by Fatima Aruri
RAMALLAH, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Manal Awad, one of few Palestinian actresses, is putting controversial issues on stand-up comedy show.
Stand-up comedy is taking up more space on local stages in the occupied West Bank, appealing to many as a good way to raise social and political topics while stirring laughter.
Yet, not many comedians are capable of displaying a balanced show breaking stereotypes on both women and men roles in modern society.
Awad said she is here on the stage to make it.
"I'm very proud to be one of the Palestinian women and actresses founding the style of stand-up comedy. It is not at all an easy approach, because it includes only you on stage with your material and is not based on a theatrical script that you've revised of adapted," said Awad.
At a small Ramallah theatre, Awad performed under a single spotlight making jokes about stereotypical women representations in media, magnifying gender roles and touching on other social and political issues.
"What we present is back comedy, not clowning. It includes critique of the political, social, economic, legal and educational reality but in a satirical way that is delivered easier to the audience, allowing them to laugh and think about important issues without feeling depressed," she said.
During the nearly one-hour improvised show, Awad used her acting skills and music intervals to spice up the single woman show, which shows a new style of the stand-up comedy.
The actress believed that the stand-up comedy style is growing in Palestine because it doesn't require much logistics or fund, but varies in style and self-introduction.
Awad explained that "stand-up comedy is chosen because it works for any place and in the same time it delivers thought, but, this doesn't mean that every stand-up comedian is an actor or vice versa. There are many comedians who cannot be actors and cannot play characters and in the same time not any actor can make people laugh, so it is a skill that helps color the show."
Wael Al-Haj, audience of the show, told Xinhua that Awad "touched on many critical things we are living with in a nice and funny way but it is especially good that it is coming out of a woman to address issues in such a manner."
May Abu Assab, a female journalist, said "what's striking about the show is that she tackled many social issues that men do not like to tackle and in the same time, she pinpointed sensitive issues that we see men do not touch on or undermine, this is what made her show special."
