Education

  • MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts and Media from Columbia College Chicago
  • Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education and Agricultural Technology Management from University of Arizona  (cum laude and with honors in each, Outstanding Student of the Year in Agricultural Technology Management)

Training

  • Stand-up comedy classes at Zanies
  • Stand-up comedy workshop with Beth Stelling at Chicago Women's Funny Festival
  • Feminine Comique with Cameron Esposito at Lincoln Lodge
  • Personal Narrative Writing Classes with Brigid Murphy
  • Annoyance Theater                                                                    (awarded internship)
  • !O Chicago Training Center                                                       (awarded internship)
  • Second City Conservatory Program and Writing Classes    (awarded internship)

Most Noted Performances 

  • 2010-present           opened for comics: Michele Balan, Jessica Kirson, Julie Goldman, and Vickie Shaw
  • 2005-present           numerous comedy/hosting performances- local, national, and internationally (monthly)
  • 2005-present           various fire performances- local, national, and internationally (monthly)
  • 2004-present           various burlesque/belly dance performances- local, national, and internationally (monthly)
  • 2004-2008              Estrojam/ Decibelle Women’s Music Festival, Chicago, IL
  • 2003-2007              Sissy Butch Brothers Burlesque, Chicago, IL (including VIC Theater with Margret Cho)
  • 2004-2007              Great Big International Drag King Show, Washington, DC

Traveling Conferences

  • 2012   International Drag King Extravaganza 14, Cleveland, OH
  • 2011   Mind the Gap (IDKE off year), Columbus, OH
  • 2010   International Drag King Extravaganza 12, Baltimore, MD
  • 2010   Femme Conference, Oakland, CA
  • 2009   International Drag King Extravaganza 11, Tucson, AZ
  • 2008   International Drag King Extravaganza 10, Columbus, OH
  • 2008   Femme Conference, Chicago, IL
  • 2007   International Drag King Extravaganza 9, Vancouver, BC
  • 2006   International Drag King Extravaganza 8, Austin, TX
  • 2005   International Drag King Extravaganza 7, Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • 2004   International Drag King Extravaganza 6, Chicago, IL

Tours

  • 2014   Windy City Blenders tour (March), Ireland (Dublin), Italy (Milan, Cinque Terre, and Genoa), and Germany (Berlin)
  • 2009   Individual Performance tour (Oct/Nov), Dublin (Dublin Lesbian Arts Festival) and Paris
  • 2009   Individual Performance tour (May), Berlin, Italy (Milan, and Switzerland)
  • 2009   Windy City Blenders tour (Feb/March), Dublin, Ireland and Berlin, Germany
  • 2005   Windy City Blenders tour, Dublin, Ireland and Berlin, Germany
  • 2004   Windy City Blenders tour, Toronto, Canada
  • 2004   Windy City Blenders tour, Dublin, Ireland

Assorted

  • 2010   Bound and Determined, second full-length one-woman show and multi-media installation
  • 2008   Michigan Women’s Music Festival, performed comedy, fire dancing, burlesque, hosted shows
  • 2007   Temple of Poi Civic Center Showcase, San Francisco, CA, fire danced in international showcase
  • 2006   The Lola Project, Chicago, IL- collaborative full-length drag and burlesque show
  • 2006   Gay Games Chicago, Chicago IL
  • 2004   Painted Mirrors, first full-length one-woman show at the Historical Leather Archives, Chicago, IL 

Grants/Awards/ Distinctions

  • 2015 Chicago's Best Stand-Up Comedian Runner Up for the Chicago Reader 
  • 2012 Key Note Speaker at the International Drag King Extravaganza 
  • 2009   Named the International Guest of Honor at the Dublin Lesbian Arts Festival
  • 2009   Selected as one of top ten queer performers in Chicago to tour with the Windy City Blenders as part of a gender performance outreach program (2009/2005/2004 on all four international trips)
  • 2009   Named a Fellow for the Institute of the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media
  • 2009   Awarded the Albert P. Weisman Award for thesis project entitled Bound and Determined 
  • 2008   Named America’s Seventh Funniest Lesbian by Curve Magazine (November issue)
  • 2008   Presenter/ Performer at the Femme Conference held in Chicago
  • 2007   Departmental Merit Award for Inter Arts at Columbia College Chicago
  • 2007   Named one of the “Top Five People to Know in Chicago” by the Reader in their annual review of Chicago and its communities
  • 2007   Shared stage with Margret Cho at the VIC Theater w/ Sissy Butch Brothers historical queer show
  • 2005 and 2004  Awarded “Top 30 Under 30” Distinction by the Windy City Times