Maria Shehata
{{Short description|American-Egyptian comedian}}
{{Infobox person
| birth_place = Columbus, Ohio
| occupation = Comedian
| height_ft = 4
| height_in = 11
| awards = Best Comedian at Hollywood Festival of New Cinema, Best Comedy at the Miami Web Fest
| website = https://www.mariashehata.com/
}}
Maria Shehata is an Egyptian-American comedian and podcaster based in London. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Shehata became involved in comedy to break down stereotypes of Arab people in the United States. Shehata co-hosts the podcast, 2 Non Doctors with fellow comedian Liz Miele.
Biography
Maria Shehata was born and grew up in Columbus, Ohio in an Egyptian family.{{Cite news |last=El-Zobaidi |first=Dunia |date=November 6, 2015 |title=Maria Shehata mixes Middle East/US Midwest in comedy |url=https://thearabweekly.com/maria-shehata-mixes-middle-eastus-midwest-comedy |work=The Arab Weekly}} Her family is from Egypt's Coptic Christian minority.{{Cite web |title=Maria Shehata: Hero |url=https://www.voicemag.uk/review/6005/maria-shehata-hero |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Voice Magazine |language=en-gb}} She became interested in pursuing comedy after watching a Jim Gaffigan special at a prom night after party.{{Cite web |last=Iwasaki |first=Scott |date=2014-07-30 |title=Maria Shehata's Egyptian ancestry is fodder for her stand-up routine |url=https://www.parkrecord.com/2014/07/29/maria-shehatas-egyptian-ancestry-is-fodder-for-her-stand-up-routine/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Park Record |language=en-US}}
= Start in stand-up =
Shehata began her comedy career in Los Angeles and New York. She trained in comedy at Second City and with the Upright Citizen's Brigade.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2019-06-17 |title=Edinburgh Preview: Maria Shehata: Hero at Gilded Balloon at Old Tolbooth Market |url=https://theatreweekly.com/edinburgh-preview-maria-shehata-hero-at-gilded-balloon-at-old-tolbooth-market/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Theatre Weekly |language=en-GB}} In 2003, Shehata became involved with the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival. Shehata's comedy covers themes around family and her personal life, touching on her Arab identity sparingly.{{Cite book |last=Krefting |first=Rebecca |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/All_Joking_Aside/L2kFBAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Maria%20Shehata&pg=PA76&printsec=frontcover |title=All Joking Aside: American Humor and Its Discontents |date=September 2014 |publisher=JHU Press |isbn=978-1-4214-1429-4 |pages=76 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Najjar |first=Michael Malek |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Arab_American_Drama_Film_and_Performance/hE8mBgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover&bsq=Maria |title=Arab American Drama, Film and Performance: A Critical Study, 1908 to the Present |date=2015-01-09 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-1865-4 |language=en}} She has appeared on The Watch List on Comedy Central and Bridging the Gap on Showtime.
In 2011, Shehata and comedians Amer Zahr and Ahmed Ahmed performed on a comedy tour of the Middle East, performing in Palestine and Doha.
= Move to the UK =
In 2017, her show Wisdomless was shortlisted for one of the Best New Acts at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.{{Cite web |date=2024-09-04 |title=Interview: Rarely Asked Questions – Maria Shehata |url=https://www.beyondthejoke.co.uk/content/15238/interview-maria-shehata |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Beyond The Joke |language=en}} The show covered her recent relocation to the United Kingdom from Los Angeles for a romantic partner.{{Cite web |date=2017-08-09 |title=Maria Shehata: Wisdomless |url=https://archive.festmag.com/edinburgh/comedy/maria-shehata-wisdomless |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Fest Magazine}}{{Cite web |title=Maria Shehata: Wisdomless : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/shows/edinburgh_fringe_2017/m/27196/maria_shehata:_wisdomless |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=www.chortle.co.uk |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Bennett |first=Steve |title=Maria Shehata: Wisdomless : Reviews 2017 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/review/2017/08/28/37734/maria_shehata:_wisdomless |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=www.chortle.co.uk |language=en}} Shehata's writing about their relationship later appeared in The New York Times' Modern Love section.{{Cite news |last=Shehata |first=Maria |date=2017-07-07 |title=A FaceTime Relationship Turns Face to Face |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/07/style/modern-love-facetime-relationship-turns-face-to-face.html |access-date=2025-03-18 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
Not long after arriving in the United Kingdom, her relationship fell apart, the story of which would later become part of her comedy routine and 2019 Edinburgh Fringe show, Hero.{{Cite news |last=Omaweng |first=Chris |date=August 16, 2019 |title=Review of Maria Shehata: Hero at Edinburgh Fringe |url=https://www.londontheatre1.com/reviews/review-of-maria-shehata-hero-at-edinburgh-fringe/ |work=London Theatre}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2017-08-24 |title=Maria Shehata - First Gig, Worst Gig |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/live/fgwg/maria_shehata_interview/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=British Comedy Guide |language=en}}
Alongside Prince Abdi, Fatiha El-Ghouri, and Janine Harouini, Shehata performed in Arabs Are Not Funny, a comedy showcase of Arab comedians.{{Cite web |last= |date=2024-05-23 |title=Liverpool Arab Arts Festival returns this July |url=https://explore-liverpool.com/liverpool-arab-arts-festival-returns-this-july/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Explore Liverpool |language=en-GB}}
In January 2025, Shehata made her debut on the BBC comedy programme Live at the Apollo.{{Cite web |title=BBC Two - Live at the Apollo, Series 19, Episode 6 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0027g4p |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Bennett |first=Steve |title=Who's on the 2024 season of Live At The Apollo? : News 2024 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2024/11/26/57072/whos_on_the_2024_season_of_live_at_the_apollo |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=www.chortle.co.uk |language=en}}
= Podcasting =
In March 2020, Shehata and comedian Liz Miele began hosting the podcast, 2 Non Doctors, covering health and their personal lives.{{Cite web |title=2 Non Doctors |url=https://open.spotify.com/show/3p3VtPOayyEeIQmmGUv1iJ |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Spotify |language=en}}{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=2020-12-11 |title=Maria Shehata: 'What does a nosy pepper do? Gets jalapeño business!' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/dec/11/maria-shehata-funniest-things |access-date=2025-03-18 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} In September 2020, Shehata appeared on an episode of the BBC Radio 4 podcast, You're Dead to Me alongside Greg Jenner and Sarah Parcak discussing the Egyptian pyramids.{{Cite news |date=September 11, 2020 |title=Ten things the Pyramids tell us about ancient Egyptians |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3TJkJ7L0CngsqSLkQK9sJGg/ten-things-the-pyramids-tell-us-about-ancient-egyptians |work=BBC Radio 4}}{{Cite web |last=Marriott |first=James |date=2020-01-17 |title=You're Dead to Me review — history with a helping of zaniness |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/history/article/youre-dead-to-me-review-history-with-a-helping-of-zaniness-nnzc3c90g?region=global |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=www.thetimes.com |language=en}} In 2022, she appeared on Kemah Bob's Femmes of Color FOC It Up podcast.{{Cite web |last=Bennett |first=Steve |title=Femmes of Color launches a comedy podcast : News 2022 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2022/06/14/50955/femmes_of_color_launches_a_comedy_podcast |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=www.chortle.co.uk |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{British Comedy Guide|id=maria_shehata|people}}
- {{IMDb name|id=3796543}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shehata, Maria}}
Category:Date of birth missing (living people)
Category:American women comedians
Category:21st-century American women
Category:American stand-up comedians