FIRST LADY OF LAUGHS: THE FORGOTTEN STORY OF JEAN CARROLL, AMERICA’S FIRST JEWISH WOMAN STAND-UP COMEDIAN (HYBRID)

First Lady of Laughs tells the story of Jean Carroll,  the first Jewish woman to become a star in the field we now call stand-up comedy. Though rarely mentioned among the pantheon of early stand-up comics such as Henny Youngman and Lenny Bruce, Jean Carroll rivaled or even outshone the male counterparts of her heyday, playing more major theaters than any other comedian of her period. In addition to releasing a hit comedy album, Girl in a  Hot Steam Bath, and briefly starring in her own sitcom on ABC, she also made twenty-nine appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show. Drawing on archival footage, press clippings, and Jean Carroll’s personal scrapbook, First Lady of Laughs restores Jean Carroll’s remarkable story to its rightful place in the lineage of comedy history and Jewish American performance. In this class, Grace Overbeke reads selections from the book, providing additional insights, video clips, and responses to audience queries.

10–10:30 a.m. Light breakfast and coffee served for in-person attendees
10:30 a.m.–noon Lecture
Registration required. No walk-ins.

This lecture is part of the Morning Coffee & Conversation Lecture Series