Comedy
Little State Gets Big Laughs: Rhode Island’s Emily Taradash Moves into the Stand Up Spotlight
Going to a comedy club in 2023, you might see more women in the audience and on stage than in pre-pandemic times.
According to a 2014 poll run by PopSugar, over 50% of women reported that they were “Very Interested” in comedy and humor.
Despite the audience interest, Women only make up 11% of working comedians in the US, according to a 2021 poll.
In places like Rhode Island, female comedians including Poppy Champlin—who is being inducted into the Rhode Island Comedians Hall of Fame in 2023—Maya Manion, Caren Lioce and Emily Taradash bring big, relatable laughs.
“Everyone wants to laugh,” says local resident Emily Taradash. “It’s fun for me to work the crowd and offer them a place to cut loose.”
Photo courtesy of Todd Gianguzzi Photography at The Pump House Music Works, 4/2022
“Comedy is for everyone. I love earning the laughs from the audience–it’s always a big win when a joke lands,” adds Taradash, who works as a life coach and began doing stand up after taking a class with Poppy Champlin in March of 2022.
“Poppy is such a great teacher, and encourages all of us to tickle the audience with our own perspectives,” Taradash says.
She reflected that in the two rounds of classes that she’s taken at the Pump House Music Works, all of her other classmates have either identified as female or non-binary.
Taradash, who worked in theater for over 15 years, mainly as a costume designer, enjoys sharing personal stories with the audience about everything from her mixed religious upbringing and tales from the costume shop to her love of musical theater.
A strong singer, Taradash shocks the audience with snippets from musicals, such as “Cats!” and “Jesus Christ SuperStar,” to name just a couple.
Now, she’s toying with a new subject: What kind of Mom would she be, if ever she happened to fall pregnant?
“Moms want to be seen and understood, and so when I bring a funny spin to their lives, the results are overwhelmingly joyful,” reflects Taradash. “What kind of Mom will I be? Definitely the quirky one.”
A new bit by Taradash is inspired by mega life coach and inspirational speaker Mel Robbins is titled, “Mominatrix.”
Emily Taradash considers Mel Robbins a “Mominatrix,” which is a powerhouse mom, versus a “rom com mom”—the archetype of a new mom on her first girls’ weekend in 4 years.
Last time Emily Taradash did this bit at a show, many women came up to her afterwards excitedly exclaiming, “You nailed it! I’m a Rom-Com-Mom!”
“There’s a difference between seeing the audience and shaming them. I try to keep it to seeing and celebrating whenever possible,” says Taradash.
She looks forward to including more family archetypes in her next set on April 1st.
She will perform among many other local comedians at John Perrotta’s Comedy Factory’s April Fool’s Day Comedy Show at the Warwick Knights of Columbus, 475 Sandy Lane, Warwick, RI.
Doors open at 6 pm, show starts at 7 pm. Tickets are $20 per person, available for purchase online at:
Emily Taradash is a stand up comic, life coach and public speaker. You can purchase tickets for upcoming shows and see what else she’s up to at https://www.emilytaradash.com.
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