Salma Zaky Is Having Fun
Picture this: it’s 2017 and you’re sitting in a basement in Westwood, Los Angeles. You have a college paper due tomorrow, but you’re busy. Why? Well, Salma Zaky is hosting a stand-up comedy show!
“I still look back at that venue and it’s perfect – the lighting, the dinginess of it all.” – Salma Zaky
When we met at UCLA, Salma was one of the few comedians I knew writing and performing around the city (as an improviser, I was more accustomed to showcasing witty banter and characters within the neighborhood).
Then we reconnected years later as new residents of NYC. But instead of a college basement, I’m sitting in a Manhattan comedy club watching Salma do a stand-up set about her dating life and Egyptian-French upbringing.
Nowadays, Salma can be found popping up at 3-4 venues a night and doing more than 30 sets a month. “My favorite thing in the world is running around town doing spots.”
Between workshopping new jokes and performing tried-and-true material, the bay-area native is also writing sketches, featuring on SubwayTakes, opening for comedians around the east coast (like Dave Chappelle and Cipha Sounds), and most recently appearing on Kevin Hart’s new competition show “Funny AF” on Netflix.
Salma has her eyes set on writing a tv pilot and an original horror movie one day, but instant gratification is part of the reward for now.
Her first open mic was inside a local coffee shop at 17. Despite being proud of herself, Salma decided in the moment that “stand-up wasn’t for me.”
Yet a few months later when she spoke at her high school graduation, it was the most laughs she’d ever received.
So upon discovering Austin Nasso’s “Shenanigans Comedy Club” at UCLA, she joined. The group gathered weekly to write jokes and host an open mic for themselves to perform.
Then as a sophomore, Salma joined Nathan Mosher (another member of the group) at shows around town.
Like other undergraduates, Nathan hosted events in parking lots around campus, and Salma watched how he worked; admiring his ability to book real, working comedians.
Traveling around Los Angeles broadened her view of what was possible. Which brings us to the basement in Westwood.
With the help of comedian Katie Green, Salma curated and produced lineups all around campus and in odd places in the city like an ice cream shop and speakeasy of a local bar.
When she moved to Denver after graduation, Salma met collaborators Gabby Gutierrez-Reed and Kate Strobel and the three started Firecracker Comedy (their reunion show is this May 29 at 7:30 at Friends & Lovers in Brooklyn. Get your tickets here.)
Ten years of working towards this moment, and Salma continues to rise. Keep up with her @salmazaky_ & salmazaky.com
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