Submissions for 2012 are live!

We’re  happy to announce you can now submit for the 2012 Ladies Are Funny Festival.  The festival will be from May 9-12th in Austin, Texas.  Submission are open until Jan 31st.  The submission fee is $15.  Spread the word to any funny acts you know that would fit well with LAFF.

Click here to submit.

New Website

We have a new website – LadiesAreFunnyFestival.com.  We’ll be tweaking it some over the next couple weeks, so stay tuned for new sections and pictures.  Submissions will also go live here very soon as well!

Enjoy,

Kerri

Best Of Austin Critics Pick!

This was what LAFF was lucky enough to wake up to this morning! A Best Of Austin Critics Pick Award for LAFF!

“Five years strong and staffed by a collective of the wittiest women in ATX, Ladies Are Funny Festival has proven true to its name. Packed with a diverse local and national lineup of improv, sketch, and stand-up performers, it’s turned out programming that showcases the very best of the best. LAFF has rightfully earned the accolades of Austin’s comedy community, and we can’t wait to see what hilarity it comes up with next.”

We are so proud of what we’ve created and want to give thanks to all the staff and volunteers from years past! And many thanks to the critics at The Austin Chronicle for their support!

Kick ass, ladies, kick ass.

A Convergence Of Laffter

Hi all,

It’s Julie, your intrepid Girl Producer.  Things have been busy today with many a LAFF moment or issue or thought process coming to the fore.  School has started, Summer Vacation is over and it’s time to start planning!

Here are a few of the intersecting and possibly coincidental Laffstuffs that have occurred in the last 24 hours.

1) New Business Cards by awesome LAFFer, Courtney Hopkin!

2) I chatted with Katie Hartman of Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting on ye old FB (they are heading down here for Out Of Bounds)!

3) A meeting with the fabulous Kerri Lendo during which we drank hibiscus tea and created the whole motha-flippin’ timeline for the next season and….

I did it all while wearing my awesome Skinny Bitch Jesus T-shirt.

I’m excited about where all this might lead!

 

Oh, Mother!

I find myself rather amused with the publication day-eve public kerfuffle between best-selling author and sexual provocateur Erica Jong and her daughter, Molly Jong-Fast, who tells the press that she’s “anti-elder sex” (I am too, as long as we’re talking about the elders of the Mormon church.) I think that means that she wishes her famous mom would clamp her legs shut, even though her more-fabulous mom is the only reason the press cares about what she says anyway. Erica Jong is, of course, the author of the groundbreaking 1973 novel Fear of Flying, which follows protagonist Isadora Wing on a global sex romp that is hilarious and sad and would very much get a lot of panties in a lot of wads over the quantity (a lot) and quality (with strangers/her brother-in-law/more strangers) of sex Isadora has. Henry Miller praised young Erica upon the book’s publication. And really, it was groundbreaking. Few works of fiction back then spoke openly and freely of female sexuality that did not demand that the heroine be punished for having sex by dying at the end of the book. You should read it, unless the very idea o anyone over the age of 40 having sex makes you want to vomit, in which case, pick up one of those Twilight books. No elder sex in there, unless Edward’s advanced vampire age counts. Molly’s form of rebellion (still, at age 32) is to call her mom a slut in front of reporters while congratulating herself for being a big prude.

I admit it: I’m jealous that my own mother isn’t famous for anything, except for loudly sharing her astrologer’s predictions and not shutting the door to the bathroom at home. (It’s her house, she says.) So as I pursue my own success as a writer, not only can I not count on my mom to send my manuscripts to George Plimpton (who’s dead anyway), I don’t even have anything on which to vocally and vociferously oppose her for the sheer joy of rebellion. Our politics are the same and whether or not she is having “elder sex” is in no way my business.

Still, I am hungry for a publishing deal. So I called my mom and picked a fight:

MO: Hey mom!

MOM: Hello, Monique. How are you?

MO: I just want to say that astrology is stupid and wrong and you’re an idiot for believing it. In fact, I am so enraged at the thought of you reading dumb charts and telling me that Jupiter is in the second house and Chiron this and Taurus that…gosh, I want to spit! I demand you stop it!

MOM: What the hell is wrong with you?

MO: And if you don’t stop it, I will write a polemic against you! Did you hear me! A polemic! A vicious polemic! Maybe even a diatribe!

MOM: What is this really about, Monique?

(See, that’s the no-fun part of being the daughter of an unfamous woman. When she performs acts of mothering her adult child, Salon is not there to pick it up!)

MO: (Hangs up)

I further pondered what else I might use to publicly pillory my mother. It had to be a progressive idea, one that she fought hard for when she was my age, in a more oppressive era. I remember my mother having to wear dresses with nylons to school every day back in the sixties. When I was in high school in the nineties, girls had their tits popping out of t-shirts with the necks cut off, and that was just another day at school.

MO: Mom?

MOM: What? I’m watching Dr. Oz. Can this wait?

MO: (briefly considers insulting Dr. Oz just because her mother loves him) How dare you not wear dresses and nylons every day! The way you were expected to when you were in high school! Your insistence on wearing jeans and casual tops is immoral and disgusting.

MOM: You’re being an idiot. Goodbye. (hangs up)

Finally, I decided to just be real with my mom. She doesn’t deserve being treated badly, or having her need to analyze planet formations maligned. She’s a good mom. But still. I wanted something. Anything.

MO: Mom?

MOM: (irritated) WHAT?

MO: Can I ask you to do me a favor?

MOM: What?

MO: I want you to call in a favor for me to one of your friends.

MOM: What?

MO: Just…anything. I don’t care. Just prove to me once and for all that you have a phatty hook-up to SOMETHING! ANYTHING!

An hour later, she called back.

She’d called her friend at the Armenian bakery, who offered her a substantial discount on mail-ordered Armenian cracker bread. Did I want white or wheat?

White, I said.

It may not be the New York literati’s interest and blessing in whatever fool business falls out of my mouth, but Armenian cracker bread is damn tasty. Versatile, too.

Funny Girls Wanted

Are you a teen girl who is hilarious? Do you find yourself in the company (as a parent, relative, teacher or friend) of a teenaged chick with a rapier wit?  If so, get them to this camp stat!

Gnap Theater Projects is producing “Funny Girl” a camp for teen girls who want to excel at all things comedic. Check it out!

June 20th through June 24th, 9 to 4 pm, $175

Brought to you by Gnap! Theater Projects company member, LAFF producer and stand up comic extraordinare, Kerri Lendo

For information on scholarships or other information, please contact funnygirlcamp@gmail.com

Why A Women’s Comedy Festival?

Cross Posted at Julie Gillis.

Each year that I have been involved with the Ladies Are Funny Festival, I and my fellow interviewees have been asked these questions.  “Why have a Women’s Comedy Festival?” “Do you foresee a time when we won’t need a festival like this?”

All really good questions asked by excellent interviewers actually not only because of the answers they glean but because of the questions those questions garner.

The brief answer to the first question is because women have stories they want to tell, and there are people who want to hear them.

But there are longer answers, aren’t there, especially to the second?

A few weeks before LAFF, I went to see a documentary as part of CineLasAmericas http://www.cinelasamericas.org/about-us  and at the Mexican-American Cultural Center there was also a Latino play festival. While I was there I saw a friend of mine who helps curate the film festival and she’s Caucasian. She says she’s often asked if she’s married to a Latino or if she has Latino heritage, because why would she be volunteering otherwise. I find this interesting and disturbing.

Do people ask “Why A Latin American Film Festival?” “Will there ever be a time when a Latin American film festival is not needed?” If not, why? Why ask it of women? Because women are part of all the cultures that are celebrated?  Are women a culture of their own to be celebrated on their own? We see this particular issue when a movie like Bridesmaids hits it big. <a href=”http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2011/05/23/bridesmaids_vs._the_hangover/#”>People ask why is it so popular, people compare it to men’s comedies</a>. Why the surprise?

I don’t know but I think it has something to do with sexism.

It is easy to demur, giving the “right answer” in interviews, being a good girl in the face of potential conflict.  That’s a big part of the problem, not wanting to seem militant or pushy, right?  But people don’t get what they want, if they aren’t being heard. If you ask, and are denied….well, being pushy is next step.   Celebration is great, but there are real issues that women in comedy face.  Space isn’t always given. Sometimes space has to be taken, created, and that’s part of what LAFF does, in addition to the celebration.

Women’s stories are important and there needs to be a space for them. People who have stories focused on being women, wanting to be women, what does it mean to be a woman…. I have a need for these stories.  I’m going to keep making a space for them to be told.

Cause I think it makes the world a more interesting place, frankly.

Ladies Makin’ Noise

Here’s all the ladynews that’s fit to be ladynews.  Add more in comments!!!!

Bridesmaids came out. Oh yeah, she did!  Reviews here, commentary here, and here.

Rosanne let loose with some interesting points on women, comedy, television and the Hollywood machine. Not surprising, any of it, and frankly makes me wonder how things can get better.

This situation in Saudi Arabia isn’t funny at all, but it bears bringing up. The women in that country are about to unleash some serious social justice/civil rights action by DRIVING, all together, on June 17th. There was a Facebook page for support, but it was, guess what, taken DOWN!

Locally, the Bedpost Ladies are taking not only the stage at Spiderhouse Ballroom on June 9th, but they are traveling to Dallas on July 21st for a gig at the Kessler Theater!

Slutwalk takes Austin!  It’s happening here (and all over the country and Canada, where it began).  It’s certainly got it’s celebrants and it’s detractors.…what do you think about the whole shebang? Good? Bad? Indifferent?

Finally I do love me some ladymusic. Beyonce gets little argument from me, because I see pop music for pop music. It can have a “soft” effect on changing social structures, but I am cynical and believe it’s main purpose is, well, to make money.   So it was with great pleasure that I saw this rebuttal to Run The World (Girls). Folks, comedy may be funny, but the message behind what we here at LAFF Central are sending out, is serious business.

Say Goodnight, Gracie.

The 5th Annual Ladies Are Funny Festival has come to a close. The stage was swept and the beer was drunk.  I myself passed out for nearly a full day (well…6 hours) but I’m already thinking about next year.

To the fierce fabulous ladies who traveled here, who graced our stage, who volunteered and worked as staff….not to mention the wonderful gents who filmed, photographed, hosted and supported us….Thank You!

There will be more posts, because if there is one thing I like to do it’s yammer about women and comedy and art and feminism and more, but for now….

Goodnight, Gracie.

LAFF Interview #14: Monique Daviau, Girl Interviewer

Monique Daviau is the LAFF staffer who conducted all of the LAFF interviews on this here website. You can see her performing as an old lady with Battle-Axe, but mostly, she’s a big old writery writer. She’s off to the University of Michigan’s MFA creative writing program in the fall, and she helped to write the upcoming play 69 Love Scenes, which goes up in July at Salvage Vanguard. Julie Gillis wrote the interview questions because Mo would never interview herself. That’s just weird.

LAFF: If you had to chose between writing and performing which would it be and why? Who was your greatest influence as a writer?

Jules, what the hell is this Sophie’s Choice-ass dystopian universe you’re creating for me? Really? Okay: so, Austin goes all Republic of Gilead and I have to choose. I choose writing. Mostly because I’ve been writing since I was eight years old and it’s my #1 life’s obsession, and I think I’m pretty good at it. My entire reason for living is to someday hold my published novel in my hands and do a victory lap around my neighborhood. I love performing, too. I think both are complimentary. I perform a lot of what I write, and my writing has really improved over the years through my involvement with improv. But if your creepy bad-guy overlord shows up tomorrow and says I have to choose…well…screw it! I’m moving to Ann Arbor in a few months! You can enslave your creative people here all you want after I’m gone.

My greatest influences as a writer? Elinor Lipman, who was my writing teacher in college, writes novels that are the perfect balance between poignant and funny, as does Austin’s own Sarah Bird. I really can’t over-recommend the book How I Became a Famous Novelist by Steve Hely. He nailed everything on the head with that one, and I just love a novel that makes me laugh out loud. I really love whoever Dear Sugar is on The Rumpus. Sugar gives the greatest advice! I feel like Tina Fey is a really obvious choice as an influence, but Bossypants is like a textbook for women in comedy. She’s just brilliant. Go read it!

2) What feels different to you about Austin 2011 in terms of the artistic scene here and also LAFF?

I really love talking to the comedians from other cities who come to perform at LAFF. We are so welcoming and inclusive and full of love, and I feel really proud of the work we do, creating a space for women to develop their work and make friends and have a wonderful weekend in the amazing city of Austin. I’m really glad that LAFF spreads a little sunshine and creates a small, temporary utopia (I’m kind of fixated on utopias/dystopias at the moment–bear with me).

Austin has turned into the kind of place where so much fascinating creative stuff is happening all the time that you have absolutely no excuse for being bored or uninspired. This city is like a big Kindergarten with miles of butcher paper and fingerpaint.

I feel lucky to have found the Austin improv community when it was young and small. 2002, to be exact. I’ve really learned a lot from everyone here on how to rock it as an artist. I will be grateful to the Austin arts community for the rest of my life.
3) You and I have been eating lunch together since 2004. What the flippity flop am I gonna do when you are in Mitten Land? Skype over Thai?

Oh, sweetie! The last F in BFF stands for Forever! I may be going away, but I’ll never be gone. I’ve tried to leave Austin twice before, and I always come back. What can I say? Austin is a magnet and my heart is made of metal.

Monique Daviau and Aden Kirschner are Battle-Axe, who perform tonight at 7:00.