Bergamot Comedy Festival creates space for comedians to fail, grow and belong

Performing their solo show in a comedy club was an intimidating experience for Brigham Mosley, a genderqueer person.

“I often perform comedy and stand-up in this kind of drag, and I will go to open mics, and you do a set and then you get off stage and people come on stage and start making trans jokes,” they said.

The feeling of discomfort changed once they found the Crow, a comedy club in Santa Monica. After performing and participating in some of its writing development programs, Mosley didn’t want to stop the collaboration, so they applied to the Bergamot Comedy Festival, held at the venue.

“When folks start working at the Crow, they never leave because the space is so magical,” they added.

Comedian Mike Lawrence gives advice to fellow comedians during the panel discussion portion of the Bergamot Comedy Festival in 2024.

(Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times)

This year, Mosley will be performing in the third-annual festival. The four-day event happening from Tuesday through Saturday is designed for comedians by comedians, said Nicole Blaine, the founder and executive producer.

It is curated to not only expose comedians to studios like Netflix, HBO and Comedy Central, but to help their professional development through educational panels open to the public for free.

“If you aren’t feeling safe and comfortable to fail, then the joke isn’t going to get discovered,” Blaine said. “We have to figure out the funniest way to say the hardest stuff and we need a room to do it in where we’re not feeling judged by our peers.”

When she was starting as a comedian, as an “older woman who was talking about having babies,” Blaine felt like an outsider. The Bergamot Comedy Festival was a result of that feeling. She wanted to create a place where everyone feels welcome.

“The government can’t control this,” she said. “I am an independent comedy club that is willing to say that we need more people of color, we need more queer stories.”

The festival is designed to nurture not just comedians but the surrounding community. Before any performer takes the stage at the Crow for the Bergamot fest, Blaine provides in-depth educational conversations with key industry players.

Professionals from Mic Drop Comedy, “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and Sundance will guide conversations about self-producing, discussions on how to get a comedy gig in different types of venues, and on how to make your tight five-minute sets even tighter — all open to the public for free.

“We need to provide education for everybody, not just the comics who get into the fest,” Blaine said. “You’re limiting your impact on the community.”

Comedian Cameron Esposito performs during the Bergamot Comedy Festival in 2024 at the Crow.

(Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times)

Professional development was a major draw for Bernice Ye, a comedian at this year’s festival.

“[The panels] give you a chance for people to network,” she said.

Ye applied to perform in the festival’s first two years but wasn’t selected. Instead of moving on, she took advantage of the free public panels and made connections. The rejection didn’t discourage her, instead she was inspired by the level of talent and pushed by the networking.

She watched the performers each year, learning from their sets. By attending panels, Ye was able to see that the industry wasn’t as scary as she thought it was.

Blaine would conduct discussions during the panels where she would ask the tough questions, Ye and other entertainers were probably afraid to ask. The openness made it easier to build relationships and network with industry people — they just want to help, she said.

This year, she will be performing a comedy set; third time is a charm, she said. Her inclusion will be more than a celebration, it will be a capstone of what she’s learned from the festival.

“It made me appreciate it even more because I know how hard it is to get it,” Ye said. “I worked really hard to be here.”