Review: Ladies of Laughter

Originally published on Rachel’s Choice on March 22, 2026

Recently, I finished a series on Netflix called “Never Have I Ever” about a high school girl whose life has her crossing off items from her “Never Have I Ever” list. Poetically, the series ends with her playing the actual game with her friends, offering a reflection of everything that can happen over time.

One of the benefits of regularly attending events and writing about the arts is that I find myself crossing off items on my own “Never Have I Ever” list at an exciting pace. It is truly incredible and wonderful, and you do not have to be an arts writer to cross items off your own list. All you need is an open mind, and sometimes a ticket!

The most recent item I crossed off my list was attending the Washington Center for the Performing Arts’ annual “Ladies of Laughter” offering. Going in, I knew I was going to see female comedians, but I did not fully realize just how amazing the energy was going to be. I found a sense of camaraderie in the audience in a new way…I truly believe that laughter unites us in the most human and gratifying way. We can find common ground in comedy. Again, you just need an open mind.

I never laughed so hard at a comedy event, and that truly says something! Comedians Kelly MacFarland, Leighann Lord, and Veronica Mosey all brought their real life experiences as women to the table. Naturally, there were some jokes I could relate to more than others, but it did not take away from the humor in it all.

Prior to the event, I assumed there were going to be no men in the audience (in hindsight, that was really strange of me). When I saw men in the audience, I figured they would give a courtesy laugh every now and then, but remain respectfully quiet. I was wrong – I saw many men crack up, and I absolutely loved it. 

Women centric comedy is for everyone.

Kelly MacFarland

Out of all the comedians, I felt like I related to MacFarland the most. We found commonality in some life experiences and in the way we think.

Throughout her act, MacFarland mentioned commonplace moments, like interacting with staff in the doctor’s office, and her jokes made me feel better about my own experiences. Similar to my doctor’s office, MacFarland’s allows their patients the option to choose not to weigh themselves. Truth be told, I love the intentionality in this practice, but hate the underlying condescension that can often happen in the delivery. MacFarland guided us through her interactions in the most hilarious way. The best part – she reminded me that it is okay to choose laughter during these moments when they come up in our real lives.

I roared with laughter when MacFarland shared her stream of consciousness processing what she learned about snakes in Florida. MacFarland peeled off layers of thought in these long strands, and led us through how one thought led to another (and so on). Again, we could be twins in this regard.

MacFarland described people’s reactions to her thought process, which included statements like, “You’re stressed, maybe you need to take a moment to color and relax.” Yep, that feels accurate. Why is it that whenever people think a different way than we do that we think something is wrong with them? As my mom would say, “you can either laugh or cry.” Thank you MacFarland for reminding us to laugh.

Leighann Lord

A good portion of Lord’s act guided the audience through her dating experiences. As a single woman myself, I genuinely appreciated this. Depending on who you hang around, as a single woman it can feel like you are a societal minority, as if “everyone is either dating or married.” It does not help when the “taken majority” tries to set you up, pities you, or say something like “Prince Charming is right around the corner, be patient it will happen.”

Lord’s candidness about online dating was refreshingly honest too. Hearing her analysis of the way people set up their profiles and respond to what you post was incredibly accurate. Two of my favorite jokes were:

• “I said on my profile ‘no serial killers,’ and I got no matches.”

• “When I was 48, a 24 year old messaged me and said, ‘hey I have seen your comedy and love what you do. I would love to chat sometime over a good glass of wine, and give you some good dick afterwards.’ How do I respond to that? Like, I’m old enough to be your mama. Do I say, ‘I didn’t squeeze you out, but I might be able to squeeze you in?’”

I truly applaud Lord for venturing into territory that is so personal, yet so honest. 

Veronica Mosey

Mosey’s set revolved around her experiences with what doctors call a “geriatric pregnancy,” life with her Australian husband, and motherhood. Truthfully, I could not relate to her on too many things, but I found myself laughing because of the way she told her stories. Some might call her blunt, but I would call Mosey authentic.

This authenticity really shined when she went into sociopolitical topics. It is challenging to relate her exact stories and viewpoints that challenged the “status quo, but I really respected her delivery. Mosey reminded me of a confident tightrope walker who remained balanced between respect and honesty.

You do not have to agree with or relate to everything Mosey said to enjoy her comedy or grasp at what she is saying. All artforms provide spaces that help us engage with diverse perspectives, and comedy is no exception. That is what makes it so enriching. 

Final Thoughts

I recently chatted with my dad about comedy, and we agreed that comedians are amongst the most intelligent people in the world. I do not define intelligence based on how many facts someone has stored in their mind. I define intelligence as the ability to observe, to think for ourselves, and a willingness to grow and learn.

It takes a lot of intelligence to make a really good joke because it requires an understanding of storytelling, human emotion, and communication skills to help a joke land well. MacFarland, Lord, and Mosey are all intelligent and talented women who deserve respect and a valuable place in the comedy world. 

I hope each of these women will come back to Olympia in the future!

Until then, I invite you to check out the Comedy Underground Series at the Washington Center or other future comedy offerings, including Ladies of Laughter, at their website.