Dina Nina Martinez has outdone herself once again. In 2016, she broke new ground by organizing Madison’s first woman-centric comedy festival. Now she’s bringing it back for round two, with more than triple the acts and an even bigger focus on diversity.
“I feel like that’s what comedy should be,” says Martinez, a Madison-based comedian and storyteller. “A bunch of women from all different backgrounds, colors, body sizes, orientations and identities, all coming together and being funny and expressing who we are.”
The second annual Lady Laughs Comedy Festival is taking over downtown Madison Nov. 2-5, when more than 90 performers from across the U.S. and Canada will take the stage at four different venues — Plan B, Brocach, Art In and the Comedy Club on State. Highlighting comedic styles ranging from standup to sketch to improv, the event boasts a mix of nationally touring acts as well as local talent. “The diversity this year is just astronomical. We have five trans comics performing, which is just so cool,” says Martinez, who herself is a transgender woman. “When I started comedy I thought there were maybe five trans comics in the whole country — let alone in one festival.”
Among the headliners is Minnesota native Lizz Winstead, co-creator and former head writer of The Daily Show. Known for her sharp political wit and satirical commentary, Winstead is also the founder of a reproductive rights organization, Lady Parts Justice. Winstead and Martinez became friends last year, when the pair performed together on the Vagical Mystery Tour, which Lady Parts Justice organized to support abortion clinics. Winstead performs Nov. 5 at Plan B at 4 p.m.
Another big-name act is Mary Kennedy, a standup comedian and actor best known for her role on the Showtime series Shameless. A native of Boston who got her start in the male-dominated comedy scene of New York City, she’s now a regular at The Laugh Factory in Los Angeles and a frequent performer at comedy festivals around the country. A friend of Martinez’s from when she lived in Los Angeles, Kennedy heard about Lady Laughs and wanted to get involved. Kennedy performs Nov. 3 at Art In at 9 p.m.
In addition to the performances, this year’s Lady Laughs festival also features a panel discussion about the entertainment industry at 4 p.m. on Nov. 4 featuring Winstead, standup comedian Melissa Hahn and Eve Paras, general manager of the Comedy Club on State. Martinez will moderate the panel which she expects will cover such topics as sexism, harassment and navigating male-dominated spaces. And on Nov. 5, there will be a brunch buffet at Plan B catered by Slide food cart and bloody marys from 100 Mile Sauce. Sunday will also feature an awards ceremony, which Martinez has dubbed “The Betties,” based on audience members’ online votes for their favorite comics in various categories.
More than 1,000 people attended last year’s Lady Laughs festival, and Martinez is expecting up to 3,000 this year over the four-day period. She sees the event as a “destination” festival that’s helping put Madison on the comedy map. And she continues to hear from women who want to get involved in future festivals.
“Something’s clicking, and there are a lot more women who are in the comedic arts who are wanting to be heard,” she says. “It’s a sign of the times — we need to laugh, and we need women to make us laugh.”
