Mohanad Elshieky/Photo: John Cafaro
Mohanad Elshieky is happy to be playing the Den Theatre again on April 10, and he’s taken what is likely the most unique life journey of any comic to play there. The New York-based comic was born and raised in Libya, where the government has been chaotic ever since the fall of its longtime dictator Muammar Gaddhafi in 2011.
Thankfully Libya was open to much of American culture, so Elshieky was able to see stand-up specials by the likes of hometown comedian John Mulaney. But Elshieky didn’t perform stand-up comedy there, instead developing a loyal following making people laugh as the co-host of a comedic podcast/radio talk show.
“The more we did shows, the more we were recognized in the city we were podcasting in. We were getting some threats here and there to quit it because we also talk about politics, and what the shape of the government should be,” explains Elshieky. “But it wasn’t government officials threatening us, just regular people who didn’t like what we had to say.
“I got the show through connections in the city I grew up in, where everybody knows each other and the station owner reached out to me. We broadcasted on the internet as well, so we had people calling us from outside Libya over Skype.”
In 2014, Elshieky came to the United States through an exchange program, expecting to only be in America for a few weeks in Portland, Oregon. But as tensions roiled in his homeland and his radio station was burned down, he realized it was unsafe to go back.
He had fallen in love with Portland’s uniquely quirky vibe, and in 2016 he made two momentous decisions: to apply for asylum in the United States, and to become a stand-up comedian. He’s accomplished a lot in his first decade on stage, recording the recently released stand-up special “No Need to Address Me” for Comedy Dynamics, and breaking into the elite world of late-night comedy with a successful 2019 appearance on “Conan,” and later “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.”
Elshieky engages audiences by telling personal stories mixed with an incisive perspective on politics and culture. Beyond his stand-up work, he’s also a writer for NPR’s “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me!” and has been a popular guest on podcasts like “Pod Save the People,” “Lovett or Leave It” and “Harmontown.” But his favorite career moment came through his “Conan” performance.
“Even in Libya I always watched his show. Conan was fantastic and everyone who worked on the show was great—they made it very easy on me,” Elshieky recalls. “It’s not easy to just come from clubs to a studio audience with cameras everywhere. But after about twenty seconds, I was totally into it, and afterwards Conan talked to me. He was very nice, very complimentary. I get the impression that he actually does like stand-up comedians and does really like comedy, and that was a very nice push in my career and my ego.”
Mohanad Elshieky performs two shows at 7:15 and 9:30pm on April 10 at the Den Theatre, 1331 North Milwaukee. Visit thedentheatre.com or call (773)697-3830 for tickets, from $22.
