Bethany Van Delft, One of 5 Funny Females This Weekend

Bethany Van Delft first joined the revolving cast of 5 Funny Females last January. Since then, she estimates she has done between 15 and 20 of the showcases, hosted and organized by New York-based comedian Susan Alexander, all over New England. She’ll add two more to resume this weekend when the show plays Max Stein’s Steakhouse in Lexington Friday and Mission Oak Grill in Newburyport. The other four funny females will be Alexander, Maria Ciampa, Erin Judge, and Andrea Henry.

If grills and steakhouses don’t seem terribly conducive to comedy shows, Van Delft says the comics Alexander books and judgment about who to work with has made for a great experience. “We definitely try to make each space our own, but we pretty much go with the flow,” she says. “Maybe more toned down for a dining room or benefit, a little crazier at a rock club. The show works anywhere because the comics are pros, and the audiences have been so excited to have us. I feel really lucky to be part of it.”

Van Delft says she has seen some familiar faces at the shows, sometimes between 10 and fifteen who have seen a show before. “Some people are at every show,” she says. “The line up is always a different mix of comics, so they still get to see new acts as well as their favorites.”

And what do the comics get out of being part of an all-female showcase? “It's really just us creating opportunities for ourselves,” says Van Delft. “But the camaraderie is pretty cool. And the green room gossip.”

Here’s a look behind the scenes at that “green room,” from a show in Newburyport last March.

5 Funny Females Backstage at Newburyport, MA on 3.28.08