Built by ladies, celebrating ladies, the second annual Chicago Women’s Funny Fest draws comics from LA to PA who are prepared to lampoon whatever aspects of the feminine mystique they find particularly hysterical: boy problems (Crush), beauty regimens (ManiPedi, Portion Control), girlhood (the Improvised Baby-Sitters Club), sexual identity (Women of GayCo), smarts (Math for Girls), boobs (Stacked), sweetness (the Cupcakes, the Pop Tarts, Pirate Sugar), and gross (Heavy Flo, Wisesnatch, Just the Tip). Starting June 6, CWFF’s four days contain 80 acts of improv, storytelling, stand-up, sketch, music, variety, magic, monologues, mockumentaries, solos, and skits.
Susan Messing, reputed to possess “one of the sharpest shit-detectors around,” is one of the Boys, an improv supergroup (Sun 6/9, 8 PM). In a solo set, superb director Angie McMahon recounts stories about being a mom (Sun 6/9, 5 PM). Armored with an outrageous catchphrase—”The tacos have thoughts”—Taco Tuesdays offer improv based on footage of their adventures speed-dating (Sun 6/9, 7 PM). Tara DeFrancisco takes the audience-input model and sends it to the moon: she performs a whole 30-minute set with a randomly selected audience member (Sun 6/9, 8 PM).
Thu-Sun 6/6-6/9, various times, Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont, chicagowomensfunnyfestival.com, each performance $14-$15.
