OCTOBER 21, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO NIKE MARATHON
WOMEN WHO KICK COMEDY BUTT
WILL BE PERFORMING
GRACE WHITE, GAYLA JOHNSON
GRACE FRAGA, BETH SCHUMANN
WOMEN WHO KICK COMEDY BUTT
PRODUCER & HEADLINER
COMEDIAN GRACE WHITE
Photo (shot at SF Fillmore)
Dan Dion
Woman Who Kicks Comedy Butt
Funny Business Magazine
Pat Katzmann
She may bill herself as That Old Hippie Chick, but she looks more country club than commune. Classy, blonde, and caffeinated, Grace White is in constant movement. A perpetual motion machine, she blazes through North Beach and takes some cell phone calls while giving a walking tour of local landmarks on her way to her favorite spot, Caffe Trieste, for a cappuccino. Even when shes walking, shes on the road. Its no wonder she calls herself a transient with an act. Shes no slacker, thats for sure.
For someone who only started performing stand-up seven years ago at age 49, when she became an empty-nester, White has come a very long way in a short time. Shes opened concerts for 3 Doors Down, Jefferson Starship, and Jethro Tull. Shes shared the stage with Father Guido Sarducci, Kevin Pollak, and Will Durst. Shes performed at Comedy Celebration Day before thousands of Bay Area fans, appeared on The Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon and ABCs Good Morning America, and played a role in The Independent, a film starring Jerry Stiller and Janeane Garofalo. Last year, she created a revue called Women Who Kick Comedy Butt (WWKCB), featuring funny females from all over the Bay Area. WWKCBs proliferation and popularity means White spends more and more time producing the show in comedy clubs, casinos, and wineries all over northern California.
Responding to what she and fellow women comics saw as a need to generate more gigs, since women still arent perceived to be as funny as men, White thought a PG-13 showcase with a revolving lineup would be welcome at variety of venues seeking an alternative to lounge singers. She was right. Because the discrimination that all women experience also predominates in comedy, I find myself even more committed to proactive change rather than just getting pissed off, says White. Simply, I am a comedian that wants to perform. Being very scrappy, I have found ways to do just that by working outside the comedy box. Thats how her WWKCB brainchild was born, and her persistence is why its become a favorite of comedy fans from Larkspurs Caf.. Theatre to Lockefords Vino Piazza.
I dont see myself as a female comedy leader, or a prophet, or a smarty pants purporting that I know everything on or off stage. I am old enough to be smarter than that. I see WWKCB as a win, win, win, win, win for myself and other females, no matter what direction it takes. More good female comics (which more stage time produces) means more good comedy shows, which means more for all female comics and more for comedy as a whole. My dream is to have a full-blown concert tour where comics can have their own careers while also participating in WWKCB shows when convenient to them. Can a network show based on this boomers life be far behind?
Life may be a continuous caf.. crawl interrupted by periodic stand-up sets, but always punctuated by punch lines. After a quick breakfast and latte at Oaklands Coffee Mill, White spies a bookstore across the street that she has to hit. Walking into Walden Pond, she notices a remaindered Ed Rosenthal calendar featuring some pricey California flora. Upon hearing that the marijuana maven was angling to appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show, she flatly states: Oprah would never allow that. Because shes anti-drug, of course. No, shed be afraid of getting the munchies. And without breaking stride, as the booksellers behind the counter crack up, she hurries to the childrens section, finds a copy of Curious George and the Dinosaur for her 4-year-old grandson Brandon, and heads back to the counter where the booksellers are still chuckling. Always leave em laughing.
Some comedians who have performed in
WWKCB productions.
Jackie Kashian, Maria Bamford, Rebecca Arthur, Jen Kober, Maryellen Hooper, Helen Keaney, Joanie Fagan, Vickie Barbalok, Diane Amos, Kira Soltanovich, Reannie Roads, Beth Schumann, Karen Rontowski, Henrietta, Tina Allen, Laura Hayden, Joni Rodgers, Maura Lake, Chantal Carerre, Betsy Salkind, Aundre The Wonderwoman, Gail Jones, Cynthia Levin, Christian Shirm, Lang Parker, Maggie Newcomb, Christine Gelat, Tessie Chua, Nora Lavelle, Gayla Johnson, Grace Fraga, Rosie Tran, Dava Krause, Amy Anderson, Kat Simmons, Sandy Stec, Lynn Gold, Melanie Miller, Dattner, Robin Reiser, Natalie Gray, Courtney Cronin, Jovelyn Richards, Lynn Epstein, Jennifer Hahamian, Debbie Lockhart, Megan Houndhell, Julie Kidd, Cindy Burns, Laurie McDermott, Dina Vacarri, Jojeana Marie, Carol Metcalf, Gail Jones, Candice Churilla, Lori Chapman, Melissa Gans, Julie Anderson, Lizette Mizelle
Cheryl Anderson, Joanie Coyote
Cheryl Anderson, Joanie Coyote Alycia Cooper, Karyn Smyth
Susan Maletta
PARTIAL LIST
Look left, and CHECK OUT WWKCBs TRIBUTE TO HEROES.