Independent Women: Sameena Mustafa

Women In Comedy: Tell us a little about your background and how you came to pursue comedy as a career?

Sameena Mustafa: I always liked writing and making my family laugh, but no one I knew was a performer. I wrote poetry in college and edited a feminist literary journal. After getting accepted into a formal writing program, I had too much self-doubt and self-criticism to keep going.

I shifted my focus and pursued a career in marketing and then real estate. I decided to return to creative writing after working with a personal coach. I know it sounds hokey, but she got me to realize that I missed that side of my personality. I took a sketch writing class at Second City, but did not enjoy the rigid format. I also noticed that my classmates rarely thought to cast me in sketches when staging them in class. I could see that my opportunities would be limited.

A friend told me about Feminine Comique, which is a women's only stand-up class. I struggled a bit, since I wanted to be authentic. I didn’t want to perform the Indian version of a minstrel show. I was determined to do well at the graduation show if only to not disappoint my friends and family. Hearing people laugh at my jokes was exhilarating. I also liked that I could control my own destiny on stage. I made a secret pact with myself that night to go to open mics every week and book a show within a year. I kept that pledge and achieved my goal well before my anniversary.

Women In Comedy: What's one of the biggest obstacles you've faced on your road to success as a comedian?

Sameena Mustafa: Stage fright was a big problem for me. People would say, “Oh, you’re so brave” for doing stand-up, which made it a little worse. Reading about Mitch Hedberg and other performers’ anxiety made me feel less like a freak. (No, I'm not comparing myself to Mitch Hedberg.) I kept hitting mics and even took an acting class to get more comfortable on stage. Acting has been another boost to my confidence, since I am learning how to bring my point of view to a role. Now, I look at auditions as another opportunity to build my strengths as a performer.

Everyone who pursues a creative path has self-doubt and fear. Having a supportive partner made a huge difference. Adjusting to a comedy lifestyle wasn’t easy for us at first, but my husband encouraged me to keep working hard and respects my dedication.

Women In Comedy: When did you first decide to start Simmer Brown Comedy/what was the inspiration behind starting it?

Sameena Mustafa: After college, I held leadership roles with a number of Asian and South Asian professional organizations. Giving back and being part of my community felt natural. Seeing the lack of diversity in comedy made me wonder if I could create the same vibrant community I enjoyed outside of it.

That changed after meeting fellow Indian comic, Prateek Srivastava, at an open mic in 2014. We commiserated about the challenges of being Indians in comedy. He mentioned his involvement in an Indian-themed comedy show, which piqued my interest. We knew of another successful identity-based group and thought we could get traction targeting the South Asian demographic. We then brought in another like-minded comic, Rishika Murthy, originally from Peoria’s Jukebox Comedy Club and a recent transplant to Chicago.

To most people, we probably seem indistinguishable. Our parents come from different parts of India and I’m the only Muslim. We all have such unique backgrounds and personalities on and off-stage, but share a love for stand-up comedy and a commitment to building something new in the scene.

Women In Comedy: How did you come up with the name for it?

Sameena Mustafa: The show Prateek did was called “Down With The Brown,” but we knew we wanted a new name. After a few brainstorming sessions, Prateek came up with “Simmer Brown” as a takeoff from the SNL sketch, “Simmer Down.” It works perfectly to convey that we’re brown people with an attitude. Unfortunately, there is a Judith Simmer-Brown, who teaches Buddhism. Simmer is her maiden name, but she married a Brown. She already has a Wikipedia page, so Simmer-Brown 1 : Simmer Brown Comedy 0.

Women In Comedy: For someone who has never been to see a Simmer Brown Comedy show - how would you describe the experience?

Sameena Mustafa: It feels like we’ve invited you to a secret house party. It’s held at the Bughouse Theater, a black box theater on the North Side. We have colorful cloth draped on the stage. We have a social hour with complimentary samosas (Indian appetizers) before the show. People can BYOB to the venue and often join us for the after party at a neighboring bar.

All of our shows are hosted by one of us and feature our favorite performers: white, black, Latino, Native American, Middle Eastern, male, female, and, of course, South Asian. Our shows bring together performers that are not typically billed together, since it’s rare to have more than one person of color or woman on a show. We defy expectations already by having the three of us on stage. We also added a variety slot to showcase non-comedy talents.

Women In Comedy: Why do you think it is important for women to create their own work in comedy?

Sameena Mustafa: Some shows add a woman or person of color to “check the box,” but don’t feature them regularly and rarely as headliners. I knew that I wanted to get into mainstream clubs and shows, but did not want to sit on my hands and wait. Creating a show was one way to get better as a producer and performer.

Producing a show with other comics is also a great way to create a sense of community. We bring our different talents and networks to make the show better. People of all backgrounds leave the show thanking us, even though they paid to be there. I am especially touched when I hear positive feedback from South Asian and Muslim women. After a few sold-out shows, experienced performers started asking to be on the show, instead of the other way around. We are so humbled and honored by the support we have gotten from our audience and the comedy scene.

We get the “do you book white people?” question, but those are clearly people who don’t get it. Those same people aren’t saying a word when they see a show with an all white male lineup. If you’re consistently funny, we’ll book you.

My contrarian nature also tells me to try something different and do the unexpected. I am an Indian Muslim woman comic who talks about race, gender, politics, and religion, so I am glad to have a home.

Women In Comedy: Who has been one of your mentors/someone you look up to that has encouraged you to be an independent woman/create your own opportunities?

Sameena Mustafa: My parents inspired me. My dad liked to sing and tell stories, but grew up “sleeping on a dirt floor” poor. He got to America and worked hard to bring his family here despite being the youngest. Everyone says I’m like my mother: serious and no-nonsense. She has a sly, sarcastic side, though. She manages to be her own woman despite hewing to tradition. She wasn’t really sure what stand-up was: “I heard you’re telling stories at parties.” She made me sound like a chatty private dancer.

Since entering the stand-up world in Chicago, I have met some hard-working, talented, and generous people. Mona Aburmishan encouraged me to take Feminine Comique and helped me get my first club booking. Dave Helem killed it at our Simmer Brown debut show and has been a big supporter of ours. My stand-up teachers, Jamie Campbell and Kelsie Huff, shared guidance that I still use.

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Be sure to Check Out Simmer Brown Comedy to get a chance to see Sameena in action.

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