Madame Funnypants
* Nominated for 'Best Comedic Duo' -Emerging Comics of New York Awards * Official Selection: Atlanta Improv Festival 2004 * 'Let's face it: Most sketch-comedy shows suck. You know it, we know it, and thankfully, Madame Funnypants knows it.' -Time Out New York * 'It doesn't get much funnier than this!' -Backstage * Official Selection: Miami Improv Festival 2003, 2004 * “Fresh and Unusual” -The Onion * Official Selection: Los Angeles Improv Festival 2004 * “Inventive with the added bonus of actually being funny” -Time Out New York * Official Selection: Atlanta Improv Festival 2004 * “Kinetic sketch pair Madame Funnypants performed admirably with theatrical meta-sketches about relationships and politics, including notable riffs on workplace romance and truly honest breakups.” -Uproar Magazine * Official Selection: HA! Comedy Festival 2003 * Critic's Pick -The Onion * “Negin Farsad and Alexander Zalben… poke fun at the bizarre compromises we make in order to find companionship. [It] doesn't get much funnier than this!” (January, 2003) -Backstage * Nominated for 'Best Comedic Duo' ECNYs (2003) * Official Selection: Chicago Sketchfest 2003, 2004, 2005 * “Creating sketch comedy is harder than Negin Farsad and Alexander Zalben make it look” -The Onion * Official Selection: DC Comedy Fest 2005 * “Negin Farsad and Alexander Zalben…poke fun at the bizarre compromises we make in order to find companionship. [It] doesn't get much funnier than this!” -Backstage * Critic's Pick -Time Out New York

For press inquiries, please contact Stephen Schulman
at SASi Public Relations, 212.675.4690

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Belief.net — Review
Idol Chatter — Religion and Pop Culture Blog: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Romantic Comedy.

NYTheatre.com — Review
A review of The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Romantic Comedy.

NYTheatre.com — Podcast
An interview with the writing team of The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Romantic Comedy on NYTheatre.com as a preview for the NY International Fringe Festival. There is also a performance of one of the sketches on the show!

NYTheatre.com — Podcast
A podcast featuring Alex and Negin is now up!

Gothamist, September 27, 2005
"...a characterization that doesn't seem all that wacky when you think about it, at least if you have a sense of humor."

Jewish Life, 2005
"Love and politics: Alex Zarben and Negin Farsad star in "The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Romantic Comedy."

www.nytheatre.com, September 23, 2005
"Zalben's stage presence is easy, dry, and vaguely intellectual, while Farsad is fearless and hilarious, bursting into song or taking on outlandish new characters with brio, and almost always hitting a bull's-eye."

Time Out NY
Madame Funnypants was featured in the Comedy section of Time Out New York for Pants Wanna Rock Right Now, in December of 2003.

The Onion, March 4, 2004
"Creating sketch comedy is harder than Negin Farsad and Alexander Zalben make it look, but they've had a lot of practice. The duo, collectively known as Madame Funnypants, has been writing and performing fresh, unusual skits for four years, winning comedy awards and an appreciative audience in the process."

Time Out New York Critic's Pick, July 30, 2004
"Let's face it: Most sketch-comedy shows suck. You know it, we know it, and thankfully, Madame Funnypants knows it. The duo of Negin Farsad and Alexander Zalben dodges the traditional perils of sketch to create scenes that are as unconventional and inventive as anything else you'll see on the local scene, but with the added bonus of actually being funny."

Backstage, January 31, 2003
"Negin Farsad and Alexander Zalben... poke fun at the bizarre compromises we make in order to find companionship. [It] doesn't get much funnier than this!"

Backstage, May 15, 2003
"A series of witty vignettes... These talented comics make the agony of modern romance and the omnipresence of "In Da Club" a little bit more bearable."

Columbia Communique, February 5, 2003
"If you only see one sketch comedy show in the 3rd Millenium, make it this one. Hilarious!"

Uproar Magazine, October 31, 2003
"Kinetic sketch pair Madame Funnypants performed admirably with theatrical meta-sketches about relationships and politics, including notable riffs on workplace romance and truly honest breakups."

Biscayne Bay Tribune
All of Coconut Grove, Brickell Avenue, and Key Biscayne learned the power of the Pants when they read this preview for MFP's performances at the Miami Improv Festival 2004.