“I downloaded this app and it’s supposed to be mainly for women to help them save money on food. Women probably have heard of it,” a comedian said to a crowd of about 40 people. “It’s called Hinge.”
This joke, among others, matched the theme of Boston University Stand-up Club’s Queer & Femme Comedy Open Mic on Nov. 30.
BU Central was filled with uproarious laughter and enthusiasm from the crowd when the line-up of nine performers took the stage. The free event was open to all students.
The event was co-organized by BU Stand-up Club Secretary Lindsey Polevoy, a junior in the College of Communication, along with the club’s vice president.
Polevoy said the event existed to create a space for queer people and women who are underrepresented in comedy.
“You look around and you see a ton of straight white men invading the comedy scene. Not a ton of women, not a ton of queer people,” she said. “It can be a space that’s very intimidating to enter if you’re a woman or a queer person.”
For Cadee Stefani, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, this was her second time performing a set with BU Stand-up Club. She said the first open mic she ever attended was all male.
“I did go into [the set] with more of a chill mindset,” Stefani said. “I did start off saying, ‘Where all my b—s at?,’ which I don’t think I would have done if the crowd was a lot of white guys.”
Stefani is also the president of Slow Children At Play, a sketch comedy group at BU. She said Slow Children At Play is also male-dominated, but the group is working towards attracting a more diverse group of members.
“I think what’s awesome about comedy is the goal for everyone in it is to have fun,” Stefani said. “Even if you bomb … you kind of laugh about it. Because it’s like what else are you gonna do?”
Max Garris, a third year neuroscience student at Northeastern University, said it was his first time performing stand-up comedy.
“It was a really good turnout tonight,” Garris said. “I think mine and everybody’s else’s stand-up was really good …. I was laughing, I had a fun time.”
Polevoy said the event was meant to be inclusive for people of all skill and experience levels. The open mic was an opportunity for performers to explore different forms of stand-up, such as improv, musical or sketch comedy, she said.
“We want this to be the big Stand-up Club event that we have that our club is known for,” Polevoy said.
The club now plans to hold a Queer & Femme Open Mic every semester.
“This is not a competitive space. We’re not here to judge you,” Polevoy said. “We’re just trying to help each other out, make each other laugh and give each other support.”