Starting Over in Comedy (and Life) in LA
Even as excited as I am about moving back to LA, something I have wanted to do for a long time, it is bittersweet. New Orleans was the place I found my voice. Not just as a comic, but as a queer person, a community builder, a friend, and a partner. I co-run the longest woman-hosted comedy show in the state, built not only a show but a community with Greetings, from Queer Mountain, and got to tell jokes that mattered to me.
I learned how to bomb gracefully. I learned how to host with confidence. I learned how to weave my queerness into my set without making it a TED Talk - to talk about things that are important to me and my identity in ways that are relatable and funny.
New Orleans is a place that makes you work for the laugh, in a good way. People will let you know if they think you are saying something funny, or not. I’ve watched the scene expand and detract and expand again. I’ve seen comics come and go, and learned so much along the way.
New Orleans gave me room to grow, and I did and I am thankful for the time I’ve had here.
Starting Over, With a Mic and a Map App
Moving to LA to do comedy feels a little like applying to Hogwarts with a GED. It’s a new ecosystem. A new pace. A new sea of comics, many of whom are ten years younger (or yikes! twenty years younger) than me.
And yet — I’m not scared. I’m... ready.
There’s something beautiful about starting over with skills you didn’t have when you left. I have an arsenal of jokes and real-life experience to go with it.
What I’m Bringing With Me
I’m bringing the grit I learned in New Orleans (and the extra weight I’ve gained from eating grits in New Orleans) — how to perform anywhere, connect with anyone, and turn awkward silences into punchlines.
I’m bringing a deeper understanding of what I want to say onstage: stories that matter, jokes with weight, and comedy that welcomes people into the room, not pushes them out.
And I’m bringing community. The ones I’ve built, and the ones I’m still seeking. Because comedy, at its best, isn’t just about laughs — it’s about connection. It’s about building a room where people feel less alone.
Let’s Go!
So here I go — again.
Different coast, different scene, same voice.
I’m not starting from scratch. I’m starting from experience. From love. From an open heart and a very full Google calendar.
To every comic out there thinking about starting over, switching coasts, or just finally writing down that premise they’ve been sitting on for months: do it. It’s never too late to try again.
See you in LA.
