Today we’d like to introduce you to Tressa Thomas.
Tressa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started my comedy career five years ago while I was working in – of all places – South Africa. I interned at the Cape Town Refugee Center in 2015; because this work was so emotionally taxing, I found myself craving a light-hearted outlet that I could pursue outside of work hours.
Stand-up comedy was as good an options as any.
Five years later, I am still working on my act. Stories about traveling and being a woman in the world are a constant theme. After college I travelled to Latin America, Africa, and Asia through the Bonderman Fellowship. During that time I focused on the intersection of feminism, activism, and entertainment.
Rather than taking photos while I traveled, I got into the habit of painting my favorite views. Thus began my painting career, which I try to infuse with my comedy as well
Today I am an LA-based comic, performing at Flappers in Burbank and The Comedy Store in Hollywood. I co-host High Dive Comedy in Panorama City as well as Groundwork Open Mic in Noho. I sell prints of my paintings and love collaborating with artists of all kinds
Has it been a smooth road?
Definitely not; moving to LA was a big transition. I was really intimidated by the comedy scene and I didn’t know where to start. Also, I kept wishing there were more safe space mics or open mics for women.
Eventually, I realized that the only way to find more of these kinds of mics was to make them myself. Erin Mohr, a fellow comic, and I decided to start High Dive Comedy: a comedy show that showcases women and LGBTQ comics. We host High Dive in our backyard during the summer months. The audience actually gets to sit in the pool while the comics perform!
Erin and I also host a safe space open mic in Noho at Groundwork Coffee about once a month
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I‘m a painter, comic, and producer, but weaving all of it together is my passion for creating spaces for marginalized communities to artistically collaborate, share ideas, and exchange constructive feedback.
Cameron Esposito has been hugely inspirational for me in this way; she describes her career as one that exists and thrives both outside of and alongside the industry. Instead of waiting for the industry to put her on stage, she built her own stages – quite literally. This is the kind of work I do: when one of my communities has talent to showcase, I make it my job to produce and book that talent.
At the same time, in my own comedy and paintings, I try to represent my identities as clearly and honestly as possible. I love telling stories about women – in all our vastness and complexity.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I think its a really exciting time for women in the industry.
Slowly, very slowly, I think we will see women, members of the LGBTQ community, and people of color will gain more representation in comedy and in the arts in general. I see my work as belonging to this oncoming wave of innovation, and I’m proud it.
Contact Info:
- Website: tressathomascomedy.com
- Instagram: tressa_tee
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tressa.thomas.7
Image Credit:
(photos with the red sweater) by Esti Strydrom Photography
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