Coexistence, My Ass! | Stand up

What?

Is it possible to make light of the idea of peaceful coexistence when reality is laying bare its limitations with increasing brutality? Noam Shuster Eliassi—an Israeli activist and comedian—tackles the idea of coexistence, inequality, and the struggle for peace and justice in Israel and Palestine in her original stand-up show, Coexistence, My Ass!.

This is a very personal perspective. Shuster Eliassi grew up in Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, or “Oasis of Peace”—a deliberately created community where Palestinians and Jews chose to live together. For her, therefore, the idea of coexistence was not an abstract political concept, but an everyday experience and one of the cornerstones of her own life story. In Coexistence, My Ass!, she confronts the beliefs she took away from that experience with the reality of the conflict, drawing on autobiography, political satire, and uncompromising humor. The artist performs in Hebrew, Arabic, and English, also drawing on elements of Persian. Multilingualism becomes part of a narrative about identity, belonging, and navigating the space between communities that political narratives all too often portray as irreconcilable.

The play was created at Harvard University and was presented at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2023. Following the performance, there will be a discussion moderated by Monika Bobako and Agata Siwiak, followed by a circle discussion organized by the New Community Foundation.

Who?

Noam Shuster Eliassi—an Israeli activist and comedian who performs in Arabic, Hebrew, and English, with elements of Persian. She grew up in Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, a mixed Israeli-Palestinian community whose residents have consciously chosen to live together. Her satirical videos have gained widespread popularity in the Arab world. In 2019, she became the first Jewish artist to perform at the Palestine Comedy Festival. Her original show, Coexistence, My Ass!, was developed at Harvard and received acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2023.

Curator of the theater and dance program: Agata Siwiak

Moderators following the stand-up comedy show: Monika Bobako and Agata Siwiak.

Roundtable Discussion: Fundacja Nowej Wspólnoty

For Whom?

We invite anyone interested in theater and stand-up comedy, as well as contemporary politics, Israeli-Palestinian relations, and the question of whether it’s possible to live together despite conflicts, inequalities, and differing experiences. Coexistence, My Ass! may be of particular interest to those who seek in art not simple declarations or ready-made answers, but perspectives that challenge our notions of identity, community, and political engagement. You don’t need to know the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in detail—the artist’s personal perspective allows you to engage with these issues through biography, language, and humor.

Age restrictions are still being determined by the organizers.

Why is it worth it?

Coexistence, My Ass! resonates in a special way with the idea behind the Łódź Multicultural Festival, because it poses an uncomfortable question about one of the concepts at the very heart of thinking about multiculturalism: what does “coexistence” actually mean? Is it enough for different communities to simply live side by side? What happens to the idea of dialogue when the relationships between them are marked by inequality, violence, and political conflict?

Noam Shuster Eliassi does not address these questions from the safe vantage point of an outside observer. She grew up in a place built around the idea of peaceful coexistence between Palestinians and Jews, yet her work stems from an awareness of the limitations of such coexistence.

For the Łódź of Many Cultures Festival, this is a particularly important perspective. Multiculturalism does not have to mean merely celebrating diversity. It can—and sometimes should—also mean discussing conflicts, asymmetries, and the conditions that must be met for a genuine encounter to be possible. Shuster Eliassi does this using a seemingly lighthearted tool: comedy. Humor allows her to challenge established narratives, expose absurdities, and address issues that are often difficult to discuss without immediately taking one of the opposing sides. Coexistence, My Ass! thus asks not only whether we can live together, but also what it takes for the word “together” to truly mean something.

Availability

The event takes place at the Dialogue Center in the theater and cinema hall, which is equipped with an induction loop. The Dialogue Center building is accessible to people with mobility impairments. It has wide, non-automatic entrance doors, an accessible restroom, and an elevator. The theater hall is located on the ground floor and has a ramp; the auditorium includes spaces for people in wheelchairs. There is a large parking lot in front of the building with designated parking spaces for people with disabilities. Assistance dogs and guide dogs are permitted inside the building and the auditorium. The building is equipped with the ToTuPoint audio navigation system. The entrance to the parking lot is on Wojska Polskiego Street. Nearby are the following bus and tram stops: Wojska Polskiego/Centrum Dialogu and Wojska Polskiego/Sporna.