Grant #13
Ladies Laugh-In
May 13, 2013
When the ladies at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA were told they couldn’t lead the school because they weren’t funny, they decided to do something about it.
Gender dynamics have been a hot topic at Phillips Academy lately. Not only, it seemed, were women unable to secure leadership roles because of their sex, but also becauseâ (wait for it)â they weren’t considered to be funny enough! Thankfully, these girls flexed some serious moxie muscle, and turned this tricky situation into a laughing matter. Literally.
They started by forming a group called Ladies Laugh-In. Each Friday evening, attendees begin with an hour of improv games followed by smaller breakout groups which focus on writing and filming skits. So far, the fan favorite is an operatic spoof of “Get Low” by Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz.
Now that feet are wet and street cred has been established, the group is bringing in two of NYC’s most dynamic female comedians (also the brains behind Blogologues, previous AWB grantees) to kick the program into high-gear. First up: an on-campus workshop where students will learn skills related to performing, comedy, public speaking and thinking “outside the box”â all of which will be applicable not just to performance and theater, but presentations, speech making, and developing the confidence to “lean in“.
Afterwards, they plan to formally launch the website LadiesLaugh-In.com, a curated collection of blog entries, massive archive of female comedy, and a social media site for networking among funny girls.
We are thrilled to support these gals and the expansion of laugh-in lady love wordwide!
