![](https://olliboca.fau.edu/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/dave-female-comedy.jpg)
SPL03242 – Female Comedy Pioneers: Laughter Wears a Dress!
Instructor: Lenny Dave
The presence of a strong leading woman in comedy was a rare sight for most of the first half of the 20th century. Comedy was a male-dominated field for a variety of societal reasons. There were, however, notable pioneers and groundbreakers in film, radio, on the Broadway stage, and early television. Some of their names and faces, you know and love. Others you’ll want to get to know. In this fun and fast-paced program, Lenny shares the legends and legacies of female comedy giants such as Mae West, Lucy, Carol Burnett, Fannie Brice, Joan Rivers, Totie Fields, Sophie Tucker, Ethel Merman, Marie Dressler, Thelma Todd, Mary Tyler Moore, Betty White, and Bea Arthur.