Women in comedy get a spotlight in NYC at the Knockouts Comedy Festival
A brand new comedy festival is taking over New York’s comedy clubs just in time for Women’s History Month.
Knockouts Women’s Comedy Festival will kick off on Monday, March 4, and run through Saturday, March 9, with over 50 shows at dozens of venues including Caveat, Club Cumming, The Stonewall Inn, Star Barr, and Littlefield. And some big names are on the lineup.
Comedians including Phoebe Robinson (2 Dope Queens, Everything’s Trash), Sydnee Washington (Bridesman, Comedy Central’s Up Next), Liza Treyger (The King of Staten Island, Comedy Central’s The Half Hour), Emma Willmann (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Netflix’s The Comedy Lineup) and Gina Brillon (America’s Got Talent, Amazon Prime’s Gina Brillon: The Floor is Lava) are all taking the stage, as well as plenty of local favorites performing stand-up, improv, variety shows and solo shows.
The Knockouts Women’s Comedy Festival was born out of a desire to celebrate and amplify the voices of women in comedy and is actively inclusive to those marginalized and underrepresented in the industry, including trans, nonbinary and genderfluid comedians of all backgrounds.
“We believe it’s essential to create spaces where women can showcase their talents, share their perspectives, and support one another in a traditionally male-dominated field,” said Jamie Rabinovitch and Natalya Nyn, co-creators of the festival. “By hosting the festival during Women’s History Month, we honor the achievements of women throughout history while also highlighting the contributions of contemporary female comedians.”
Opening night will kick off with ‘Knockouts Of The Week’: Two stand-up comedy shows featuring 10 up-and-coming female and non-binary comedians who were selected to perform from hundreds of applicants, with a seasoned host and headliner. The festival will also give back to the community. One of the events is a fundraiser for The Endometriosis Foundation of America (EndoFound) at Littlefield on March 6 featuring Phoebe Robinson, Emma Willmann, Marcia Belsky, Sienna Hubert Ross and more. The night included giveaways from supporters Tushy and Bellesa.
The full schedule can be viewed at knockoutsfestival.com/events.