IN FULL BLOOM Four decades ago the hand-lettered program for Bloomers’ very first production declared that “the time has come to show that women can be funny, too.” Penn’s all-female musical comedy troupe has been proving it ever since. By Caren Lissner scene opens with four young The “#NotAllMen” skit—a skewering that anymore?” amid much mugging and THE people on a stage—three sitting of dismissive reactions to the #MeToo wild gesticulating. on folding chairs and one lean- movement (re)launched in 2017—gets The aggrieved male round-robin ing casually against a reception desk. more exaggerated as it goes along. The screeches to a halt when the fourth fel- They’re women but they’re playing men, four “men” wonder if it’s still okay to like low brags about hiring a hit man to kill outfitted in dark, nearly identical sport- Woody Allen movies, and one complains his “bitch of a wife,” whose absence made jackets and short-haired wigs. The one that his girlfriend expects him to be him so lonely he had to defile a goat. The at the reception desk, speaking in a deep “woke” and read “Cat Person” (a New others suddenly freeze in shock. “Can I voice, finishes a story about a coworker Yorker short story about male-female not say that … anymore?” he asks weakly. named Jen with the confession, “To tell relations that went viral in 2017). Things End scene. you the truth, I’ve always found Jen to quickly escalate to indignant rants about The sharp humor and cultural refer- be pretty attractive.” no longer being able to walk around in ences in the skit—which debuted on Suddenly, he adds, “Oh wait! I’m sorry. the office, um, indecently exposed, or campus in Bloomers’ Spring 2018 show, Can I not say that anymore?” permitted to hit on “hot” summer in- Shakespeare in Bloom—are typical of “Better watch out,” a buddy chimes in. terns—even when prepared to offer a Penn’s all-female comedy troupe, which “You don’t want a lawsuit on your hands.” full-time job. Each concludes with an is currently celebrating its 40th anniver- They all laugh. increasingly sarcastic “Oh, can I not say sary. The group also offers plenty of more 32 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE Jan|Feb 2019 ILLUSTRATION BY MELINDA BECK Jan|Feb 2019 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE 33 time-honored, site-specific humor: the Live, which premiered in 1975—recent 2018 White House Correspondents’ Dinner same show featured a College student’s years have seen a surge of women in com- and hosted the shortlived Netflix show The wistful, “If I Were in Wharton,” sung, in- edy. In the most recent Emmys, three of Break with Michelle Wolf, and current SNL evitably, to the tune of “If I Were a Rich the six series nominated in the sketch cast member Melissa Villaseñor. Man” from Fiddler on the Roof, the source comedy category were hosted by women If comedy was for a long time a man’s as well of the Mask and Wig standard, (Amy Sedaris, Sarah Silverman, and Trac- game in the world beyond campus, on “Tuition.” The more recent Fall 2018 show ey Ullman). Figures like Tina Fey, Amy campus, all-male performing arts groups referenced the pop-cultural phenomenon Poehler, Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer, like Mask and Wig (founded in 1889) and of reality TV with The Bachelor: Will You Mindy Kaling, and the Broad City duo of the even more venerable Glee Club Accept This Show? which played to a re- Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson have cre- (which got its start in 1862) had a big cord five sold-out audiences at the Iron ated some of the funniest and most high- head start on Bloomers—not to mention, Gate Theater in October (250 people per ly acclaimed comedies in TV and film of in the case of Mask and Wig, its own performance), including a cadre of the past decade, and at SNL women have clubhouse in Center City Philadelphia. Bloomer alumnae on hand to kick off the mostly been the standouts in recent (Kris- One benefit of longevity for these groups anniversary year. The show skewered ten Wiig, Vanessa Bayer C’04) and current has been the development of robust and everything from fundraising for Penn (to (Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, Aidy Bry- active alumni associations. the tune of Sweet Charity’s “Hey, Big ant) ensembles. That heightened visibil- Bloomers may not be able to offer an Spender”: “Let me get right to the point, ity has helped spark new interest in off-campus hideaway or the additional buildings don’t get named for everyone I Bloomers. This year, only about a quarter Mask and Wig perk of a personalized see!”) to organized religion (a Last Supper of those who auditioned for the group drinking mug hanging behind the club- parody “nailed it,” as the Jesus character were accepted, according to Bloomers’ house bar, but over the last couple of years said). Clips from these shows can be chair Lauren Sorantino C’19. And the five they’ve made strides to build involvement found at https://www.youtube.com/user/ sold-out performances in fall set a record: among former Bloomers. BloomersComedy/videos. “We usually do four performances of a Spearheaded by group founder Joan In the four decades since its founding show and we recently moved to a larger Harrison C’81, chair of the Bloomers as the country’s first all-female college theater, so selling out five shows this fall Alumnae Association (BLAA), the new comedy troupe, Bloomers has served as was a big moment in Bloomers history,” group recently held workshops, retreats, the launching pad for alumnae pursuing Sorantino notes. and regional networking events with careers as performers, producers, or in Bayer—probably the most famous current students and recent graduates. other aspects of the entertainment indus- Bloomers alumna—spent seven years at The students have responded enthusi- try, and has provided valuable prepara- SNL and followed that with a number of astically, joining alumnae for leadership tion for women in any field—from finance well-received film performances [includ- seminars and landing sought-after in- to technology, education, law, or medi- ing—full disclosure—the adaptation of ternships at top talent agencies and en- cine—where one needs to be confident, author Caren Lissner’s novel Carrie tertainment companies in Hollywood sharp, and in command of a boardroom Pilby—Ed.]. She has often discussed the and New York. or operating room. “Being a Bloomer has group in interviews. In fact, when she The alums recently held a host of cel- been an unexpected boon to my life as a left SNL, fellow cast member and “Week- ebrations for their anniversary—includ- cognitive neuroscientist,” noted Laurel end Update” cohost Colin Jost wrote a ing an alumnae/student dinner and Buxbaum C’82 in the February 2017 edi- song suggesting that the rest of the play- party near campus on the final day of the tion of the Bloomers Alumnae Associa- ers were a little too familiar with Bloom- fall show—and have been discussing tion’s recently revived newsletter. “When ers stories: “She plays little boys/but what they want to do in the future to I stand up to give a research talk to a she’s always a woman to me/yes we have help smart women pave the road to suc- group of scientists—not all of whom are heard of Bloomers … she’s the funniest, cess with laughter. necessarily sympathetic—I’m grateful for sunniest person you’ll see.” those years of experience in being warm Bayer was also the headliner a few years First Bloom and humorous on the stage.” back at LaughtHERfest, a day of comedy It all started when, newly arrived on While there have always been beloved panels and performances on campus that campus in the fall of 1977, Joan Harrison female comedians, from Lucille Ball to Bloomers sponsors annually. Other fea- saw her first Mask and Wig free show Carol Burnett to Gilda Radner, Jane Cur- tured LaughtHER performers, in addition and was inspired. tin, and Laraine Newman—the women in to student groups, have included Michelle “I was a full-scholarship kid. I felt like the iconic first cast of Saturday Night Wolf, who did a controversial set at the a fish out of water. I couldn’t find my 34 THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE Jan|Feb 2019 posse,” she recalls. “Then I went to see and Wig “will not be accepting girls and Ivy League. Please join us at the initial Mask and Wig, and I was dazzled. I said, that’s all there is to it,” the board’s meeting of Bloomers.” ‘I want to do that.’ I was quickly alerted spokesman declared. “Letting girls play “The idea,” recalls Finkelstein, an edu- that that would never come to pass.” girls would change Mask and Wig from cator who went on to found a charter Others had tried—and were met with what Mask and Wig is.” school in Teaneck, New Jersey, “came a response neatly summarized in a Sep- With that route blocked, Harrison from the fact that we had a bunch of tember 1970 Daily Pennsylvanian arti- says, “It seemed an obvious idea to cre- friends who were Mask and Wig, and we cle headlined “Girl applicant turned ate a female comedy group.” sort of felt like, all these guys are doing away by Mask and Wig.” The story de- She discussed her plan with room- comedy and dressing up in drag, and scribed how sophomore transfer student mates Barbara Finkelstein C’81 and Amy why aren’t women doing comedy?” Suzy Sang’s request for an audition had Albert C’81 and in the fall of 1978 they been denied, with the club’s board of posted flyers around campus saying, governors voting—unanimously—to con- “Women, the time has come for the first “Being a Bloomer tinue their male-only tradition.