Chronicle Comedy Day Celebration 1986

The reports estimated the crowds at 40,000 folks filling the Concourse from the Bandshell in Golden Gate Park to brimming. An uncharacteristic San Francisco Saturday, brought overcast skies for the 80 odd comics supplying laughs, every 6.4 seconds, according to the SF Chronicle's count. They sponsored this 6th year and gave it maximum coverage in their papers.

Playing big to a large crowd

Trampolines, Pom Poms, Letter Sweaters

Lots of movement to dazzle the crowd

Bouncing for the 40,000 in attendance

Raising the roofless roof

And a maypole for good measure

Comedy Day 1985

Femprov appears at the 5th Comedy Day in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park Bandshell. Our Blues number, and shameless hawking of our t-shirts, was created on the spot from a suggestion of "rainy day" as the skies miraculously cleared, avoiding a cancellation of this annual free SF comedy institution. This rare snippet ends abruptly before Debi Durst has a chance to bring it all home.

SF Chronicle sponsors Comedy Celebration Day with an infusion of cash and balloons.

Stage time includes hawking red T-shirts @ 8 bucks a pop… such a deal.

Joshua "Righteous Raoul" Brody onstage for the musical assist.

Despite the rain we performed under a rainbow of balloons

The fifth year saw increasing numbers flocking to the park. 35,000 comedy lovers filled the 'orchestra seating' benches in the grove of trees, and created standing room beyond. 

Comedy Day 1984

1984 in Golden Gate Park, adding a bit of funny as counterpoint to the Democratic National Convention in town for a visit.

On the move, perpetually.

Denise Schultz, Pat Daniels, J'nene Hansen and Barbara Scott charm the facts

Interviewed by Tom Scheuber for a long-lost PR moment

Persuasion • Comedy Day 1983

We got wind that, despite performing at the First and Second Annual Comedy Day Celebrations, this year we were likely to be 'bumped' off the roster of 40 comedians scheduled to perform a 5 minute set in Golden Gate Park's Bandshell. Comedy Day was  the 'opportunity to publicly thank the people of San Francisco for their support and contributions to the successes we all enjoyed throughout the years.' Also, sitting on the sidelines on the big day was no fun at all.

Initially, befuddled, then incensed —an entire range of emotions was likely experienced - being members of the stereotypically and historically hysterical gender group— we used the challenging hurdle to take stock of our 3 years of cumulative accomplishments and present our list of reminders to the forgetful folks in charge… with our regular aplomb. 

Below is a one-of-a-kind plea, disguised as courteous discourse. Few other performers took the initiative to craft such a pre-emptive case-building document or were expected to 'beg' in such a fashion.  We included a full-boat press package, to boot.

As you can see from the program above, our efforts were fruitful and we performed on that sunny Saturday in July. And never had to ask nicely again.

May 5, 1983

To: The Organizing Committee of the SF Comedy Day Celebration From: FEMPROV Re: FEMPROV's Participation in the 1983 C.D. Celebration

Dear Comedy Day Celebration Committee Members,

FEMPROV, currently the longest performing improvisational comedy troupe in San Francisco, congratulates you on the growing success of the Comedy Day Celebration in Golden Gate Park. Enthusiastically, FEMPROV appeared in the first two celebrations, and the group looks forward to participating in this year's event.

As stated in a recent review in the S.F. Chronicle, FEMPROV is one of the most highly regarded improv troupes in San Francisco. FEMPROV adds to the unique character of the City's comedy scene by virtue of the fact that they are one of only several all-female comedy troupes in this country!

Listed are a few additional examples illustrating FEMPROV's contributing effort to help maintain San Francisco as the Comedy Capital of the world.

By performing at fund raising events, FEMPROV contributes their time, talent, and energy to national as well as local service organizations. Some of FEMPROV's benefit performances include the Cerebral Palsy Telethon, A Safe Place (a home for battered women) benefit, the University of San Francisco's Educational Fund benefit, S.F. City College fund raising event, the National Organization of Women, and the Organization for Abortion Rights. FEMPROV instigated the perpetuation and growth of the comedy scene in S.F. by involving themselves directly in the creation, development, and opening of Cobb's Pub in the Marina. FEMPROV-ET Terry Sand worked with the owner of Cobbs (Ron Kakiki) with the initial ground plans for transforming Cobb's from a neighborhood pub to what is now a very popular comedy club. FEMPROV as a group worked as consultants in regards to Cobb's stage design, public relations, and scheduling. FEMPROV was the first opening act at Cobb's and continued to perform there on Friday and Saturday nights for the first three months of the club's existence. Since that time, FEMPROV still performs at Cobb's on a regular basis. When the Punchline decided to add improvisational comedy to their weekly lineup they called upon FEMPROV to kick-off this idea. FEMPROV is an innovative contributor to the art of comedy. Their most recent innovation includes the use of video in their shows. Lead by FEMPROV-ET Jeannene Hansen, FEMPROV continues to explore the use of modern video technology in conjunction with live improvisational techniques. FEMPROV serves as a spring board for comediennes to grow and develop their talents into many areas of performance and comedy. Susan Healy and Carol Roberts are two examples of comediennes that began their careers with FEMPROV. FEMPROV encourages its members to grow and each FEMPROV-ET works in other areas of entertaininment ranging from stand-up to writing, teaching, and acting. The group also guests many other comediennes and provides an arena for developing their improvisational skills.

These are but a few examples of FEMPROV's contributions to comedy. The group's longevity is testimony to their hard work and tribute to the support they receive from the City's comedy fans.

FEMPROV looks forward to participating in the 1983 Comedy Day celebration and we thank you for your time and consideration!

Warmest regards, FEMPROV 1983

Comedy Celebration 1982

Official Program for Comedy Celebration 1982

In the early days of San Francisco's Comedy Day, aka Comedy Celebration, a program was supplied as an alphabetical roster of those performing. The physical program encouraged the audience to "Give Your Spirits a Lift, Support Comedy" Perhaps this was a subtle suggestion to become patrons of the five comedy clubs that also graciously sponsored this bright daylight performances in an open-air venue.

The performers, unaccustomed to working during the day under a limitless height of ceiling space, much less a vast sprawling lawn or grove of trees, needed to adjust to the circumstances by 'playing to the balconies'. Femprov did their best to adapt with sketches suited to the enormous outdoor venue. By way of introduction, our piano player, Jim Cox supplied musical accompaniment for our BIG musical number of the time. This year in particular we performed our Motown-inspired piece 'You Can't Hurry Us' sung the tune of 'You Can't Hurry Love' by Diana Ross and the Supremes. Our entrance was frantic and chaotic to cover as much stage space during the opening bars, until we settled in front of the microphones spread wide across the stage to belt out the parody. The conceit was we were touring backup singers who's sequined evening gowns had been stolen 'somewhere near Barstow' suspiciously at the same time of the disappearance of our lead singer. Consequently, the vestiges of our costumes were our long white evening gloves. In this case, they worked like flags on our wildly gesturing arm dancing to let our presence be known. We likely added a quick round of L.A.Tag to fill our 5 minute slot. And then Jim played us off to the thunderous applause we earned. 

Pre-show gathering or post-show debrief

Jim Cox, the glue for our musical numbers.

Steven Pearl photo bombs Femprov.

Confessing "We're just here to improvise"

First Comedy Day

Susan Healy, Carol Roberts, Terry Sand,  Pat Daniels are attentive
to the fast-paced jump cuts of Story Story directed by Jeannene Hansen

The Band Shell in GG Park was the venue for Comedy Celebration Day. There were very few women on the roster for that first sunny day in 1981. Hell, there were very few women performing comedy in San Francisco. Susan Healy doubled up, also performing stand-up along with Jane Dornacker, May Lee Davis and, of course Femprov, a young eager group of gals supplying their own brand of funny to the proceedings.
Two years later, we had to make our case for being included in the line-up of 40 comedians, by formally reminding the Committee of our contributions to the SF comedy scene, beyond our gender being represented on the Bandshell stage.
Origin story of Comedy Day… and the countless unsung women essential and instrumental in enabling its birth.