Review: (Toronto / Comedy) SheNot TDot, SheLBT

Amped and Inspired
by Lauren Mitchell
@internetLauren

Friday was my first night of checking out shows at SheDot, there were four great shows for me to choose from, but time constraints being what they are (and me lacking the ability to travel through time, I am working on it though) I could only see two. I ended up going to see SheNot TDot and SheLBT, both on the mainstage at Comedy Bar, both a great start to my time at the festival.

I was super jazzed to see the SheNot TDot show because I really wanted to check out my competition from outside of Toronto. Totally j/k, what I mean is that I wanted to see all the goddamn talented women from all over the country that I don’t get to see on the regular. SheNot TDot was hosted by Toronto’s very own Allison Dore, who got the show started off with, you guessed it, boob jokes. Allison was a gracious and funny host who, after really fucking up Erin Hawkes name (she called her Kristen, but hey, hosting ain’t easy), came out in different costumes from the Comedy Bar green room, picked specifically by Erin. Which is to say, Allison spent the second part of the show looking slightly crazier every time she came back on stage, and took it like a goddamn champ.

For me, the highlights of the SheNot TDot show were definitely Ashley Bez, a super funny lady in town from NYC, who opened with the best Christina Aguilera impression I’ve seen and Chicago’s Kris Simmons, who managed to incorporate a super funny, not hacky joke about Oprah into her set (easier said than done). So many funny ladies from all over North America, it was a real heartwarming experience.

I was really looking forward to the SheLBT show, as it featured almost all my favourite ladies in the city, and it did not disappoint. The show was hosted by the bubbly and delightful Martha Chaves to a sold out crowd and every single performer killed.  One of my favourite things when watching comedy is to watch people who I know and love and admire go up, do their thing, and really have the audience get them and show love. The crowd for this show was so fun and open, it was really great to be a part of the audience. Laura DiLabio, a friend of mine and regular on the Toronto comedy scene, had the best set I’ve ever seen her have. It was so great to watch, material I’ve seen her do numerous times come across super fresh and new, just because she seemed like she was having so much fun telling us all about it. My other favourite performance from the night was courtesy of Danz Altvator, she has such an interesting presence on stage, soft but confident at the same time. She has one of my favourite jokes to hear right now, about her wanting to be an Anne Geddes ultrasound technician, and if that premise doesn’t make you laugh, well, I can’t help you.

I left Comedy Bar really amped and inspired and went off and did a set of my own. Shoutout to all the ladies who killed it Friday, I am super looking forward to my final night of covering shows. 

SheDot continues to May 4