Up-and-Coming Comedian to Perform at Ford Center

By Edwin Smith

University Communications

A University of Mississippi alumnus who is gaining a national audience as a comedian is returning to campus for a performance at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts.

Jay Jurden, who received his bachelor’s degree in theatre and acting from UM, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 22) as part of the Ford Center Artist Series. He also will teach a master class for students at 11 a.m. Saturday.

“The Artist Series Committee felt that bringing Jay here would be a good opportunity for students to see how far they can go with a UM education,” said Kate Meacham, Ford Center director of marketing. “We hope that have fun and enjoy themselves.

“We also hope they connect with him through his humor and embrace him as one of the many and diverse voices of the Ole Miss community.”

Jurden decided to attend Ole Miss following a campus Visit Day during his senior year at William B. Murrah High School in Jackson.

“It feels very humbling and truly full circle,” he said. “I’ve had the honor of performing at the Ford Center a few times as a student, but being part of the Artist Series really feels special.”

A New York-based comedian, writer and actor, Jurden is originally from Canton. He regularly performs comedy all over the country and is a staff writer for “The Problem with Jon Stewart” on Apple TV+.

Jurden has appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” “Comedy Central Stand-Up Featuring,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and HBO’s “High Maintenance.”

His album, “Jay Jurden Y’all,” debuted at No. 1 on iTunes. He has written for Vulture, Teen Vogue, McSweeney’s and The New Yorker and was listed on Vulture’s “Comedians You Should and Will Know” in 2020 and selected for Just for Laughs Festival’s “New Faces” in 2019.

Jurden was named one of Variety’s “10 Comics to Watch” in 2022.