Female comedians thriving in North Carolina

Amy Poehler and Tina Fey scored big laughs on “Saturday Night Live” and have helped inspire other women to pursue careers in comedy, even here in Chapel Hill. With venues like Cat’s Cradle, DSI Comedy Theater and the Carolina Theatre hosting female comedians, standup, improvisation and sketch comedy have grown in popularity.

Female comedic duo Broad City performed at Cat’s Cradle earlier this month with opener Naomi Ekperigin, and on Saturday, the Carolina Theatre will host standup star Kathleen Madigan.

Madigan has been in the business for nearly 25 years, working her way up to performance slots on television shows like “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Late Show with David Letterman” and “Conan.” Starting at the age of 23, Madigan dabbled in local standup comedy in St. Louis. Although it started out as a fun hobby, Madigan said she soon recognized the profession’s potential and her own talent.

Soon, she was on the fast track to comedic stardom and now spends nearly 300 nights of the year touring on the road. The best part, she says, is being in charge of herself, her material and her career.

“I like the freedom that I’m my own boss; I don’t think I could have a boss anymore — that’s probably a bad thing,” Madigan said. “I really like the instant gratification. You tell a joke, you get a laugh. I like the immediacy of standup.”

Madigan said commitment to the craft is the most important aspect of comedy. The career path might be slow at first, but Madigan said that with a little hard work, you can go far.

“Go wherever there’s an open mic night and keep getting onstage and telling jokes,” she said. “It’s quite a life if you’re not really into it; you have to know that you really want to do this.”

Ekperigin, who performed with friends and fellow comedians Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson of Broad City, also found her start in standup. After being laid off from her day job in 2013, Ekperigin said the decision to follow her dreams of becoming a comedian suddenly became very easy.

As an African American, female comedian, Ekperigin said networking has helped her break through any existing barriers within the field.

“It’s all about having like-minded people around you,” Ekperigin said. “If I’m primarily hanging out with a bunch of white dudes, then it would take a lot more time for me to find my tribe, so to speak, and to find the people who I connect with and start to collaborate and run ideas by.”

Natural skill is another aspect Ekperigin stressed, and in this sense, female comedians have a fair shot at stardom.

“When there are fewer women, and fewer women of color, it can take a little bit longer to make contacts,” Ekperigin said. “There are fewer women on the scene, but if you’re good, you’re good.”

While touring with Broad City, Ekperigin said the most rewarding aspect was discovering that her material had crossover appeal, and this new connection to audiences helped reinvigorate her performances. She said reinventing ideas and breaking out of your comfort zone is the best way to hone your talent.

“Cultivate your unique voice,” Ekperigin said. “Go into the world, have as many experiences as possible, and write as much as you can.”

Big names like Madigan and Ekperigin have raised the bar for females in the field, and local comedians like UNC alumna Hillary Nicholas are working to encourage more women to enter the field of comedy.

Nicholas was a member of UNC’s improv and sketch comedy team CHiPs, and now performs at DSI Comedy Theater multiple times a week.

DSI functions as both a theater and a school, and Nicholas said the company takes significant efforts to promote female comedians.

“DSI does a really good job of making sure that women are on teams and not overlooked, and sometimes we’re even highlighted,” Nicholas said. “Every couple Fridays we have ‘Ladies’ Night,’ which is an all female cast of improvisers and standups.”

DSI attracts undergraduate as well as graduate students at UNC, and Nicholas said the theater promotes a sense of unity and equality for those who are hesitant to experiment with comedy.

“The improv and comedy community is so supportive of each other and just surrounding yourself with other comedians makes you a better comedian,” Nicholas said.

“Put yourself out there and don’t be afraid to fail.”

arts@dailytarheel.com