Women of Edmonton Comedy (2004-2015)

 There weren't a lot of women doing comedy when I started. I believe Krissy Stark and the infamous Barbara May were on the pro am scene as well as Angie Ismond, whose writing and laconic stage demeanor was a huge influence on me. Angie stopped doing comedy in 2005.

As for professionals, I remember Dana Alexander was starting to make her mark, though I can't recall if she was based in Edmonton. Calgary's Lori Ferguson-Ford was headlining and would do the Londonderry Yuks from time to time.

Kathleen McGee started shortly after I did, and was one of the hardest working comics on the scene.  She started the Blue  Chicago after just a few months in comedy to get more stage time. She won the Conic Strip's Funniest Person With A Day Job in 2008. She spent some time in Los Angeles honing her craft before returning to Edmonton. She was nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award in 2019.

Dawn Dumont seemed to perennially fly under the radar despite her accomplishments as a writer and a performer. She relocated to Saskatoon. Her latest book, "The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour" was shortlisted for the Stephen Leacock Memorial prize for humor.

Clate Belford was only in Edmonton a few years, but was the force behind the Empress Ale House room. She was also one of the first comics I saw actively adopt a more progressive stance and that planted the seeds for a different flavor of comedy in Edmonton. A number of comics, rooms, and audiences have benefited from the trail she was instrumental in opening up. 

Others included Celeste Lampa (who performs regularly to this day), Rose Yewchuk, Dar Germin...I'm sure I'm forgetting some names. Which makes me sad. Hopefully commentary can refresh my memory.

Of course, there were also the women in Edmonton comedy who weren't onstage from the hard working servers at the clubs to a number of women working in the office so powerful, they were known almost exclusively by their first names: Chrysi, Nancy, Judy.

But that's why I have this page. Who are the funny women you remember?

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