Comic Relief in a Time of Coronavirus Anxiety
When Minneapolis comedian Ali Sultan put out the word on his Facebook feed that he was doing an online open mic comedy hour, I saw this as a sign of hope. The constant barrage of coronavirus-related news coverage can have a traumatic effect on all of our lives. Things are tense, and I, for one, need something distracting: I need to laugh.
"There are drawbacks to doing this online - it's not exactly stand-up comedy," Ali explains over a Zoom interview. "But there are advantages as well. Comedians from all over the world can now join in."
The Virtual Distancing Open Mic takes place on Instagram on Monday nights, and on Zoom on Saturday nights. The show begins a little after 8:30 pm, is definitely explicit in language and subject matter, and just might get you to forget your anxieties for a while.
To contact Ali for access to the open mic, just reach out via his social media accounts or his site:
Instagram - @ALISULTANCOMEDY
Facebook - facebook.com/alisultancomedy
Website - alisultancomedy.com
This story is made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
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