Making a splash on stand-up scene

Mermaid Comedy Hour marks 10 years helping diversify the comedy landscape.

- ANTHONY SOLORZANO

JULIA Hladkowicz performs at the Mermaid Comedy Hour, a monthly show at the Hollywood Improv in Los Angeles that books only women and nonbinary comics.

In 2015, the Houston Whatever Festival lineup limited the number of female comedians to just three in a sea of male stand-ups, falling back on an antiquated excuse there simply weren't enough female comics out there.

Valerie Tosi was angered by the festival's response. The incident happened a year into her career as a comedian, and she noticed that shows around Los Angeles also used that same flimsy excuse. So she set out to prove the gatekeepers of the comedy scene wrong.

Tosi, originally from Boston, knew there were plenty of female comedians everywhere seeking stage time. Enter the Mermaid Comedy Hour, a monthly show at the Hollywood Improv that books only women and non-binary comics.

"The first year that I ran it, we booked 75 women without repeating a single comic just in L.A.," Tosi said. "It kinda grew after that, and it kind of kept growing."

On Monday, the show born out of a clap-back will celebrate its 10th anniversary. The celebration will be stacked, with Chelsea Handler, Atsuko Okatsuka, Bri Giger and Laurie Kilmartin performing in the Hollywood Improv Main Room.

"In a lovely state of karma, the [Houston] festival is now defunct. Our show lasted years longer than their fest," Tosi said.

Over the years, the Mermaid Comedy Hour has grown into a staple of L.A. comedy, offering a stage where female and nonbinary comedians can thrive. By spotlighting underrepresented voices, the show has reshaped L.A.'s comedy landscape, while creating a community where everyone feels safe.

For co-host Kari Assad, that sense of family began as a direct counter to the hostility she felt early on.