Womanica
Thinking back to our history classes growing up, we had one question: Where the ladies at? Enter, Womanica. In just 5 minutes a day, learn about different incredible women from throughout history. On Wonder Media Network’s award-winning podcast, we’re telling the stories of women you may or may not know — but definitely should.
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 …
Comediennes: Peg Lynch
Peg Lynch (1916-2015) was an American writer, actress and producer who wrote over 10,000 scripts for television and radio, and created and starred in one of the first sitcoms. For Further Reading: Peg Lynch, Writer and Star of Early Situation Comedy, Dies at 98 “There’s Nothing Like A Quiet, Pleasant Dinner At Home…” Peg Lynch Comedy of the Commonplace: The Sitcom Genius of Peg Lynch This month, we’re talking about comediennes — women throughout history who have made us laugh. …
Comediennes: Phyllis Diller
Phyllis Diller (1917-2012) was a pioneering female comic in the U.S. Her invented onstage persona – a hapless housewife with a dawdling husband named Fang – was iconic on late-night TV and in theaters across the country. Her abrasive humor left no stone unturned and paved the way for female comics to embrace a more unconventional style of comedy. For Further Reading: Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse Goodnight, We Love You: Life & Legend of Phyllis Diller Diller at …
Comediennes: Shari Lewis
Shari Lewis (1933-1998) is best known for her cheeky sock puppet friend Lamb Chop. Shari, Lamb Chop and their other puppet castmates starred in several television series in America and England and won 12 Emmy Awards. Together, they taught kids to love music and learning and they charmed television audiences for decades. For Further Reading: Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop: The Team That Changed Children’s Television Shari Lewis | Jewish Women's Archive Shari Lewis, TV Puppeteer Loved by Children, Dies …
Comediennes: Vesta Tilley
Vesta Tilley (1864-1952) was a famous male impersonator in music halls throughout England and the U.S. Her act was so popular that during World War I, she became an unofficial recruitment officer for young men who came to see her show. Dressed in male clothing, she danced her way into the hearts of all types of audiences. For Further Reading: The Vesta Tilley Collection: The Music Hall Actress From Worcester (1864-1952) University of Sheffield Archives: Vesta Tilley National Portrait Gallery: …
Comediennes: Tun Tun
Tun Tun (1923-2003) was "Hindi cinema's first-ever comedienne." She got her start as a hit playback singer before transitioning to comedic acting. Over the course of her career, she acted in hundreds of films and became a household name in India. She leaned into her persona as a comedic sidekick using stereotypes to her advantage. For Further Reading: Tun Tun/Uma Devi Khatri: Singer, Hindi Cinema’s ‘First Ever Comedienne’ Uma Devi Khatri: The Forgotten Life Story Of Indian Cinema’s First Comedienne …
Comediennes: The Whitman Sisters
Mabel, Bessie, Alberta, and Alice Whitman were a vaudeville performance group known collectively as the Whitman Sisters. From 1900 to 1943, they managed and toured with their own performing company, making them the longest-running and highest-paid acts on the Vaudeville circuit for Black performers. Further Reading: Whitman Sisters The Whitman Sisters: Why We May Never Silence Them The royalty of Negro vaudeville: the Whitman Sisters and the negotiation of race, gender and class in African American theater, 1900-1940 This month, …
Women Behind the Curtain: Sorghaghtani Beki
Sorghaghtani Beki (c. 1190-1252) was one of the most powerful people in the Mongol Empire. Daughter-in-law to Genghis Khan, she used unique forms of diplomacy to cement her place in Mongol society and create a path forward for all four of her sons to become Khans in their own right. Her reforms, passed on through her children, gave stability and prosperity to the Mongol Empire at a crucial moment. For Further Reading: The Secret History of the Mongol Queens 2 …
Women Behind the Curtain: Mary Prince
Mary Prince (c. 1788 - c. 1833) was the first Black woman to publish an autobiography about her experiences being enslaved. Her narrative, The History of Mary Prince, A West Indian Slave, Related by Herself contributed to the growing Abolition movement in Britain and the eventual passage of the Slavery Abolition Act. Further Reading: Mary Prince The History of Mary Prince, a West Indian Slave, Related by Herself The First Slave Narrative by a Woman This month, we're pulling back …
Women Behind the Curtain: Lillian Moller Gilbreth
Lillian Moller Gilbreth (1878-1972) left a lasting impact on what we think of today as work-life balance. Her life was immortalized in the novel-turned film Cheaper by the Dozen. But she was also an engineer, a psychologist, a professor – in addition to being a mother of 12 children. She studied workplace efficiency and designed inventions that made worklife and homelife a little easier. For Further Reading: Making time : Lillian Moller Gilbreth--a life beyond "Cheaper by the dozen" Lillian …