KC’s first Black comedy fest brings inaugural celebration to 18th and Vine

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When Hilari Holt steps on stage for a comedy show, there is no script or list of jokes. As an improv performer, Holt utilizes a spontaneous sense of humor to come up with entertaining scenarios on the spot, and it works. Folks laughed.

As a woman of color, she has long seen Black comedic performers in the Kansas City area relegated to the background or only one Black comedian booked on a festival or showcase.

The Kansas City native has a deep love for the Kansas City comedy scene and has been crusading for the past few years to create more spaces for Black comics to occupy and display a wide array of comedy styles. Holt set out to create a comedic melting pot like she has seen in bigger cities. She hopes to introduce the variations of comedy styles to Black audiences who normally are not the people occupying many of the seats at improv shows.

Holt decided last year to spearhead KC’s first Black Comedy Festival to highlight the Black talent that sometimes goes unnoticed in a predominantly white-occupied comedy space.

“Comedy in Kansas City is still broken up in their own stages and I wanted to bring the different mediums of comedy together,” said Holt, who has seen firsthand how some comedy organizers separate comedy mediums like stand up and improv and wants to be apart of the discussion of opening up comedic boarders. “I wanted to be involved with this bigger comedic narrative that is going on and I wanted us to know we are here and give a space to perform together.”

The inaugural event will take place April 25th through 28th in the historic 18th and Vine Jazz District. Holt has brought together Black comics that span the comedy diaspora, including stand up, sketch and improv.

“There are certain places you go in the city if you want to see comedy and I wanted to make the Jazz District that place for the festival.” She said.

By holding comedy shows during the festival at locations on Vine Street with cultural significance, such as

the Gem Theater, Mutual Musicians Foundation and the Black Archives, Holt hopes to show comedy can be as big of a staple for the district as art and music.

Holt wanted a homegrown headliner so she enlisted Janell Banks, an up and coming stand-up comic to be the face of the festival. Banks, who has performed comedy all over the country, was proud to be considered for the first Black Comedy Festival in her hometown.

Banks has gained popularity within the local and national comedy scenes for her over-the-top personality and the fearless way she broaches topics of race, sex and politics.

“I am very excited for the aspect that this could bring us national exposure,” said Banks. “We can actually make this an annual thing and make it bigger and better each year. We can make a name for KC as a comedy town by showing Black comedians there is an audience here for them.”

Banks has watched the landscape of KC comedy steadily change throughout the years. At first only having a handful of venues to perform, more clubs and open mic nights have given comics more outlets to get their names out, but usually with a lack of Black attendees. She thinks though many Black people love comedy, many will only come out to a show if it is a big-name act visiting town.

According to Banks the comedy scene in Kansas City has been growing and becoming more diverse with the comedians you see at any given show. She does however notice that there is seldom shows with multiple Black comedians while the city has a large assortment of up and coming talent within standup.

Banks hopes that this event will be something that fans of Black comedy will rally behind. She think the biggest part will be getting people to come out to support comedians who are still developing their technique and polishing their acts. She has a Field of Dreams mentality for Black audiences “If we build it they will come.”

“People in the community just need to come and support,” said Banks, who by day works as a conflict resolution specialist for a law firm. “Every big name in comedy started in front of some small crowd before they were famous. And the crowd needs to be there so the comic can grow.”

In addition to Banks the festival will welcome acts like St. Louis comedian Vincent Bryant, California based improv team Nnamdi and Patrick and former comedy writers from The Amber Ruffin show.

Black Comedy Fest Kansas City will also record a Kimology Show hosted live by creator Kim Newsome.

Local part time comedian Terance Berger has been performing stand-up and sketch comedy since 2006. The 40-year-old KC native grew up listening to legends like Dave Chappelle, Jim Carry and Eddie Murphy, who inspired him to embrace his animated personality and comedy.

As he got older and had his first child, the responsibilities of life made him take a step back from pursuing comedy full time. While he could not make it to open mics regularly, he started to embrace a digital platform putting his comedy skits on social media.

Berger will be working as the volunteer coordinator for Kansas City’s upcoming comedy fest. He’s excited to get back into comedy and plans on getting more involved with the Black comedy scene both locally and touring across the country.

“A big part about being a comic is consistency,” said Berger. “It can be tough finding a venue to perform where your material is received well and also I don’t think many places market to Black crowds.”

This will be Berger’s first performance at a comedy festival and he is thankful to be a part of what he believes is the start of something special. While there are locations like Funny Bone Comedy Club and The Kansas City Comedy Club, many Black comedians feel that they only see a small percentage getting booked

“Hillary was very strategic of the location she picked because she knew that while we have outlets for Black people who are comedians, we don’t really see visibility for Black comedy shows all that much,” he said.

The weekend will also include workshops put on by headliners like Banks who will be instructing a course on the benefits of laughter. Those organizing believe that these breakout sessions will be beneficial for aspiring comics to better hone their skills on stage and find camaraderie in what can be a soul crushing industry.

Berger believes that it is important for Black comedians to have a sense of community because getting on stage is not for the faint of heart. Not getting a laugh is bad for a comedian, having a crowd turn on you and make you the joke can deter many.

“I remember the first time I bombed, I was wearing a members only jacket and some guy yelled you must be the only member of that club. Everybody laughed then other people joined in and I literally froze until my friend had to come get me off stage,” said Berger.

Holt believes that this event is necessary to bring together not just the Black comics of Kansas City but also to create a new market that appreciates not just stand-up comedy, but other forms of the art as well.

“We wanted to embrace stuff that was different and bring together a lot of people who may not get to work together normally,” says Holt. “We need to come together and work together to create this mutual respect among our community and uplift one another while pushing forward the craft.”

For more information on the Kansas City Black Comedy Festival and tickets visit bcfkansascity.com.