SNL’s Sarah Sherman shares chaotic, fresh comedy at UU show
Sarah Sherman, SNL cast member, visited Syracuse University with fellow cast member Emil Wakim. The pair's comedy sets commented on modern life, ranging from awkward Uber driver interactions to absurd fashion trends. Photo courtesy of Naz Erdogan, University Union
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After he missed Marcello Hernandez’s performance last semester, freshman Jordan Vogel immediately booked his ticket when he found out another pair of Saturday Night Live cast members were visiting Syracuse University.
“I’ve watched SNL every week since I was 10 years old, I’m just a huge fan of the show,” Vogel said.
On Friday night, UU hosted SNL jokesters Sarah Sherman and Emil Wakim. Sherman has been a cast member since 2021, while Wakim only recently joined the show this season. Wakim became the first Lebanese American cast member in SNL’s 50 year history.
Many students attended the event to see Sherman, a favorite among the crowd. But even though Wakim is a fresh face on SNL, several audience members said they believe he’s destined for a successful career in the classic comedy show.
“He’s done one or two features for Weekend Update and from that I can tell he’s pretty funny,” freshman Daniel Zaslow said. “We haven’t seen him as much, but I have trust in the people of SNL.”
Wakim warmed the crowd up with a slate of jokes, from awkward conversations with Uber drivers to unfortunate encounters with his parents.
Photo courtesy of Naz Erdogan, University Union
Wakim is SNL’s first Lebanese American cast member. He joined the cast in its most recent season and has quickly gained fans
Wakim also discussed his Midwestern roots. He admitted visiting his family is enjoyable, but also said he hates going back home as it’s a reminder of the “sh*ttiest version of yourself,” a joke audience members related to.
Wakim wrapped up his set with an appearance from SU’s Otto the Orange, which seemed to terrify Wakim more than it excited him. Wakim joked, “That’s such an ominous thing to just kind of disappear,” as Otto scampered behind the stage curtain.
After Wakim got the crowd going, Sherman entered the stage wearing a trademark colorful ensemble. Just like her outfit, Sherman was unapologetically herself, bouncing from one joke to the next and effortlessly keeping the audience on their toes.
Unlike her more meticulous sketches on SNL, Sherman’s set was oftentimes chaotic as she introduced new jokes while in the middle of others. Her individual performance offered a different perspective of her work.
“When Sarah first showed up (on SNL) a couple years ago, I knew she was going to stick around for a while because she has a very unique style of comedy,” Vogel said. “She really embraces how weird of a person she can be and she can be very clever with it.”
Sherman interacted with the audience throughout her set. She hosted debates between students about Otto’s significance and predicted audience members’ future jobs based on their majors.
Photo courtesy of Naz Erdogan, University Union
Sherman and Wakim answered questions in a Q&A moderated by University Union. Sherman said she’s as comfortable performing stand up in Arkansas as she is in Brooklyn.
Sherman’s most memorable interaction was when she asked the entire audience to induce an “amazing high experience” for one audience member. With the lights dimmed and the guest seated at center stage, Sherman led the audience in chanting his name while she joked that marijuana had suddenly become re-criminalized.
While Wakim and Sherman showed distinct styles of comedy, both offered a night of non-stop laughs, which Ruby Mendelson, UU’s co-performing arts director, hoped would happen. Fresh off SNL’s 50th season, Wakim and Sherman’s popularity attracted nearly 400 attendees, Mendelson said.
Comedy nights like Friday’s provide students with entertainment throughout the semester. After getting the chance to see comedian Joe Gatto perform last year, junior Wyatt Humpf said watching big-name guests visit a college setting is something he never takes for granted.
“I like watching comedy shows, especially for any celebrity because you can’t be too picky about who you’re going to see,” Humpf said. “You just have to go in with an open mind and enjoy yourself.”
The night wrapped up with Wakim and Sherman reentering the stage for a Q&A section. They discussed their work schedules, the start to their comedy careers and who they would most want to write a sketch for; Sherman said director John Waters and Wakim said comedian John Mulaney.
The Q&A section also covered Sherman’s comedy tour, “Sarah Squirm.” When asked about her favorite part of the tour so far, Sherman said venturing outside of her “bubble” has been a highlight.
“I’m dressed like SpongeBob, and you would think I could only do shows in Brooklyn when actually, my favorite place to do shows can be in Arkansas,” Sherman said.
DISCLAIMER: Jordan Vogel is a staff writer for The Daily Orange. He did not influence the editorial content of this article.
