Times are tough and things are uncertain.
Depression and anxiety are at all-time highs.
Some people are considering fleeing to other countries or just giving up.
Luckily, here in Boston, we have an alternative.
Comedy!
Boston has long been a bastion of laughter.
From thumbing our nose at King Charles to launching multiple late-night TV legends, the Hub of the Universe has also been the Hub of Laughter in many respects.
These days this proud tradition is being maintained and enhanced by the diverse talents who grave the many stages that make up the Boston Comedy Festival, which runs this year (for its 25th year!) through April 5 at venues all over town.
“This year’s festival is going to be absolutely incredible,” observes Festival Producer Helen DiMarzio. “Boston has such a deep-rooted comedy scene and I couldn’t be more excited to bring together some of the funniest comedians!”
For 25 years, the Boston Comedy Fest has featured, feted and launched such legends as Bill Burr, Lenny Clarke, Barry Crimmins, Gary Gulman, Eugene Mirman, Tony V and Steven Wright and continues to shine lights on the best and brightest in Boston and beyond.
“The goal of the Boston Comedy Festival has always been to source comedians who are practicing the craft to the highest standard,” DiMarzio maintains. “We believe that comedy thrives when a wide range of voices and perspectives are represented…[and] actively seek out diverse, talented comedians from all corners of the industry in order to give them a platform to shine.”
In addition to being diverse, the comedians for this year’s Festival are diversely talented as well.
When not performing stand-up (as she will on April Fool’s Day at The Comedy Studio in Cambridge), Amma Marfo is an education professional, writer and editor who says she got into comedy thanks to her “funny family.”
“They always really appreciated comedy,” she recalls, noting that she first started working in the field as a means of further diversifying her talents and interests.
“I started writing sketch in 2014 to get a sense of variety in my life beyond work,” she says, “and then in 2017 I was dared by a group of my friends to try stand-up.”
Catching the performance bug right away, Marfo has since diversified further into comedy writing and producing her own shows.
While she continues to blaze new trails in terms of her material and multi-faceted approach, Marfo also continues to look to her comedy heroes for inspiration and support. While she surely loved the Bethany van Delft Festival showcase called Comedy and Cabernet at City Winery, Marfo also mentions names like Tooky Kavanagh, Kathe Farris and Emily Ruskowski among her current faves.
“I really look to Roy Wood Jr for his capacity to structure cohesive and highly interconnected sets,” she makes sure to mention, “and Janelle James and Dulce Sloan for the ease they bring to their performance.”
When asked how she came to the Festival, Marfo explains that, whole she always felt funny enough, it took another one of her talents – writing – to get her in the door.
“I covered the festival as comedy press for a few years,” she admits, “and honestly felt intimidated at times by the competition aspect of it.”
As Marfo continued to “grow” in the comedy scene, however, so too did her confidence and, after a few applications and auditions, she got the call!
Now that she is in, Marfo looks forward to bringing her unique perspectives and comedic pedigree to the Festival fans.
“I like to think I bring a sense of, ‘Wait…you’re seeing this too, right?’ communal observation to the stage,” she suggests. “When someone can come up afterward and say to me, ‘I’m so glad you said that, I’ve seen/felt/noticed that too,’ then I’ve done my job!”
Someone else who came up from the world of improv is Emily Mu who is set to take the stage April 2 at The Rockwell Theatre in Somerville.
“I signed up for an Improv Boston class in 2019,” Mu recalls, name-checking the famed launching pad for many of Boston’s best and most beloved comedians and comic actors.
Though COVID put a dent in the scene, Mu maintains that, even over Zoom, she was able to bond with others on the scene and that those relationships and experiences have helped her reach her current status.
“I really enjoyed meeting comics from around the country and making people laugh,” Mu muses, citing such favorites as Sheng Wang and Hasan Minhaj. “I love comedy that makes you look at the world in a different way.”
As with Marfo, Mu had to try a few times before she was accepted into the Festival and sees it as a major career accomplishment.
“The Boston Comedy Festival has been a goal of mine since I started doing comedy,” she says. “This year is actually my third year applying and I’m so excited to be a part of it, along with so many amazing comedians!”
One of the “amazing” comedians that will be joining Mu at the Rockwell is Demetrius “Big D” Hullum who got into comedy as a way of dealing with the death of his mother.
“I found myself wanting to cope with the loss in a creative way,” he explains, noting that his first public performance was on the first anniversary of his mother’s passing.
A fan of Mike Epps and Dave Chapelle, Hullum admires their “unique styles and ability to blend humor with genuine storytelling.”
As he has not only been in the Festival before but made it all the way to the semi-final round last year, Hulum has more experience than some of his comic comrades but is still eager to “go further” when he takes the stage this year.
“Audiences can expect a lively and relatable performance filled with observational humor and personal anecdotes that encourage laughter and reflection,” he predicts. “My goal is to create a comfortable environment for everyone to enjoy the moment.”
