Females in Comedy

By Addyson Young, Cinema/Comedy Assistant

In 2007, Christopher Hitchens wrote in his article for Vanity Fair, “There are more terrible female comedians than there are terrible male comedians, but there are some impressive ladies out there.” It’s an infuriating sentence to read, and also incredibly untrue. “Some impressive ladies?” At SteelStacks alone there are many impressive, smart, and all around kick-a** ladies who’ll make you laugh. Here’s just a few:

Tami Cantilina

Dear Diary – 11/24 and 11/25 – Buy Tickets

Hormones. Questionable fashion choices. First jobs. Terrible hair choices. Dating. Angst. So much damn angst. Somehow we all survived these so called “best years of our lives”. Come watch as six comedians explore, analyze and improvise scenes inspired by the actual diary entries, photographs and poems of these bodacious dudes and dudettes.

Tami also performs with Cranks & Pulleys, and Synced Up. Her team, Cranks and Pulleys also host the Improv Jam at Godfrey Daniels every third Wednesday of the month at 8pm.

Syd Stauffer

Game Show Night: Mind Meld – 11/29 – Buy Tickets

Mind Meld is a game show in the style of the popular TV show “Match Game” where contestants try to match answers to ridiculous fill in the blank questions with a panel of comedians and local personalities while enduring their silly antics all to win some crazy, great prizes.

Mind Meld is hosted by Syd Stauffer, a member of The Associated Mess since 2009. Syd has studied improv with ComedySportz and with different improv groups through Philly and New York, and has performed at Comix Comedy Club, UCB and stages in both Philly and New York. Besides theatre, which she has been involved with since she was a kid, Syd has performed in film, TV, the web, and radio. She has also written, directed and choreographed for sketches and theatre. She also won the title of Best Supporting Actress at the 2017 Marietta International Film Festival.

Sarah White

The Flumplenarfs Christmas – 12/14 – Buy Tickets

The Flumplenarfs are misunderstood. Sure, they live under your bed, but they’re far from scary. Don’t you dare call them monsters, they just want to make people happy. To prove it, the Flumplenarfs perform improv comedy inspired by something you’re afraid of – a tried and true Flumplenarf technique that’s guaranteed to help you conquer your silly, human fear.

Sarah White is a comedian from Allentown, PA who performs stand up, sketch, and improv comedy. She has been studying improv since 2008 starting at Lock Haven University with Dangerously Improv and most recently taking improv and comedy classes at ArtsQuest. Sarah also performs with the improv team, Cat Sweaters and is an Improv instructor at SteelStacks.

Whitney Pirnik

60 Minute Unauthorized Harry Potter Marathon – 12/23
Buy Tickets

Whitney teams up with Jon Lunger, Ben Youngerman, and Addyson Teal to write, direct, act, and produce a one hour sketch comedy show inspired by the Harry Potter universe.

Whitney is a local improv comedian and actress. She currently performs with the team Cat Sweaters. Whitney also recently performed in Star of the Day’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

Liz Russo

Dry Humor: Standup for Recovery – 1/24 – Buy Tickets

This annual comedy show, now in its fourth year, is to celebrate the sobriety of recovering alcoholic and Lehigh Valley residing comedian Liz Russo. Created and produced by Russo in her 5th year of recovery, this nationally touring comic hosts the show annually and features all standup comedians in recovery from addiction. A portion of the proceeds is donated to a local addiction recovery non-profit.

Inspiring and self-deprecating in turn, comedian Liz Russo shares her life’s struggles and triumphs in her act. She is the reigning three-time winner of Best Comic of the Lehigh Valley named by Lehigh Valley Style Magazine. Her personable and wry delivery has made her a hit at comedy clubs and festivals across the country, scoring opening slots for celebs like Colin Quinn, Gilbert Gottfried, Jim Norton, and Lisa Lampanelli. Liz has been featured on SIriusXM and the YKWD Podcast, as well as appearances on FOX TV, CBS, and Amazon.

Addyson Teal

Spitfire! – 11/16 – Buy Tickets

Spitfire is a comedy show full of hot takes and even hotter improv!

Each show is completely improvised and features hot takes on audience-determined topics, delivered by a very special guest, which are then transformed into improvised, comedic gold. It’s fast-paced, laughter-fueled mayhem that will kick the crap out of your terrible day (or make your already good day even better).

Addyson Tealis a Lehigh Valley improviser who performs on Spitfire! and Synced Up at SteelStacks. She has taken improv classes though Temple University, Good Good Comedy, and ArtsQuest. She is also ¼ of the writing team for The Unauthorized Harry Potter Marathon, a sketch comedy show at SteelStacks.

Roya Hamadani and Leticia Viloria

That’s Different – 1/12 – buy tickets

“That’s Different (See? We’re already marginalizing them…)” is a comedy show that features a variety of forms including burlesque, stand-up, musical comedy, sketch, and clowning. These amazing artists hail from New York, Philadelphia and our own Lehigh Valley. Join Roya Hamadani and Leticia Viloria as their dynamically different styles of comedy create a unique and hilarious experience for (almost) all! *Artwork by Jessyca Pacheco

Roya has performed at Musikfest Comedyplatz, the Bethlehem Steelstacks and the Punchline. She co-hosts Stout Laughs, a twice monthly comedy open mic at the Bethlehem Brewworks.

Leticia Viloria was born and raised in NYC. She has been performing for 17 years. In 2006, Leticia wrote and released a musical comedy CD called “Pain is Fun”. She performs regularly in Philly, Bethlehem, and NY. Leticia Viloria teaches spoken word for Dena Blizzard’s non profit, Ladies Out Loud; a program that focuses on helping high school girls learn confidence in speaking through the performing arts.

Sam Beedle

Game Show Night: Ship It or Ditch It – 1/31 – buy tickets

Ship It or Ditch It is a Newlyweds style game show that Ryan Hill and Sam Beedle host every quarter. It’s a perfect way to spend a Thursday night and it’s at 8pm, such a reasonable time!

Sam Beedle is a Lehigh Valley enthusiast who likes to get involved in as much as she can. Theatre is her true passion and she feels so fortunate to be a part of the creative community that is here, from ArtsQuest, to improv, to Touchstone Theatre, and so much more.

Cindy Marsh

Comedy Committee Chair and Performing Arts Board member

A lover of comedy and the arts, Cindy Marsh is an ArtsQuest Performing Arts Board Member and a Comedy Committee Chair. Originally from Detroit, MI., she has called Bethlehem, PA. her home for almost 20 years. She has been studying improv since 2012, is a coach for the Improv Comedy Power, and performs with improv troupes Spitfire and Synced Up at SteelStacks.