The strange mental gymnastics that so many of us have been going through since November 8 can best be summed up by comedian Andie Main. The local stand-up was so distraught by the election that she spent that night waking up, sobbing for a bit, and then falling back asleep. But at 4 am, she received an email informing her that she had just been accepted to perform at the 2017 SF Sketchfest, including a spot opening for the Grawlix, the Denver-based comedy crew that helped create the TV series Those Who Can’t.
“I was so sad and so happy at the same time,” Main remembers, as she sits at the Doug Fir Lounge, enjoying a well-deserved beer after a successful Cool Kids Patio Show that she hosts and helps book. “I was crying and being, like, ‘Thank you... that is... thank you so much...’” She acts out that last sentence with a twisted-up happy/sad face and a tone of weepy joy in her voice.
That feeling is something Main has had to learn to embrace over the last few years through her work organizing Revolution Comedy, a twice-monthly stand-up showcase at Curious Comedy Theater that raises funds for progressive organizations. It’s a natural fit for a city and a comedy community that tend to lean left, and over the last six months, these events have raised nearly $10,000 for groups like Planned Parenthood, Don’t Shoot PDX, the ACLU, and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in its fight to prevent the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.