The Refugees of Comedy
Wednesday, November 20, 2024 @ 6:00 PM
WNED Studios, 140 Lower Terrace,
Buffalo, NY 14202
Join IIB for a night of stand-up comedy featuring internationally touring comedians! After a sold-out performance last year, Vietnamese refugee and comedian Thom Tran is back to support IIB. This time, he’ll bring his friends, Jose Sarduy & Jose Barrientos, to join in the laughter!
UPDATE–Just added to the program: Adam Zyglis, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist, will unveil and sign custom, limited-edition artwork that he created especially for the International Institute of Buffalo! A numbered and limited-edition run of prints will be on sale that night!
The event will feature ethnic food from local restaurants, an open bar with beer/wine/soft drinks, and music by infusion sitar artist Naryan Padmanabha. All proceeds will benefit the International Institute of Buffalo.
Comedian Bios
Thom Tran
Born into a refugee family that fled communist Vietnam and settled in Buffalo, NY, Thom Tran is now Los Angeles-based comedian, musician, actor, and U.S. military veteran and advocate. Thom’s career as a standup comic started after a combat injury in Iraq ended his career as a soldier.
Post-combat, comedy saved his life. After touring the United States as a road comic, Thom moved to Los Angeles in 2008 and two years later created The GIs of Comedy Tour, a Comedic Troupe of Troops that has toured all over the United States and to nearly two dozen different countries and over 40 U.S. States performing to audiences both military and civilian, bringing the healing power of laughter to those who need it the most.
When Thom isn’t on the road, he makes his home in Hollywood, CA, performing at The World Famous Laugh Factory & clubs all over SoCal, and occasionally does some acting, recently appearing on the Amazon series, “Bosch: Legacy” as well as an award-winning film called “My Dead Friend Zoe” starring Sonequa Martin-Green and Morgan Freeman.
Jose Sarduy
Gathering material from a wealth of life experiences, Jose takes audiences on the rollercoaster ride that’s been his life. Born in Cuba and deported because of his father’s political prisoner status, he came to the U.S. at a young age. Growing up with a hardworking and always quirky Cuban family brought loads of funny moments every day. From his mother’s ability to kill a chicken with her bare hands to his dad’s ability to hit on any woman, anytime, there was never a dull moment? What they did best was teach him to work hard for his dreams and not forget how to laugh at life and himself.
He made them proud when, after high school, he was accepted to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. He became an officer in the Air Force, is an accomplished aviator, and is a veteran having served in Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. He’s been all over the world and has even been shot at in two countries. This and more, he brings to the stage believing that if you can’t laugh at a hard time in your life, you ain’t over it yet.
Jose Barrientos
Jose Barrientos stands out in the comedy world with a background as diverse as his humor. A hacker, former US Soldier, magician, and born prankster, he weaves a tapestry of laughs from an array of seemingly dangerous skills.
Instead of exploiting his eclectic expertise for anything sinister, Jose lights up rooms with laughter, cleverly intertwining tales of digital escapades, military life, magical mysteries, and playful pranks. His unique act not only tickles the funny bone but also showcases the power of humor to transform and transcend.
