The world of comedy has long been a space where women had to fight for a seat at the table. But at DePaul’s Improv and Sketch Comedy (DISC) club, women aren’t just taking a seat — they’re sitting at the head. For the first time since its formation, DISC’s executive board is made almost entirely of women, marking a new era of representation and leadership in a space that has traditionally been dominated by men.

Kate Tehrani, president of DISC, is proud to be a part of this change, which she said challenges the “stereotype where women are meant to be seen and not heard.” 

“Comedy is funny because it’s the truth, and women experience their truth every day,” Tehrani said. “Why is that not enough?” 

“The only reason it’s not enough is because it came from a woman’s mouth.”

Eva Catterall, a staff member for DISC, says her experiences sharing the floor with men in comedy spaces have left her feeling overlooked.

“I’ve experienced being talked over on stage and not being addressed by other people,” Catterall said.

These limitations are not exclusive to local comedy scenes. “Saturday Night Live” recently announced their updated cast list for season 51 with only five female cast members —  the lowest it has been since season 38. Rose Kaiser, a member of DISC, was disappointed by the news.

“Looking at the biggest show in comedy and seeing it get even less diverse is scary,” Kaiser said.

But the treatment of women on the comedy main stage has not discouraged the women of DISC. They said they are actively working to uplift not only the voices of women, but also people who are queer and nonwhite. Tehrani said including these voices means giving them the space to create in ways that are authentic to who they are.

“We’re not inclusive to be performative or plastic or to be fake,” Tehrani said. “We do that because we are letting people of any background express comedy.”

The DISC board has made inclusivity their top priority. For instance, under Tehrani’s leadership, the club no longer cuts members who don’t get chosen during auditions for individual improv or sketch team roles. Now anyone can join and be involved with the clubs’s activities without being on a performance team. Workshops are also in development for those interested in learning the tricks of the trade from experienced DISC comedians.

Along with workshops and club events, DISC is broadening the kinds of comedy the group represents.

“I feel like we are a variety comedy club,” Tehrani said. “There’s more to DISC than the –ISC.”

Although the ISC (improv and sketch comedy) part of DISC is audition-based, this year, leadership is  opening the door for more performance types suggested by members. Kaiser has begun developing some ideas of her own since the new board has introduced opportunities to include things like drag and stand-up to their roster.

“I’m very excited to see what everyone does, and I’m excited to see what I do,” Kaiser said. “Maybe I will do puppets while doing burlesque, who knows?”

She said these changes have gotten high praise from the entire club.

“Kate and the whole e-board have done such a great job of giving us more opportunities and being on top of things,” Kaiser said.

More information about the club and their upcoming events and performances can be found on their Instagram page.

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