Q & A with Director Mina Liccione

Dubomedy's "Funny Girls" makes HER-story!

On May 3, 2010 HER-story was made. "Funny Girls" was the very first ALL-FEMALE Comedy Show to happen in the Middle East and MENA region. This blog is intended to document and follow this HER-storical show as it continues to grow, prosper and encourage women of all backgrounds to follow their dreams. Our first show included "Funny Girls" hailing from around the globe though all reside in Dubai, UAE. The line-up consists of two professional veiled women, an Italian-American Broadway veteran and professor, an Australian flight attendant, a Lebanese beauty and an Armenian school teacher.


The “Funny Girls” Team:
Bronwyn Byrnes- Opening Act
Lamya Tawfik- Stand Up
Sabina Giado- Stand Up
Sophie Samuelian- Guest Stand Up
Azza Yehia- Hostess/MC
Mina Liccione- Headlining Stand Up Act, Funny Girls coach and creator
Ali Al Sayed- Producer
Abel Fernandes- Stage Manager
Presented by- Dubomedy/VIVA Arts
Comedy Training- Laugh Out Loud! Comedy School lead by Mina Liccione & Ali Al Sayed

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Q & A SESSION BETWEEN NADEEM HANIF OF GULF NEWS AND "FUNNY GIRLS" DIRECTOR MINA LICCIONE - May 22, 2010

What is your background? Where are you from and how did you get involved in showbiz?

I am from New York and started performing at age three so it chose me! My first performance was a cute little tap dance number with my bouncey curls. My first job was as an assistant Dance Teacher at age 12 so I could afford new tap shoes and costumes. My first big break into show biz was as an original dancer on MTV’s The Grind at age 17 and my first Broadway show was Stomp. The day I found out I was casted in Stomp is still one of the happiest memories of my life. I even took a picture of myself jumping up and down with excitement so that I could always remember what pure bliss feels like.

I started out with intense dance training then went into musical comedy, character acting and improvisation then Broadway then an International Tour then Cirque then Stand Up and back again! Since I was a kid I was always casted as the comic relief so no matter what style of performance I was doing there was always elements of comedy. Comedy has been my way of life both on and off stage. I have been blessed with a very supportive family, amazing teachers and incredible opportunities.

My educational background is rather unique. I have a BFA in Dance, minor in Theater Arts- Marymount Manhattan College and an MFA in Experimental Performance Studies and & Interdisciplinary Arts Education- New College of California. I'm also a graduate of the 1 year Professional Clowning Program- San Francisco School of Circus Arts’ Clown Conservatory.


What challenges have you and your team faced when planning and doing the shows?

At first it was difficult to get venues to trust local material and homegrown talent as the majority of entertainment comes to Dubai on a plane. But ever since we’ve launched our shows and Monday Night Funnies things have changed and local talent has been given more performance opportunities.

Is Dubai/UAE a difficult place to be a comic, particularly if you're a woman?

For me personally, NO! It’s a great place for generating material! Many comics will complain about not being able to say this or that or swear but I prefer a clean show and always have. It forces a comic to be more creative and not rely on cheap laughs but rather find the real laughs. As for being a woman, it’s never been an issue. I’m too tall, too loud and too Italian-American LOL! I was already an experienced professional performer very comfortable in her comedic skin long before I moved here though, I’m sure it may be different for new female comedians from this region just starting out.

What was the thinking behind the funny girls show? What do you want to achieve by it?

I wanted to give comedy in the Middle East a different voice, another point of view. I’ve been hearing the same jokes for years now and I wanted to hear something fresh, honest and new from people who lived here. I wanted to encourage women here to explore their comedic side and share it with others in hopes of inspiring other women to do the same. We often here the male point of view as well as a lot of swearing in Stand Up Comedy, my act is high energy , heavy hitting and just as funny without the cussing.

What kind of response have you guys had to the show?

The response has been very, very positive! This project was not only funny but extremely meaningful for this community. We have received numerous e-mails thanking us for “paving the road for other female comics in the Middle East”. We are deeply humbled and grateful for the support and encouragement we have both received and given to others. Art from the heart- comedy from the gut.

What are the differences between doing stand-up in the UAE and the West?

Comedy is a universal language, we all smile and need to laugh or else our heads will explode. LOL! Audiences can change from town to town let alone country to country. An audience of only college students is much different to an audience of senior citizens. An audience in San Francisco is completely different from Dubai. An audience of Dubai expats is very different from that of Dubai locals. An audience in Uptown Manhattan is different than downtown Manhattan. Each country, city, neighborhood have inside localized jokes about them. Certain things that are funny in Tokyo wouldn’t make any sense in Italy and vice versa. Also, some cultures are more reserved and don’t scream or shout and then you go America where they don’t shut up. LOL! There was this one part of Stomp where we make music with plungers. Kids always got a good laugh of it but most adults would simple smile and maybe give a chuckle. However, when we performed in Germany the crowd was laughing uncontrollably for the entire plunger piece. They were very quiet and reserved for most of the show but when the plungers came out they went wild! Go figure? One time I went to see a British Stand Up Comedian and I didn’t get any of his jokes? His accent was thick and I didn’t know the places he was talking about. I knew he was funny because I was the only one not laughing! The key is to find the similarities and connections that we all share and always include some localized jokes to the particular region you are performing in.

Do you have any amusing stories for when you were performing?

Too many! I once split my pants in an audition, I once got pushed off the stage and got wedged between the edge of the stage and the front row seats until two ushers pulled me out, I once skidded about 4 feet across the stage on spilt water and proceeded to land on my lower back with my legs in the air center stage! The beauty of these things is that I always kept going no matter what and it made for great comedy! Mistakes equal great comedy, there is nothing funny about perfection! The splitting of my pants landed me a lead comedic role in a major New York production, the infamous big slip as the Evil Step Mom in Cinderella Ragtime got us rave reviews for our “physical humor” and getting pushed off stage back in high school is still the number one story told when I go home after all these years! My parents still have the video and it sometimes makes guest appearances at family gatherings.

Are there things you avoid making jokes of?

Religon and anything that isn’t truthful to my own personal experience. For example, if I wasn’t Italian-American I wouldn’t make jokes like “Q: How do you shut an Italian up? A: By tying his hands behind his back!” My comedy reflects my truthful life experiences. Everything from my day to day blunders to my family to Dubai driving to Facebook to my funny adventures of trying to learn Arabic! Whatever I am living at that moment is reflected in my jokes.

What is the future for Funny Girls? Will you tour other countries?

Inshallah! We are working on a lot of opportunities over the summer through the rest of the year! Our goal is to involve the rest of the Middle East and North Africa for this and all of our upcoming projects.