Muhammad Omar Al-Kahlout, better known as Mo, is behind one of the most increasingly fashionable crazes in Birmingham—the hookah catering business. Crowne Hookah caters to social scenes such as clubs (particularly NV Ultralounge), weddings, birthdays, and private events. What other college student gets paid to smoke hookah, listen to music, dance with friends and somehow, at the end of the night, get paid?
When Mo isn’t interacting with Birmingham’s night scene, he attends the UAB as a theater major. He has acted in renowned plays such as Shakespeare’s “As You Like it” as a lord and a priest and Will York’s “Rhinoceros” as an old man who argued about cats and logic.
HC: How is working for Crowne Hookah different than working a job that a “typical” college student does?
MAK: First of all, I don’t know many college students who are able to be their own boss. I would say that is definitely a perk. Secondly, I get to meet plenty of great people and do what I love doing, so it’s a win-win situation.
HC: What plays have you recently acted in?
MAK: I was recently in a world premiere play, an award-winning play in the Ruby Lloyd Apsey Play Search, called “We Three” written by Paul Shoulberg and directed by Dennis McLernon. I played a guy named Taz. Any dreams I had of being a rapper were satisfied and quickly shot down in the show. I decided to stick to acting.
This semester I was part of the play “The Caucasian Chalk Circle” written by Bertolt Brecht and directed by Jack Cannon. I played five different characters in this play, which included a milkman, some soldiers, and the brother of Grusha (the central character).
HC: Do you have any tips for aspiring actors?
MAK: I find that the secret ingredient to any great performance is to trust your fellow actors, your crew, and your director. Most importantly, have fun while you do it! I really do encourage anyone who has ever wanted to participate in theatre to come try it out. I started as a pre-med student, took Theater 100, heard about auditions and went for it. I’ve never regretted the decision.
HC: Do you have a set plan of what you want “to be” when you graduate?
MAK: The honest truth is that I have NO idea what I want to do with the rest of my life. I feel that as long as I’m putting in the work and having fun doing what I do, whether it be with theater or Crowne Hookah, then I will end up in the place I should be, and I will love my job.