ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
FOUNDED BY NANCY LEVINE
THE LADIES ROOM COMEDY FESTIVAL IS CELEBRATING
ITS FIFTH SEASON!
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Our aim is to empower and support ALL women in a male-dominated field. We are an inclusive festival, seeking incredible comedic talent among the finest female and female-identifying comics working today. We are actively and enthusiastically seeking comics from all walks of life. Our goal is to give a stage to the brightest comic voices of today and spotlight the most promising talent of tomorrow.
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We're thrilled to announce that headlining our 2025 Festival is the acclaimed and hilarious standup comedian Maureen Langan. MAUREEN LANGAN is a New York City-based standup comedian and broadcaster who was a semifinalist on America’s Got Talent. Her intelligent and hysterical rants on life’s absurdities make her a hit at clubs, theaters and festivals across the U.S., Canada, U.K, Europe and South Africa. She has appeared on Gotham Live, HBO, Red Eye, Comics Unleashed, the Paramount Pictures film Marci X, and many national commercials. Her comedy special, Don’t Make Me Hate You, is available on Dry Bar Comedy. Follow her on IG and FB @MaureenLangan
We are also proud to announce our judges for this year's festival will be renowned NYC comedy owner and agents Nicky Sunshine, Owner of Comedy in Harlem, Jenna Winner, Boals, Winner & Associates, Katie Lynch, Resolute Casting, Brianna Dunlay, Dunlay Casting and Joanna Bailey, Black Women in Comedy Leafiest.
NANCY LEVINE
FOUNDER
Nancy Levine has been cracking audiences up for over a decade now. Her irreverent NY style comes from a boomer's point of view; making fun of marriage, family, substitute teaching, the evils of "keeping kosher" and the perils of menopause and waxing. She recently won 1st Place in the 20th annual U.S. Comedy Festival held in Los Angeles, CA. She was one of only 3 women to place 1st in 20 years. One of the judges was from "America's Got Talent."She is also the founder of The Ladies Room Comedy Festival, which is entering its 5th year.
She attended the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University where she majored in acting. She toured nationally as the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz and as the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet. Off Broadway and Regional credits include: "Poor Cousin Carol" at ATA, Housewives of Secaucus at Feinstein’s 54 Below, My Big Gay Italian Christmas at the Golden Nugget, the Alpha Theater Company Production of "Oy!" and A Sketch of NY at the Producer’s Club and more.
Nancy is also the founder of Laugh Out Loud Productions, an entertainment company that specializes in interactive theater comedy shows. Laugh Out Loud Productions produced the hit Off-Broadway comedy "The Housewives of Secaucus: What a Drag!" at The Actors Temple Theatre in New York City, in 2021. It was the first play to be produced Off-Broadway in a pandemic. It put "Off Broadway back off its feet and into high heels."
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HEADLINER
MAUREEN LANGAN
MAUREEN LANGAN is a New York City-based standup comedian and broadcaster who was a semifinalist on America’s Got Talent. Her intelligent and hysterical rants on life’s absurdities make her a hit at clubs, theaters and festivals across the U.S., Canada, U.K, Europe and South Africa. She has appeared on Gotham Live, HBO, Red Eye, Comics Unleashed, the Paramount Pictures film Marci X, and many national commercials. Her comedy special, Don’t Make Me Hate You, is available on Dry Bar Comedy. Follow her on IG and FB @MaureenLangan
NICKY SUNSHINE
JUDGE
Nicky Sunshine is an actress, stand up comedian and writer. She is an established voice over talent with dozens of clients such as JC Penny, NY Times, Tumi, Amazon and countless others. Ms. Sunshine's self written "Confessions of a Massage Parlor Madam"has raised awareness about sex trafficking, sex work and sexual assault . Ms Sunshine is a radio personality on 108soul.com and co owner of the new venue "Comedy in Harlem".
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As a graduate of the University at Buffalo with a BA in Theater Performance and Arts Administration she had the great fortune to study Meisner under Tony nominated actor Stephen McKinley Henderson and Greg Natale. A comedy aficionado, Jenna studied stand up and improv under Oliver Double at Kent University in Canterbury, England. She then completed all levels of improv training at Second City in Toronto and worked as a stand-up comedian in Toronto and Buffalo before making the move to NYC in 2009. She has performed at Gotham, Comix, Carolines, Yuk Yuks and Eastville Comedy.
Jenna started at Judy Boals, Inc. as an intern in January of 2010 and worked her way up from part-time assistant to a fully franchised agent in five years. Jenna is now proud to be a partner in the expanded Boals, Winnett & Associates, a talent agency representing performers in film, television and theater. Their clients can be found on regional stages across the country as well as on Broadway and National Tours. They represent on-screen actors ranging from co-stars to series regulars.
Clients recent Broadway credits: Smash, Our Town, Boop, Wicked, A Beautiful Noise, Aladdin, Dear Evan Hansen, and many more.
Clients recent Touring credits: &Juliet, Some Like it Hot, Kimberly Akimbo, Tina, Jersey Boys, The Lion King, Wicked and many more.
Clients TV credits: Your Friends and Neighbors, Severance, Sheriff Country, American Love Story, The Better Sister, Chicago Med, Succession, Law and Order, Blue Bloods, City on a Hill and many more.
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JENNA WINNETT
JUDGE
KATIE LYNCH
JUDGE
Katie Lynch was born and raised on Long Island, New York. Following a lifelong passion for comedy, film and television she moved to NYC to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. She graduated from The New School with a BA focusing on Entertainment Business and Media Studies.
After internships at Warner Brothers Records and 3 Arts Entertainment, she began an internship with Boals, Winnett & Associates (then Judy Boals Inc.) and soon became a full time assistant. She became a franchised agent in 2018 and represented film, television, theater and literary clients at BWA until 2023.
In 2023, Katie joined the team at Resolute Artist Agency as the Head of the Television and Film Department.
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JOANNA BRILEY
JUDGE
Joanna M. Briley is a NYC-based comedian, actor, writer and the founder of the Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest. Fueled by the lack of representation at national comedy festivals and local showcases within the NYC comedy scene, Joanna decided it was time to create something that focused on centering funny Black Women.
With her sold-out one woman show “Swipe This! My Life in Transit!” Joanna also merged her comedy life with her close to 35 years working for the New York City Transit Authority as a Token Booth Clerk aka Station Agent into a hit stage performance.
Instagram: @JoannaMBriley
Instagram: @BwicLaffFest
Instagram: @SwipeThisMyLifeinTransit
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BRIANA DUNLAY
JUDGE
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Briana is an Associate Casting Director/Freelance Casting Director in New York
Most recently she was working with Nikki Barrett Casting in Sydney, Australia on various TV series and movies.
Her recent credits include Broadway's GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK starring George Clooney, Netflix's SURVIVAL OF THE THICKEST, HBO's WHITE LOTUS S3, Broadway's GREY HOUSE starring Laurie Metcalf, HBO MAX's THE GIRLS ON THE BUS, Showtimes' ZIWE, Pamela Adlon and Ilana Glazer's BABES, Julio Torres' PROBLEMISTA, Comedy Central/Paramount +'s INSIDE AMY SCHUMER, FX's WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, The Universal/Apatow Productions' Film BROS, written and starring Billy Eichner, Hulu's LIFE & BETH, written and starring Amy Schumer, Amazon & Annapurna's HOT PINK, The film WEREWOLVES WITHIN directed by Josh Ruben; season 1 and 2 of HBO's BETTY, based on Crystal Moselle's film SKATE KITCHEN; AMC's DISPATCHES FROM ELSEWHERE starring Jason Segel, Sally Field, Richard E. Grant, and Andre Benjamin, The Iliza Shlesinger's sketch series for Netflix, Judd Apatow's KING OF STATEN ISLAND starring Pete Davidson, Lorene Scafaria's HUSTLERS. Other credits include Marvel/Netflix's JESSICA JONES and IRON FIST; HBO/Cinemax's WARRIOR; THE BOONDOCK SAINTS ORIGINS Pilot.
Briana also works as a freelance casting director where she has cast a variety of indies,
shorts and commercials. Her full-length feature THIS CLOSENESS recently premiered at SXSW.
Briana has worked with Meredith Tucker Casting, Erica Hart Casting, Gayle Keller Casting, Julie Schubert Casting, and Caparelliotis Casting.
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