Avenger of the Week | Caroline Hirsch

Wikimedia Commons, cropped. Ajay Suresh, New York, NY. CC Attribution 2.0 Generic

The New York Comedy Festival returns this month after a pandemic hiatus in 2020. Caroline Hirsch, a lifelong New Yorker and owner of the famous Carolines on Broadway comedy club, brought the weeklong festival to life in 2004, featuring 200 comics performing at 100 venues across the city.

As a demonstration of Hirsch’s commitment to diversity and her hometown, the 2021 Festival featured “Comedy Included”, two days of “panel discussions, special appearances and engaging conversations, aiming to educate, discuss and break down barriers on topics of diversity, equality, gender gaps and inclusion in the comedy industry.” 

"This year, we're putting our eyes on diversity in comedy and entertainment, and that diversity is for everyone," Hirsch said. "It's for men, women, transgender. It is for every different race, creed, and color."

The event as a whole has also sought to help small venues struggling from pandemic closures with its return to stages.

For blazing a trail for women in the New York Comedy Scene, her commitment to diverse voices, and for bringing us laughs for more than 3 decades, Caroline Hirsch is our Avenger of the Week.

For blazing a trail for women in the New York Comedy Scene (#makeNYlaugh), her commitment to diverse voices, and for bringing us laughs for 3+ decades, Caroline Hirsch (@CarolinesonBway and @nycomedyfest) is our #AvengerOfTheWeek.