Comedy in Color provides an outlet for comics of color on campus

The comedy scene on campus is being transformed by Comedy in Color — the second showcase hosted by Creatives of Color on Nov. 9.

Comedy In Color is an event for people of color to perform their comedy routines in an inclusive environment and provides performers with an opportunity to showcase their talent.  

Victoria Quiett, a member of Comedy in Color, said performing in the showcase was an uplifting experience for the group.

“It was really awesome to be around so many people who were out there to listen to comedians of color, especially since it was my first time performing in such a way,” Quiett said. “It was a very supportive atmosphere for it.”

The event features students who are both practiced and inexperienced in stand-up comedy, and are provided with workshops to perfect their routines.

The workshops, Quiett said, are meant to teach comics how to write jokes and execute their routines in a way the audience will find funny, often experimenting with timing and delivery.

Shari Diaz, the only professional Latina comic in North Carolina, hosted the workshops to support people of color in comedy after feeling unwelcomed by North Carolina’s comedy scene.

“You add a little bit of color, you add a little bit of spice, it’s different, it’s threatening,” Diaz said. “I realized when you feel out of place, or you feel like you’re not included, or you feel like nobody’s putting you on, you gotta put yourself on.” 

Telling stories, Diaz said, is important for comics of color because the comics heal through talking about their experiences and the audience can heal as well.

Diaz, who founded Boogie Down South Productions and co-produced the Oak City Comedy Festival, said that comedy is especially powerful for people of color. 

”Funny comes from darkness, in reality,” Diaz said. “Without some tragedy, you can’t have comedy. So, people of color come from struggle, we come from experience. Our only way to survive is through humor.”

Noni Shemenski, a former staff writer for The Daily Tar Heel and founder of Creatives of Color, said the organization developed after she saw that the campus was lacking in creative spaces for people of color to interact.

Shemenski, who is also the producer and host of Comedy in Color, said the showcase formed out of a need for more representation in UNC’s comedy scene.

Because the comedy groups on campus are predominately white, Shemenski said, it is important for people of color to find a space that will give performers confidence to move up in the comedy scene. Many performers from the first showcase have performed at open-mic nights and various showcases around the Triangle. 

The showcase has provided a place for people of color to be inspired by one another and create with each other. The collaboration has been successful, Shemenski said, as the showcase drew a larger and more diverse crowd.

“A big part of the reason that people don’t feel comfortable coming out is if you don’t see yourself reflected on stage, you just think that maybe it’s not for you,” Shemenski said.

arts@dailytarheel.com