Two comedians create space for queer comedy in Boston

Boston has one of the largest LGBTQ+ populations of any major city in the United States, but the city’s comedy scene has lagged behind the demographics. A new queer comedy show is changing that.

Show producers Lizzie Sivitz and Zach Stewart launched the "Fruits by the Foot" comedy showcase at the start of the year, looking to create a dedicated performance  space for queer comedians and audiences alike.

“I think Boston comedy can be kind of bro-ey. There can be a lot of sexist, misogynistic comedy,” Sivitz said. "Fruits by the Foot" offers an alternative. “People knowing that this is a place where the comedy will be more oriented towards what they actually find funny is really nice and a big appeal for people.”

Sivitz got her start in comedy over a decade ago as a student at the University of Pennsylvania, writing sketches with Bloomers, an all-female sketch comedy group established in the 1970s as a response to the male-only comedy group at the university.

After graduating, Sivitz made a name for herself at comedy clubs around Los Angeles but struggled to find the right venue for her comedy after moving to Boston. A mentor back in LA offered some advice: “If you want to find a venue that is perfect for you, make it.”

With the help of co-producer Zach Stewart, a Boston-based comedian who started performing standup in early 2022, Sivitz did just that.

Despite putting on only a handful of shows since its inception, "Fruits by the Foot" has earned a passionate audience in the Boston comedy scene. At Distraction Brewing in Roslindale, where "Fruits by the Foot" is based, the showcase reliably packs the taproom with sold-out shows.

The show's niche appeal has helped attract queer audiences from across Greater Boston, but it has also created a unique space for the queer comedians performing there. For Stewart, who is often the only queer comedian at many stand-up nights, having an audience of allies and other queer people is a liberating experience.

“A lot of times when we're doing comedy shows like this, we're the only queer people on the lineup,” Stewart said. “I can go up on stage and talk about being in an orgy for 10 minutes or I can go up on stage and talk about the weather for 10 minutes and everybody's going to leave and be like, ‘That gay guy was funny.’”

On the "Fruits by the Foot" stage, queer comedians like Stewart and Sivitz get to be more than a label.

“It's nice to be able to create a space where you're able to talk a little bit more about the specifics of your queer experience and show that like queer people can be funny,” Stewart said. “We get to kind of build and be more three-dimensional people on stage.”

"Fruits by the Foot" is not the only event in the Boston comedy landscape that’s creating that kind of space. Stewart himself co-produces two other comedy shows in Boston — Homoerratic Comedy in Back Bay and The Mendoza Line in Kenmore.

Marcelle Karp, a New York City author who has studied and written about the history of queer comedy, sees Fruits by the Foot as part of a broader queer comedy boom in the United States.

2017 marked a turning point for queer comedy, Karp said.

That year — the start of the “queer comedy boom” — saw a wave of trans, queer, and non-binary comics making their way onto some of the biggest stages in the comedy industry. But, with the rise of social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, many queer comedians have garnered their own grassroots followings.

“You don't have to fit into that space,” Karp said. “You're making your own space. It's less about like, ‘Can I be part of your club?’ and more of like, ‘Check out my club.’”

That kind of entrepreneurial approach is as much a benefit to the audience as it is to the comedians themselves.

“The shows that are doing unique things, they're attracting their audience,” Karp said. “They're actually meeting the consumer where the consumer sits.”

As "Fruits by the Foot" nears its first anniversary, Sivitz and Stewart are encouraged by how many people continue to check out the showcase.

“Overall, it's been pretty awesome to see how many people come out to this and how many people [feel] like this is their queer comedy space,” Stewart said. “They're like, ‘I come to this show. I don't come to a ton of comedy shows because I know what I'm getting here.’ It's awesome to be able to cultivate that.”

For audiences who often feel like the punchline of the joke at other comedy venues in the city, "Fruits by the Foot" offers a refreshing reprieve in Boston's comedy scene.

"Fruits by the Foot" hosts its next event at Distraction Brewing on Dec. 16. Tickets are available online or at the door.