Life is sad. Really, gut-wrenchingly sad sometimes — so sad that it took significant convincing to get Andrea Vahl and Elaina McMillan onboard with the concept of performing a comedy show about it. When their friend Katie Mason first proposed creating a show focused on fear and grief, their reaction was simple: “That’s not comedy, man.”
Mason, 2023 poet laureate of Lakewood’s 40 West Arts District, standup comic and psychotherapist, saw something her fellow performers hadn’t yet: an opportunity to push comedy beyond laughter into a deeper, more vulnerable exploration of humanity’s shared experiences. But McMillan, a hypnotist, belief coach and performer, and Vahl, marketing consultant, celebrated comedian and producer behind Moms Unhinged, had to be persuaded.
"We knew we wanted to do a show together and thought it should probably be a more vulnerable kind of comedy show with a little bit more depth," Mason says. "I was pushing to try something with a little bit more range. We looked at the themes of our writing, and we were kind of writing about these topics so Elaina and Andrea got on board hesitantly. They were afraid maybe it would be too heavy, but we did it."
At the time, McMillan and Vahl agreed to do just one show about life's hardest parts, then they’d return to their regular comedic routines. But something happened after that initial performance in September 2023 — they realized this wasn’t just another comedy night. It resonated deeply, profoundly, with their audience. People approached them afterward, urging them to continue.
“We just kept doing this,” Andrea laughs. "I thought the show was just going to be a one-off, ‘Let's try this, and then we'll do other things,’ but it just kept going. Even though we thought it sounded scary, we did it anyway, and then so many people came up after us and said, ‘You've got to do this show again,’ so that's kind of what propelled us to keep doing it."
What started as a hesitant experiment has evolved into Life: A Delightful Show About Fear and Grief, now performing regularly throughout the Front Range. The show features a variety of artistic mediums united by fearless vulnerability.
"It's a combination of poetry, storytelling and letters we've written with some comedy mixed in," Vahl says of the experience. "We touch on a lot of different things. Alzheimer's, love, relationships, parenting, addiction — all things that we've experienced in our lives, and that are very personal for us and have been really hard, like chronic illness, but we can also laugh at, too, and find some humor in. Even in those moments of pain, these crazy thoughts come out, which is where a lot of the comedy comes from."
Each performance is fluid, shifting as life shifts, evolving each time to reflect new challenges the women face. "I'm not sure we've done the same show twice," McMillan says. "Our pieces are fairly consistent, then we will add new stuff and the order changes. We're always kind of looking for the next, as Katie likes to put it, edge. We want to continue to grow and expand creatively as well, so I think that it will always be a little different."
Creating such a vulnerable performance isn’t simple. As Mason explains, discussing sensitive topics like fear and grief requires a lot of "care" and should not be taken lightly. "It isn’t like you are just going to put together a ten-minute set and go on at this comedy show next week," she says. "We have to kind of excavate in our feelings."
Preparing to perform Life frequently evokes difficult emotions prior to showtime. “Stuff always gets stirred up before we do a show," McMillan says. "We are never just like, ‘Let's do it.’ It gets crunchy and weird. Stuff comes up every single time."
But it’s precisely this authenticity that gives the show its power. Though Life began humbly, the show has quickly found its footing in intimate venues like the Bug Theatre and Dairy Arts Center. The trio intends to perform about four times annually, with additional shows sprinkled in as interest grows. They're cautiously optimistic about expanding further, even considering touring outside of Colorado, while always keeping a healthy work-life balance in mind.
"We want to keep doing this but what will it take to make it sustainable for all of us?" Mason muses. "We all have full jobs, lives, other performances and whatnot that we're involved in, so we're committed to the growth of this in whatever way is sustainable for all of us."
Initially, they thought the show would appeal to everyone because it was about universal experiences that all humans face, but experience has helped them better understand their target audiences.
"We’ve noticed it especially attracts people actively experiencing fear or grief," Vahl explains. "People who recently lost someone often attend, and a lot of therapists. Many people come out of our show surprised. They come in worried that it's going to be too sad and come out of the show with a little bit of lightness. They feel in community; there's real healing that happens with this show. I've had friends who are like, ‘Well, I don't want to go because I don't want to cry,’ or people ask, ‘Do I really want to spend money on grief?’ but they come out with a very positive feeling at the end of the show. It's not unresolved fear and grief. We leave them with a little bit of hope and a little clearer picture about life."
McMillan hopes the audience leaves the show understanding that happiness and hardship aren't mutually exclusive.
"Resisting these feelings — these universal feelings of fear and grief — never made it better," she says. "The best thing to do is be honest, open and vulnerable inside a safe community. I used to have this mentality that it'll all be fine, but now I think life is actually a series of hard things forever, so how do you find joy inside of that? That’s one of the things I'm hoping people can get out of this — you can experience hard things and still have a great life."
For those eager to embark on this poignant yet refreshingly comedic journey, performances are scheduled for March 22 at the Dairy Arts Center and May 16 at the Bug Theatre, with two additional intimate gatherings planned for later this year. Mason describes the show as a genuine "labor of love," a heartfelt effort to connect deeply with their audience and provide not only entertainment but also solace.
"We're doing this deep work to give our hearts in a way that is offering this healing space for not only us but the people in the audience," Mason says. "And we need it now more than ever. We need spaces and art where we can come and feel nourished by it. That is our commitment: we want people to leave feeling nourished, and we will do whatever it takes to ensure that that happens."
Life: A Delightful Show About Fear and Grief, Saturday, March 22, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St, Boulder. Tickets are $35; learn more at fearandgrief.com.
Mason, 2023 poet laureate of Lakewood’s 40 West Arts District, standup comic and psychotherapist, saw something her fellow performers hadn’t yet: an opportunity to push comedy beyond laughter into a deeper, more vulnerable exploration of humanity’s shared experiences. But McMillan, a hypnotist, belief coach and performer, and Vahl, marketing consultant, celebrated comedian and producer behind Moms Unhinged, had to be persuaded.
"We knew we wanted to do a show together and thought it should probably be a more vulnerable kind of comedy show with a little bit more depth," Mason says. "I was pushing to try something with a little bit more range. We looked at the themes of our writing, and we were kind of writing about these topics so Elaina and Andrea got on board hesitantly. They were afraid maybe it would be too heavy, but we did it."
At the time, McMillan and Vahl agreed to do just one show about life's hardest parts, then they’d return to their regular comedic routines. But something happened after that initial performance in September 2023 — they realized this wasn’t just another comedy night. It resonated deeply, profoundly, with their audience. People approached them afterward, urging them to continue.
“We just kept doing this,” Andrea laughs. "I thought the show was just going to be a one-off, ‘Let's try this, and then we'll do other things,’ but it just kept going. Even though we thought it sounded scary, we did it anyway, and then so many people came up after us and said, ‘You've got to do this show again,’ so that's kind of what propelled us to keep doing it."
What started as a hesitant experiment has evolved into Life: A Delightful Show About Fear and Grief, now performing regularly throughout the Front Range. The show features a variety of artistic mediums united by fearless vulnerability.
Performances of Life: A Delightful Show About Fear and Grief are scheduled for March 22 at the Dairy Arts Center and May 16 at the Bug Theatre.
Courtesy of Janell Kennedy
Each performance is fluid, shifting as life shifts, evolving each time to reflect new challenges the women face. "I'm not sure we've done the same show twice," McMillan says. "Our pieces are fairly consistent, then we will add new stuff and the order changes. We're always kind of looking for the next, as Katie likes to put it, edge. We want to continue to grow and expand creatively as well, so I think that it will always be a little different."
Creating such a vulnerable performance isn’t simple. As Mason explains, discussing sensitive topics like fear and grief requires a lot of "care" and should not be taken lightly. "It isn’t like you are just going to put together a ten-minute set and go on at this comedy show next week," she says. "We have to kind of excavate in our feelings."
Preparing to perform Life frequently evokes difficult emotions prior to showtime. “Stuff always gets stirred up before we do a show," McMillan says. "We are never just like, ‘Let's do it.’ It gets crunchy and weird. Stuff comes up every single time."
But it’s precisely this authenticity that gives the show its power. Though Life began humbly, the show has quickly found its footing in intimate venues like the Bug Theatre and Dairy Arts Center. The trio intends to perform about four times annually, with additional shows sprinkled in as interest grows. They're cautiously optimistic about expanding further, even considering touring outside of Colorado, while always keeping a healthy work-life balance in mind.
"We want to keep doing this but what will it take to make it sustainable for all of us?" Mason muses. "We all have full jobs, lives, other performances and whatnot that we're involved in, so we're committed to the growth of this in whatever way is sustainable for all of us."
Initially, they thought the show would appeal to everyone because it was about universal experiences that all humans face, but experience has helped them better understand their target audiences.
"We’ve noticed it especially attracts people actively experiencing fear or grief," Vahl explains. "People who recently lost someone often attend, and a lot of therapists. Many people come out of our show surprised. They come in worried that it's going to be too sad and come out of the show with a little bit of lightness. They feel in community; there's real healing that happens with this show. I've had friends who are like, ‘Well, I don't want to go because I don't want to cry,’ or people ask, ‘Do I really want to spend money on grief?’ but they come out with a very positive feeling at the end of the show. It's not unresolved fear and grief. We leave them with a little bit of hope and a little clearer picture about life."
"It's a combination of poetry, storytelling and letters we've written with some comedy mixed in," says performer Andrea Vahl.
Courtesy of Jeff Stonic
"Resisting these feelings — these universal feelings of fear and grief — never made it better," she says. "The best thing to do is be honest, open and vulnerable inside a safe community. I used to have this mentality that it'll all be fine, but now I think life is actually a series of hard things forever, so how do you find joy inside of that? That’s one of the things I'm hoping people can get out of this — you can experience hard things and still have a great life."
For those eager to embark on this poignant yet refreshingly comedic journey, performances are scheduled for March 22 at the Dairy Arts Center and May 16 at the Bug Theatre, with two additional intimate gatherings planned for later this year. Mason describes the show as a genuine "labor of love," a heartfelt effort to connect deeply with their audience and provide not only entertainment but also solace.
"We're doing this deep work to give our hearts in a way that is offering this healing space for not only us but the people in the audience," Mason says. "And we need it now more than ever. We need spaces and art where we can come and feel nourished by it. That is our commitment: we want people to leave feeling nourished, and we will do whatever it takes to ensure that that happens."
Life: A Delightful Show About Fear and Grief, Saturday, March 22, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St, Boulder. Tickets are $35; learn more at fearandgrief.com.
