The Many 'Mrs. Maisels': A Brief History of Jewish Female Stand-Up Comedians, with Grace Kessler Overbeke, PhD, Assistant Professor of Theatre, Comedy Writing & Performance, Columbia College

Jewish humor comes by its subversiveness honestly: Jewish theology and culture encourage us to constantly question authority. Male Jewish comedians in twentieth-century America have famously demonstrated these subversive tendencies through their socially and politically critical comedy. This presentation argues that female Jewish comedians in twentieth-century America have demonstrated the same level of subversive tendencies, but in markedly different ways. This session will examine that history of rule-breaking, paying special attention to pioneers like Sophie Tucker, Fanny Brice, Joan Rivers, Elayne Boosler, and Sarah Silverman.