Fifty-one comedians take over two Lake Street stages starting Thursday, Oct. 22, as the Funny Is Female Comedy Festival returns to downtown Oak Park.
The four-day festival runs through Sunday, Oct. 25, at Comedy Plex Comedy Club, 1128 Lake St., and the Dragon Lounge inside Sushi House nearby. Headliner Marina Franklin, a Chicago native who has appeared on HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and Hulu's Life & Beth, performs Friday. Ariel Elias, known for appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, headlines Saturday.
The lineup is the work of an all-women organizing team: Angie McMahon, Marta Segal Block and Lisa Nagatomo-Timms. Segal Block conceived the idea for an all-female festival to create space for women in a field where they remain underrepresented. McMahon, the festival's artistic director, told the Wednesday Journal that the ratio in comedy nationally runs about one woman to every five men.
"Creating space for women is just going to create more opportunities for women," McMahon said.
The festival builds on what organizers called strong turnout in its inaugural year in 2025. That first edition featured 55 comedians, according to a festival press release. The schedule includes daytime comedy workshops and a "clean" show suitable for audience members about 12 and older.
Beyond the stage, Segal Block said the festival creates networking opportunities and helps performers build relationships within the industry.
Local institutions lined up behind the event. The Village of Oak Park, Downtown Oak Park and the Oak Park–River Forest Chamber of Commerce all provided sponsorships and support, the Wednesday Journal reported. Organizers say performers traveling from across the country and visitors from the Chicago area spend time and money at downtown businesses during the festival weekend.
"This is what women coming together can do," Nagatomo-Timms said.
Tickets for individual shows range from $10 to $30, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Weekend passes are also available through the Comedy Plex website. Comedy Plex also hosts a free open mic night every Wednesday and offers stand-up classes for adults, children and corporate groups.
