Gina Gephart/Photo: Courtesy of Niamh O’Neill Culhane
Gone are the days when Lucille Ball and her husband Ricky had to sleep in separate beds on “I Love Lucy,” and countless other female comedians felt pressure to avoid tackling taboo topics. For the past seven years, Chicago’s funniest women have been revealing their most outrageous moments in the popular “Ladylike” showcase, which runs monthly (with its next show January 17) at the Lincoln Lodge.
According to showrunner Gena Gephart, the show stemmed from the desire to produce a show that featured women prominently, and the fact that “I just like poop jokes.” Among the tales over the years, topics have included trying to lose one’s virginity in college, getting a breast reduction only to have them grow back, being a new mom, dealing with a father’s death, “losing a dildo inside [of one’s] body,” a bad acid trip at the Bonnaroo festival and a woman “accidentally shitting on the floor in the college dorms and there was a manhunt for the culprit.”
The comical candor has earned the show a large and devoted fanbase.
“We definitely get a primarily female crowd, but men are always welcome and I think it’s a fun show for everyone to watch,” says Gephart. “Most of the stories are about being embarrassed or getting into trouble, which we can all relate to. I love the ‘Ladylike’ crowd because they are so supportive.
“There’s a feeling of camaraderie, especially because the audience submits their own stories anonymously and we read them between comics. So they are supporting the comics telling a vulnerable story, but also volunteering their own.”
Gephart grew up in Bayfield, Wisconsin, with Amy Poehler and Tina Fey as her youthful favorites. While she also admires Maria Bamford, she was most motivated to do comedy by watching Beth Stelling.
“The first time I saw Beth Stelling when I was first starting I was like ‘Oh, we can do it differently,’” she recalls. “Before that I had been doing like an impression of what I thought a ‘female comic’ was, and it sucked.
“But I really got into it when I was on a sketch-comedy team in college and my director was doing stand-up. We went to support him, and I was like ‘Hey, I could do this.’ The first time was such a rush and I’ve been obsessed ever since.”
Gephart has become a force on the Chicago comedy scene beyond “Ladylike,” regularly performing not only at the Lincoln Lodge, but also at the Laugh Factory, Zanies, Beat Kitchen, Sleeping Village, Soho House, City Winery and the Bottom Lounge. And her former producing partner Sarah Sherman—who has become a member of the “SNL” cast—helped Gephart land her biggest gig yet, performing as an opening act in front of 1,800 people for “Weekend Update”’s Colin Jost at a Michigan casino show.
Gephart notes with gratitude that her mom has supported her throughout the years as the show’s host, saying, “I don’t think anything I’ve done with the show or onstage really surprises her.” She’s also made sure the show is a welcoming space for trans women and non-binary comics, saying, “We love all perspectives of what it’s like to be a woman.”
Gephart’s “pipe dream” is to write for TV, but she’s happy just making a living doing something creative. She finds that “it’s so satisfying to make something that matters to people,” and she loves that she gets to do it in a city she loves.
“There are just so many great shows in this city. Besides the clubs, the comics in Chicago run their own shows at bars or clubs and take it really seriously. They do a really good job. Every night there are so many well-produced indie shows you could go see.
“The comedy community is also really supportive. When out-of-town comics come here they always comment on how friendly our scene is and how helpful.”
“Ladylike” is on Wednesday, January 17 at the Lincoln Lodge, 2040 North Milwaukee. Tickets are $12. Call (773)251-1539 or visit thelincolnlodge.com.
