Comediennes: Mitzi Shore

Mitzi Shore (1930-2018) is known for opening the Comedy Store, a famous workshop and performance space for up and coming comics. She was the ultimate curator of young talent, and a  mentor for many comedians over the years. Mitzi offered talented performers a chance to make it big.

Further Reading:

• Mitzi Shore: Still Minding the Store
• Mitzi Shore, Whose Comedy Store Fostered Rising Stars, Dies at 87
• The Queen of Comedy

This month, we’re talking about comediennes — women throughout history who have made us laugh. They transgressed societal norms through comedy and often spoke out against injustice using their sharp wit.

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more.  Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures. 

Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, and Abbey Delk. Special thanks to Shira Atkins. 

Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello for Wonder Media Network. I'm Jenny Kaplan and this
is Wamanica. This month, we're talking about comedians women throughout
history who made us laugh. They transgressed societal norms through comedy,
and often spoke out against injustice using their sharp wit. Today,
we're talking about a woman who was known as the
godmother of the La comedy scene. She was a talent

(00:25):
scout and mentor for many generations of comedians. As the
longtime owner of a famous comedy club, her approval could
make or break your career. Let's talk about Mitzi Shore.
Mitzi was born on July twenty fifth, nineteen thirty and
was raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin. One summer in the
nineteen fifties, she was working at a Wisconsin resort when

(00:48):
she met Sammy Shore, an American actor and comedian. The
two soon married and moved to California. The couple had
four children. Mitzi integrated into Sammy's comedy lifestyle, hanging around
performers like Don Rickles and Rodney Dangerfield. Sammy's comedy star
was on the rise. He secured a gig opening for
Elvis Presley at the Las Vegas Hilton for three years.

(01:15):
Following the stint with Elvis, Sammy and Mitzy decided to
start their own comedy club in la on the Sunset Strip.
Mitzy suggested that they call their new business venture the
Comedy Store. Mitzy and Sammy opened the Comedy Store in
nineteen seventy two. When the couple divorced just two years later,
Mitzy took full control of the business. She wanted the

(01:36):
store to be a place where comics would come to
hone their craft. She once said, were like a school
or a boxer's gym. Were here to help people develop
their skills and to get them seen by supportive comedy crowds,
as well as by TV and movie people. At the time,
the Comedy Store was the only showcase for stand up
in town, and it quickly became a hotbed for talent.

(01:58):
David Letterman was an early end and beloved performers like
Robin Williams, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Sandra Bernhard, and Jim
Carey were all graduates of the Comedy Store. Johnny Carson,
the host of The Tonight Show at the time, would
often use the club to recruit young comedians to perform
on his program. Under Mitzi's leadership, the Comedy Store grew

(02:19):
from one ninety nine seat space to a three showroom venue.
She even had special performance spaces in the club reserved
for queer Latino and female comics. Mitzy was the sun
at the center of the Comedy store solar system. Her
approval meant everything. On Mitzi's desk, there was a sign
that read, it is a sin to encourage mediocre talent.

(02:42):
She was very opinionated and comedians deeply valued her advice.
Over the years, controversy surrounded the business. Mitzi was criticized
for not paying her comics and someone on strike in
nineteen seventy nine to protest, but the business survived and
is still open today. When Mitzi died in twenty eighteen

(03:03):
at the age of eighty seven, comedians like David Letterman,
Bob Saggett, and Mark Marin reflected on how influential she'd
been in launching their careers. The Comedy Store remains Mitzi's legacy,
a unique space where talented comedians can shine All month
We're talking about Comedians. For more information, find us on
Facebook and Instagram at Wamanica podcast special thanks to Liz Kaplan,

(03:28):
my favorite sister and co creator Tune in tomorrow for
a special bonus episode brought to you by NRTEK. Talk
to you then,