Local comedian Kate St. Peter amuses the crowd at the Tempe Center for the Arts on Friday night for the Stand Up Gals comedy show (Photo by Shawn Raymundo)Frenchie Augustine took the stage Friday night to show Tempe just how funny ASU students can be. From her opening line, she captivated the audience with her unique use of ironic comedy.
Frenchie Augustine is the stage name of communications senior Frenchie Aguilh. She was part of Stand Up Gals, a group of 10 women who performed at the Tempe Center for the Arts on Friday.
She started performing stand-up just last December, but she said the comedic scene has always attracted her.
"(Comedy) was something that I was always really interested in," she said. "I wrote a lot of jokes, and it just seemed like something that I could do."
Tony Vicich, the producer and promoter of the weekly comedy shows held at TCA, said he has to think like every age group to pick the best possible comedians for each show.
“All of these women work regularly in clubs throughout the city, and some throughout the country,” he said.
The event aimed to break the stereotype that women are not funny, and that the comedic industry is only for male comedians.
The TCA, located near the Tempe campus, hosts a show with a different theme every Friday night at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
“One of the problems with comedy for the consumer ... is you don’t know what you’re getting,” Vicich said. “When I have a themed show ... then they can look and say, ‘Oh, I would like to see that’ as opposed to going out and saying, ‘Oh, we don’t know what we’re getting.’”
Admission to one of the comedy events is $10, but students can use the promo code “Tony” to gain admission at only $8.
“We provide beautiful shows at McDonald’s prices,” Vicich said.
Kirsten Alberts, a young comedian and member of Stand Up Gals, said she doesn't believe that women are necessarily less funny than their male counterparts, but rather that fewer women take on comedic roles.
She said that if more women were to take up comedic roles, then the industry would be more diverse.
“People say, ‘Oh, women aren’t funny,’ but it’s just that there aren’t as many women doing it,” she said. “The really good ones still make it.”
The crowd agreed, as many were rolling in their seats and slapping their knees all night.
Aguilh said having comedic events and stand-up opportunities available for students has an important impact on the ASU community. She described it as a common thread among the students.
“We’re college kids," she said. "College kids love comedy."
Students who don't attend the Tempe campus have other opportunities to watch or perform stand-up comedy.
“The Tempe, Scottsdale, Phoenix area is probably the most dynamic local comedy scene in the country,” Vicich said.
There are many places where students who are interested in performing stand-up can go to try out their acts. The Tempe campus holds an event called Stand-Up vs. the World every other Friday at the Memorial Union at 9 p.m. and Copper Blues, located within walking distance of the Downtown campus, puts on comedy shows every Tuesday.
Reach the reporter at Anthony.A.Marroquin@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @tonymarro11
