Check Out Zoe Rogers’ Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zoe Rogers. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started comedy in LA a decade ago. At the time, it felt like there were only a handful of women and only one woman on a show at most. Most shows then felt like a sea of straight white men with only one perspective being heard. I started producing shows and making diverse perspectives a priority. At the time, I remember thinking it would be awesome to do a festival that highlighted diversity and women in comedy. After moving to the Boulder area and partnering with Dairy Art’s Center for their monthly comedy show, I felt like the time was right to launch the Boulder Comedy Festival. We had 6 shows our first year and featured incredibly funny and diverse comics from Los Angeles, Denver, and the front range area.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been an educational road. Seeing comedy is always inspiring, and I love hearing different perspectives from comics. Laughing for an hour plus must have health benefits. Years ago, in LA, my son was dealing with a bully at school. He said there was only one game on the playground, and the bully decided who got to play. I said that if he was frustrated other kids must be frustrated too, and he should start a new game. Weeks later when I was complaining to my husband about the lack of women being booked on shows, my son piped up and said “start your own game,” so I did. There is always pushback to change. I started a women’s mic and all-women show, and there were people who called me sexist. I started a show called Token Straight White Dude that highlighted diversity, and some people called it racist. Eventually, though, the fact that those shows existed inspired (or maybe pressured) other producers to get some more diversity and women on their shows. There were audiences who came out to those shows that said they had stopped going to comedy shows at clubs because they felt like they weren’t represented. They wanted diversity, and they wanted to hear different perspectives and that was very inspiring and validating for me. I tried to do both of those shows at comedy clubs and was told that was “too divisive”. Diversity should not be divisive. It is awesome to have a venue that supports me and also supports diversity. Boulder Comedy Festival is back this June 2022! If you would like to be a sponsor or one of our venues please email info@BoulderComedyFestival.com

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I talk about my life as a mom, but I write to make it accessible to all audiences. I like vulnerable and personal comedy where the comic leaves the stage, and you feel like you know them. I love vulnerability instead of punching down. When I began teaching, I would tell my students to be supportive of each other and to other comics, and “lift up instead of punching down.” I encourage my students to start mics and shows to create more opportunities for themselves and others. Most of my students are women. I feel like when you get in the door, you should hold it open for other people too.

How do you think about luck?
I would say I’m very grateful for my good fortune and who I have worked with and the opportunities I’ve been able to be part of. I’ve been really fortunate to have a supportive community of comics in both California and Colorado. My husband is very supportive and encourages me whenever I’m frustrated. My kids are awesome and supply me with lots of sleep deprivation and their unique insights that inspire me.

Contact Info:

• Email: Info@BoulderComedyFestival.com
• Website: BoulderComedyFestival.com
• Instagram: Boulder_Comedy_Festival
• Facebook: Boulder Comedy Festival
• Twitter: @BoulderFestival

Image Credits
Matt Misisco