KAPAA — Comics will be taking cracks at Botox, motherhood and more at Trees Lounge this weekend, and it’ll all come from the lips of the ladies.
That’s because the restaurant and bar has set the stage for the third annual Wahine Comedy Festival, hosted by Female Comics of Hawaii at 8 p.m. Friday and 10 p.m. Saturday.
“We’ve had two here on Oahu and this year we decided to have it over here, because Kauai needs more comedy,” said organizer Erika Swartzkopf.
The seven-person line-up is all female and Swartzkopf has pulled together comedians from Oahu and Maui —Kauai’s Kaiulani Mahuka is also in the lineup.
“It’s good to be with a bunch of women that want to get up on stage and make people laugh,” Mahuka said. “Having a bunch of sisters to do it with is really fun.”
Mahuka began slinging jokes in 2012 and helped start the Kalapaki Comecy Club at Cafe Portofino, which ran for about a year and a half.
She’s opened for comedian and actor Andy Bumatai, as well as Melvin Cabang and hosts the Songs of Sovereignty radio show on KKCR.
“That’s not always a real fun topic, although there’s funny stuff that happens,” Mahuka said. “For me, comedy is people seeing me in a different light. I never knew I was funny. I guess I am.”
Sovereignty and blood quantum topics occasionally make their way into Mahuka’s comedy, but she’ll be concentrating on different issues for the weekend’s Wahine Comedy Festival.
“I just chopped all my hair off and got Botox, and I’m going to do the topic of growing old gracefully,” Mahuka said, “about being a 50-plus, aging beach bunny.”
She continued: “Do we wear one-pieces or bikinis? And, what’s with the fake eyelashes, girls?”
Being a comedian takes a little more work than it would seem, Mahuka said, and she’s been working hard to create material for the upcoming show.
“You have to put together a skeleton of jokes,” Mahuka said. “You don’t just get up there and roll of jokes and hope everyone laughs.”
Showcasing female talent and the work that comes along with it is the goal for Swartzkopf’s Female Comics of Hawaii, and she wants to boost income for female comics as well.
“Giving more stage time to women and paying them well are the two main goals of my group,” Swartzkopf said.
Cost is $10 at the door.
