Magdalena Waz

@ThrowBigWords

The Stay Woke Comedy Show comes to Starr Bar for its first installment on Saturday, March 11 at 8 p.m. The show, organized by Nekoro Gomes, will feature a wide-spectrum of performances focused on social justice issues.

I spoke with one of the performers Bushwick-based comedian and first generation immigrant, Mamoudou N’Diaye, about his comedy and what it means to be a comedian in a world that has gotten suddenly more political to a lot more people. 

N’Diaye says that there are still plenty of shows where “people talk about the day to day” but notes that now “the stories about ourselves have become entrenched in the political climate.” In other words, we can’t escape politics in our daily lives, so politics in our comedy is more and more ubiquitous. 

N’Diaye has been working as a comedian for six years and living in Bushwick for two and a half. The changes he’s seen off of the Wilson L as a result of on-going gentrification have encouraged him to be more mindful of his surroundings as well and to consider how his presence (even as a person of color) in the neighborhood changes it. 

In many ways, Starr Bar, as a hybrid bar and community events space is a good place for comedy, which is seen by some as a luxury, and social activism, which is seen by some as a necessity, to come together. N’Diaye adds that they are “trying to reach as many people as possible” and hoping this is the kind of show that will attract a diverse crowd.

The night of comedy includes performances from stand-up comics, monologuists, and improv troupes, and proceeds from the $5-10 suggested donation will benefit UnLocal an organization that provides immigrant child legal services and deportation defense.

Featured image courtesy of Starr Bar.