What do you get when you throw a Jew, a Muslim, a Korean, a Jamaican and a Filipino on stage?
Comedian Alex Kojfman started The Colours of Comedy standup show in 2007.
Comedy gold. And maybe a little cultural understanding.
At least, that was Alex Kojfman’s goal when he started The Colours of Comedy standup show in 2007.
“I was performing at the old Laugh Resort [in Toronto] and there would be four comics on the bill, three of them were Jewish. We were all white-looking,” Kojfman, a Jewish comedian, said.
“We’re in Toronto, one of the most multicultural cities in the world… by creating The Colours of Comedy, I wanted to bring different comedians on stage with different ethnicities and backgrounds.”
While there are comedy shows aimed at African-American or Jewish audiences, there weren’t many shows that brought the groups together, Kojfman said.
“Sometimes people go to certain niche shows. Jewish audiences will go to a Jewish night. If you brought all these people together, we could mix everybody,” he said. “You know what it’s like?… It’s that platter appetizer that has a bit of everything.”
This year, Kojfman brought his show to York University on March 2 in partnership with the students involved with Parallels for Peace, a weeklong campaign that encourages peace in the Middle East, and Hillel.
The show is on at the University of Toronto on March 4, presented by Hillel, the Multi Faith Centre, the Muslim Students Association and the Pakistani Students Federation.
Kojfman’s goal for his latest shows is for the audiences to reflect the diversity onstage.
“Laughter is the greatest tension breaker. You get Jews, you get Muslims, you get African-Americans, Catholics, the Irish, you get everybody in a room and it just completely disarms them,” he said.
“I don’t think my show will cure the Middle East conflict… [but] despite what [students] may think beforehand, if you disarm them with comedy, they can approach each other and say, ‘That was really funny.’”
Kojfman’s show, which includes comedians such as Zabrina Chevannes, Alex Faisal Butt, John Ki, Gilson Lubin and Ron Josol, is a chance for students of all backgrounds to socialize, he said.
“They’re students. They want to laugh, they want to be social. That’s where comedy comes in. I think that’s what peace is all about,” he said.
Nathaly Schneider, who is an organizer of the Parallels for Peace campaign at York, which started on March 1, agrees.
“It’s a good idea to bring the community together and to embrace your culture,” she said. “Everyone can laugh at themselves, it’s a great way to break the tension on campus.”
Ishraq Alim, the communications director of the Muslim Students Association at U of T, sees the show as a good way to embrace Toronto’s multiculturalism.
“The thing is, we live in a multi-ethnic, multi-faith society. Sometimes, it’s important for us to meet different communities on our campus,” he said, adding that the show provides an opportunity for Jewish and Muslim students to relate to each other.
“Jews and Muslims love to laugh. I think comedy and laughter is something that’s universal. Everyone likes a good joke,” he said.
The Colours of Comedy show at U of T takes place at the Robert Gill Theatre, Koffler Centre, on March 4 at 7 p.m. Proceeds from the York U show went to the Red Cross, and proceeds for the U of T show will go to Doctors Without Borders.
Kojfman will also host a Colours of Comedy show on March 20 at the Great Hall in downtown Toronto. Doors open at 8 p.m., and tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door. For more information, visit www.coloursofcomedy.com.
