WC_062217

winnetkacurrent.com life & arts
the winnetka current | June 22, 2017 | 37
Comedian finds inspiration from fellow jokesters
New Trier alumna
participated in
all-women comedy
fest this month
Emma Palatnik
Editorial Intern
Alexandra Tsarpalas
has always loved comedy.
Her mom even did some
stand-up, so it runs in the
family.
She grew up in Wilmette,
attended McKenzie
Elementary School, Wilmette
Junior High School
and eventually graduated
from New Trier in 1999.
During her time at New
Trier, she had a radio
show at WNTH radio and
was on the Lagniappe-
Potpourri writing staff.
She started doing some
sketch comedy at Indiana
University, and moved to
improv after graduation.
Later, Tsarpalas studied
improv at The Second
City and iO Chicago. It
was after that when she
decided to try stand-up.
“When I got really
burned out on being on
stage with too many people,
I decided I was going
to try stand-up,” Tsarpalas
said.
To train for stand-up
comedy, Tsarpalas took
courses that are run by
the Lincoln Lodge called
“Feminine Comique.” At
the time, the classes were
taught by Cameron Esposito,
who is now doing
comedy in Los Angeles.
She also studied stand-up
at The Second City.
Now, Tsarpalas is a part
of a female comedy group
called The Kates. They
perform once a month at
the Laugh Factory Chicago
and twice a month at
The Book Cellar.
Tsarpalas started doing
sketch comedy at
Indiana University. PHOTO
SUBMITTED
The Kates organization
has an education component
and offers classes
taught by the creator, Kelsie
Huff. Tsarpalas said
they hope to offer more
courses as the group expands.
This summer, the comedian
performed in the 6th
Annual Chicago Women’s
Funny Festival from June
15-18. The four-day festival
had four theaters running
shows simultaneously.
It is the largest of its
kind and is a celebration
of women in all types of
comedy.
On June 16, Tsarpalas
hosted a stand-up slot with
four other women. On
June 18, she was part of a
show called “Mom Genes”
with two of her comedian
friends.
“We host a stand-up
showcase, but we’re in
character,” Tsarpalas said.
“So, we have crazy wigs
and really high pants. It’s
really fun and sort of different,
it’s a sketch and
stand-up hybrid.”
Tsarpalas said she is
lucky to have been a
part of the festival since
its inception and loves
how she is able to watch
all the different comedy
shows.
As a woman in comedy,
Tsarpalas said she
does find there are aspects
of the industry that
under-represent women,
like lineups with only one
woman on them. However,
she said the representation
is improving.
“There are more and
more women doing comedy
and we are just out
there creating spaces for
ourselves,” Tsarpalas
said. “We kind of had to
work our way into these
channels that were maledominated,
and those
were the only channels.
And now it’s expanded,
there’s way more independent
shows.”
According to the comedian,
some of the best
comedy shows in Chicago
are either run by women
or all-female lineups. She
said audiences are supportive
of women in comedy.
“If you make your own
space, then people will actually
pay attention, come
to those shows and then
realize that they need more
women in comedy,” Tsarpalas
said.
She said comedy is
tricky because it is easy to
cross the line, especially
with politics. According
to Tsarpalas, women
have more intuition about
boundaries and there are
men at open mics that
tend to push it beyond the
line.
“But, I guess part of it is
taking the risk if you really
believe in your material
and you think it’s something
that really needs to
be shared with the world
then you go for it,” Tsarpalas
said.
For her style, she draws
from other female comedians.
When she thinks
about it, the list of women
she is inspired by is long.
“Amy Sedaris, I love,
love her, she’s so great.
Even though she’s not
stand up she’s just the right
kind of weird for me,”
Tsarpalas said. “And as far
as standup comics go, Maria
Bamford, she’s really
influential on me.”
She thinks the woman’s
role in comedy is expanding
and people should realize
that female comedians
are talented.
“Women are making a
big difference in comedy
now, and we’re out there,
and we’re good,” Tsarpalas
said.
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