Oak Park’s Comedy Plex will host the second annual Funny Is Female festival Oct. 22-25, bringing more than 50 comics from around the country to the club at 1128 Lake St., according to the Chicago Tribune. Headliners Marina Franklin and Ariel Elias anchor a program that pairs performances with workshops and opportunities for comics to meet industry bookers.
From a Classroom Request to a Festival
The festival grew out of a student’s request that Comedy Plex create an all-female standup class; after a couple of terms, artistic director Angie McMahon said the idea should become a festival. Comedy Plex, co-owned by Marz Timms, Sherman Edwards and Christopher Bell, is the festival’s home base.
McMahon has said last year's inaugural run was a huge success, and the festival is back this year with more sponsors than before. She's also described the ongoing challenge the festival is meant to address: standup remains male-dominated, women comics now have more opportunities than in years past but still not enough, and some local club lineups still feature only men or a single woman.
The Numbers Behind the Imbalance
A Chicago Reader study of 19 Chicago comedy showcases found that bookings favored men over women and gender-nonconforming performers. Almost all the shows were majority male, while lineups tended to be more diverse when producers were more diverse. Among comics who performed less frequently, 70% were male, 29% female and 1% gender nonconforming, according to the Chicago Reader.
What the Booking Study Can—and Can’t—Show
The Reader reported that Meredith Kachel tracked acts in 19 comedy shows from January through October, including one of her own, Hoo Ha Comedy. She used booking ledgers when shows provided them and otherwise researched performers through social media and event flyers. The findings describe those sampled shows; they do not establish booking patterns across every Chicago venue or comedy event.
The festival puts performances alongside career-development opportunities. WGN-TV has described it as a four-day celebration of women in comedy, featuring comics from across the U.S. and beyond at Comedy Plex.
Two Stages, Workshops and a Showcase for Bookers
This year’s schedule opens with a showcase Thursday and runs across two stages, with shows each night at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., according to the Chicago Tribune. Saturday, Oct. 24, includes a 10 a.m. social media session sponsored by Up High Marketing and a noon workshop, What's Next for You?, where producers and managers answer questions about career advancement.
The festival's marquee industry moment is the Best of the Fest show, where nine comedians perform in front of bookers and talent scouts looking for new names to hire, as noted by the Chicago Tribune. The structure echoes what the festival offered a year earlier, when its Best of the Fest slot gave comics a chance to be seen by bookers, agents and casting directors, according to the Tribune's earlier coverage.
Headliner Marina Franklin Reflects on 25 Years in Comedy
Franklin, a Highland Park native, performs at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23. Her credits include HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Comedy Central’s Chappelle’s Show and the film Trainwreck, and she performs at festivals around the world, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Franklin has said she simply enjoys talking and telling stories onstage. Reflecting on how the business has shifted since she started, she's noted that women now have more opportunities in comedy than when she began, though she recalled often being the only female comedian on a show earlier in her career. She's also observed that female comics sometimes perform back-to-back on modern lineups — a sign of progress, she said, even as more opportunities are still needed.
Ariel Elias Brings a New Set, Not Her Debut Special
Elias, who performs at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, was named a New Face at the 2021 Just for Laughs festival and released her debut special, A Jewish Star, on 800 Pound Gorilla’s YouTube channel, according to the Chicago Tribune. She has described the special as the culmination of more than 13 years of standup and joke development, but said her Oak Park set will not focus on it.
Elias has toured in the United States and abroad and spent 12 years working in New York. She has said she turned to comedy after she could not find work despite having a Spanish degree and briefly working as a translator. The Tribune reported that she considers headlining a festival centered on women’s voices special.
Tickets and Festival Details
Headliner shows cost $20 in advance or $30 at the door, while showcase performances are priced at $10. An all-you-can-laugh festival pass runs $30. Festival information and reservations are available at comedyplex.com/fif-festival.
