to reality, but that reality is never the same for them. That is, at least, what I feel is our duty and our threshold for success.
What were some of the steps you took in order to go from beginner to where you are now?
Performed, performed, performed.
What is the best way for us to stay in the “Nemr Loop”?
I have been doing Stand Up Comedy my whole life. I feel most comfortable when I am on stage and I think that's because growing up I would always be talking in stand up, addressing groups of kids in the playground, or at university or at work, it was always about drawing people's attention and building upon it. But the first time I ever got on a stage to professionally do stand up comedy was when I was a freshman at the American University of Beirut, it was to host their annual music club concert. There was a full house with some 300 people and a technical error caused me to be shoved on stage and what was supposed to be a 2 minute intro turned into a forty five minute set. I killed it, and I felt on top of the world, untouchable. I hosted the rest of the show and it was incredible.
It was a three day concert, the next day I went onstage, brimming with confidence, and used the same material I had improvised the day before, I bombed. It was a disaster. I came off stage feeling terrible. I peaked my head out and stared at the crowd without the glare of lights in my face and realized the crowd was full of parents, and I was doing material about the Matrix which most of them probably had never even heard of. I went back out after the first band finished their act and tried again, this time with a more mature subject matter (basically I made fun of us as students and glorified parents), I won them back and it went great from there!
An incredible experience as every year I would host those concerts culminating in an outdoor forty five minute set in my final year to a crowd of 7,000 - It was like boot camp for stand up comedy, you would go up do material, get off, have about 15 - 20 minutes while the other band played to figure out how on earth you were going to entertain the crowd until the next band setup, and then repeat. I was able to truly hone my improv skills during that time.
What is the process you go through when creating new material?
I focus on getting focused, I don't script my shows I feel it’s not the same to recite material than to actually live material, and to be able to do that I have to get into a zone and be able to draw on everything I have experience in my life up to that very moment. It is really tough saying I have one technique it flows depending on where I am in my life and what I'm going through, its varied as much as focusing on kata in martial arts to playing playstation and sleeping.
Tell us about your new show EPIC and what to expect?
I have put more work into this show than anything I have ever done. I feel like a traveling warrior kind of like in the old days, haha, not that I am powerful and all encompassing, quite the contrary but I went on an adventure to prepare for this show. I worked my way up in comedy clubs in the US to end up headlining in some of the most legendary comedy clubs such as the Improv in a five month stint. I have also been through a lot this past year, I am at a place in my life where I feel wise enough to finally be able to truly comprehend everything that is happening with me, and EPIC will reflect that. It is a much more mature controversial show, and may I add, this is the funniest thing I have ever done, and I can't wait to hit a stage with it anywhere I can!
What do you feel makes a Stand Up Comic unique from other types of comedic performers?
The process of stand up comedy is the most unique factor. How a comic prepares is what really sets him/her apart from the rest of the crowd, so to speak, the process of doing hundreds of shows editing, tweaking, changing material, perfecting and growing, until you reach a level where you are able to gather a solid hour or hour and a half at least into a brand new special and present it as a finished product. That would be in the preparation side, there is a remarkable difference on stage as well.
A true stand up comic is one who can draw the entire crowd into his/her world, fantasy and atmosphere completely isolating the crowd from the outside world. By the end of the show the crowd returns to reality, but that reality is never the same for them. That is, at least, what I feel is our duty and our threshold for success.
What were some of the steps you took in order to go from beginner to where you are now?
Performed, performed, performed.
What is the best way for us to stay in the “Nemr Loop”?
Well the best way would be to do any, or I would actually say all, of the following!
Follow me on twitter: www.twitter.com/nemrcomedy
With over 60 videos and over 300,000 views subscribe to my YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/enjoylifeingeneral
Like my page on Face Book
For the tour check out the official page www.epicthetour.com
Check out my website www.nemrcomedy.com
Believe and my unicorn Uruk will keep you informed.
Anything else you would like to add?
Follow me on twitter: www.twitter.com/nemrcomedy
With over 60 videos and over 300,000 views subscribe to my YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/enjoylifeingeneral
Like my page on Face Book
For the tour check out the official page www.epicthetour.com
Check out my website www.nemrcomedy.com
Believe and my unicorn Uruk will keep you informed.
Anything else you would like to add?
I am so excited to hear about the ground breaking work Dubomedy is doing, and after the brief time I have gotten to know the people behind it, I can't wait to see what change you will cause! Keep up the great work and thank you so much for all the Support!
No Politics, No Religion, One Love.
No Politics, No Religion, One Love.
.jpg){kind=small}
No comments:
Post a Comment