Santa Monica is gearing up for a fresh addition to its cultural calendar as “The Crow” presents the inaugural Bergamot Comedy Festival (BCF) from April 1st to the 6th. This week-long extravaganza promises a blend of performances, workshops, and networking opportunities, all aimed at amplifying voices traditionally underrepresented in the comedy scene.
A Visionary Beginning
Established in 2022 by Nicole and Mickey Blaine, The Crow stands as a beacon of artistic diversity. Nicole, reflecting on her childhood, reminisced,
There was nothing better than my father sitting next to me every single night telling me a story.
Nicole’s early challenges, including her parents’ battles with addiction, fuelled her passion for comedy. Comedy was essentially her way of coping through her own personal struggles.
There was nothing else that I felt like I could turn to than comedy, and getting that relief and finding something to laugh at.
The live storytelling aspect of stand-up comedy captured her imagination, and it got her hooked!
A Collaborative Effort
During her college years, Nicole joined forces with her now-husband to make a name for themselves in comedy. Their journey led to success as independent filmmakers and producers, culminating in the establishment of The Crow within the Bergamot Station Arts Center.
Driven by a desire for inclusivity, Nicole founded the Bergamot Comedy Festival to democratise access to the comedy world. Rejecting the exclusivity of traditional comedy festivals, Nicole sought to provide equitable educational resources to budding comedians.
Where’s the festival that focuses on things that we haven’t heard, the perspectives that need to be out there?”
Empowering New Voices
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The BCF’s lineup spotlights female, BIPOC, and LGBTQ talents. A meticulous selection process ensured a balanced pool of performers, with 50% representation from female and non-binary artists.
Each comedian underwent a rigourous selection process by a diverse panel to ensure diversity and quality.
I have eight screeners that watched 1000 videos, and I said, ‘We all need to weigh in. I want every single video seen twice… My eight screeners are of all different ages and backgrounds and they carry a lot of different stories themselves, and taste, and values. I just don’t want to pick these comics because they’re my favorites. I really want to try to find the most thorough, balanced way to advocate for new voices.
Of course, it’s not just about making money out of performances, because they offer educational courses on comedy by well-known faces in the industry notable figures like showrunner Danielle Sanchez-Witzel and Comedy Central’s Ryan Moran.
There’s also pitch sessions, constant feedback, and specialized panels to ensure that these diverse group of comedians not only perform better but also write jokes cleanly and deliver punchlines more effectively.
Blaine is also working on having a “headshot” day just so every single comic from the 56 chosen to take part in the festival could walk away with new updated professional photos, which is a really nice touch.
I would love for people to check out our website and just look at all the panels and see what they’re interested in attending. There’s so many networking opportunities that anyone could take advantage of if they’re at all interested in the comedy world
Building Community and Hope
Amidst a turbulent comedy landscape, the BCF emerges as a beacon of hope for aspiring comedians. Daphne Ruiz, The Crow’s VP of Communications said,
The industry has been very shaky lately… There aren’t as many chances out there for comedians to really succeed
The festival aims to instil a sense of community and optimism, offering a platform for dreams to flourish. After the Just For Laughs festival was cancelled for this year (you can read more about this HERE!) Blaine felt that the already small opportunities for marginalized groups were getting smaller and smaller,
I felt there needed to be something in Los Angeles that specifically helped connect the industry to talent, and they don’t have to go all the way to Canada to get it there… There had to be more opportunity for everybody else.
An Invitation to Experience
Writers and showrunners are set to be on the free-to-the evening panels.
- “Make Your Tight 5 Tighter” with speakers:
- Michael Cox (“The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon”)
- Emilie Laford (The Comedy Store)
- Zoe Friedman (Comedy Gives Back)
- Tuesday’s “Agents and Managers” features:
- Sabina Kashi (CAA)
- Brendan Berger (CAA)
- Katie O’Brien (3 Arts)
- Bruce Smith (Omnipop)
- Friday’s session: Mike Lawrence (SNL, “Conan”) discusses “How to Write for Late-Night TV.”
- Saturday’s lineup includes:
- Showrunner Danielle Sanchez-Witzel (Netflix’s “Survival of the Thickest”)
- Writer Mathew Harawitz (NBC’s “Night Court”) in “The Writers’ Room: From Script to Screen”
- Marianne Ways (“After Midnight”) and Naela Durrani (“America’s Got Talent”) answer “What Makes a Good Stand-Up Submission Video?”
I feel passionate about educational opportunities for the public because it is helping more than the lucky few that get in, That’s a hole I wanted to fill that wasn’t fair about other festivals, that you have to be chosen to learn. I don’t want to be a gatekeeper to education. Anyone who wants to learn should be able to. So making things more equitable is a way to help change the local scene for the better
Additionally, patrons who pay an extra $25 to upgrade their $20 show tickets to VIP status will receive a one-year subscription to the MasterClass learning platform.
We love ALL things comedy, especially great comedy festivals like this one! For more information you can check out their website HERE. And if you’re looking to see some awesome comedy shows, then head on over to one of the Best Comedy Clubs in London, Big Belly Comedy Club!
