Margaret Cho is bringing political comedy to the East Bay next week, with three performances of her show “Choligarchy” in Berkeley on September 18 and 19. The San Francisco native and comedian has described the tour as a direct confrontation with fascism, inequality, and the outsized political power of the ultra-wealthy.
A San Francisco Chronicle report covers “Choligarchy.” Cho has said the richest people in the world “cannot afford jokes at their expense,” and that she wants to fight fascism with everything she has, per the same report. The September 18-19 Berkeley engagement features three performances, with performance details available through the theater.
A Tour Rooted in Confronting Power
Cho first announced the “Choligarchy” tour in July 2025 as an explicit return to political comedy, framing the project as using humor as a weapon against authoritarianism and corporate power, according to the Margaret Cho Official Site. The Roda Theatre run follows a Bay Area stop in May 2026 at San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts Theatre. That earlier date suggested strong regional demand ahead of next week's East Bay engagement.
The 600-seat Roda Theatre, where the show is set to run, opened in 2001 alongside Berkeley Rep's School of Theatre, according to SFGATE. Its proscenium stage was designed to complement the organization's original 400-seat thrust stage, giving Berkeley Rep the capacity to host major touring artists and premiere productions. Separately, Berkeley Rep's recent work has included a production of “All My Sons” featuring Jimmy Smits and Wanda De Jesús.
From Sitcom Pioneer to Independent Powerhouse
Cho grew up in San Francisco, per the Chronicle's reporting, made television history in 1994 as the star of ABC's “All-American Girl,” the first primetime broadcast sitcom built around a predominantly Asian American family, according to the Television Academy. Network pressure watered down her stand-up style during that run, but the show remains a milestone for Asian American representation on screen, the Television Academy notes.
After the sitcom's cancellation, Cho's Off-Broadway one-woman show “I'm the One That I Want” became a feature film that set a record for the highest box-office gross per print for an independent film, according to the Hollywood Bowl. The Hollywood Bowl also discusses the filmed stand-up concerts. Over her career, Cho has received five Grammy nominations and a 2012 Primetime Emmy nomination for playing North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il on NBC's “30 Rock,” per the Television Academy.
Recent Wins On and Off the Screen
Cho previously competed on “Celebrity Jeopardy!” In January 2025, Cho won $54,100 for the nonprofit Friendly House on that show by successfully doubling down on two True Daily Doubles during the Triple Jeopardy round, as Hoodline previously reported. The winnings went directly to the organization.
Cho's activism runs alongside her comedy career. She was inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame in 2022 and has received the ACLU of Southern California's First Amendment Award and the LA Pride Lifetime Achievement Award, according to the Asian Hall of Fame. Her political humor draws on decades of work supporting LGBTQ+ rights, anti-racism, and anti-bullying causes, the organization notes. The article also references San Francisco's alternative sex and kink community.
Tickets for the three Berkeley performances on September 18 and 19 remain available.
