A huge fan of the movie “Flashdance”, Shayma got the nerve to audition for the San Francisco School of the Arts when she was 14. To her surprise she was accepted. Waking before sun up and working tirelessly paid off. She went from a dancer with natural ability and no formal training to a soloist in the school’s dance concert her freshman year. But an abrupt, unexpected, family move forced her to say goodbye to School of the Arts. She was then introduced her to the drama department of a new school. Shayma enjoyed performing in front of the class and even wrote her own funny monologues.

Although they often caused her teacher to cringe, they made her classmates laugh. She liked school but her parents relationship had become exceedingly tumultuous and often times violent. Her stepfather was in the clutches of a serious drug addiction and she found it impossible to study with constant turmoil in the household. At 16 she quit school, moved out and began to support herself. She worked over 70 hours a week doing property maintenance, working as a prep cook at “Beef in the Sack Deli” (not a joke) and bagging groceries in the Mission Beach district of San Diego, California. One night on her way home from work she passed the La Jolla Comedy Store. Though the window she saw a stand-up comedian performing. She didn’t know how to get started as a comedienne but that night she vowed to herself that she would return as soon as she turned 21 to pursue her childhood dream. Along with cracking jokes and dancing, Shayma had always loved to sing.

After four years of performing in San Diego Shayma felt it was time to make the move to Los Angeles. Within 6 months of her move she made her television debut on the Keenan Ivory Wayans show. She also became a regular at the Hollywood Comedy Store where she worked along side such legendary Comedians as Chris Rock, Norm Mac Donald, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and many others. She was cast as a series regular on Warner Bros. primetime sketch show “Hype” which lead to several TV appearances on such shows as the Best Damn Sports Show, the Tonight Show, MTV’s Punk’d and Chelsea Lately.

http://www.shaymatash.com