FunnyLady Sonya D
Comedian FunnyLady Sonya D has partnered with Center Stage Theater to produce monthly comedy shows in Naperville. Sonya D has been in comedy for 25 years and appeared on HBO, SHOWTIME, and Comedy Central. As a Chicago native she wanted to give back to the suburbs, where she currently lives.
“We have a lot going on in the city. And I love Chicago don’t get me wrong. I’m from Chicago, born and raised. But my life is DuPage County,” said Sonya D. “So my thing is when you give back to a community, [you] always want to give back to a community where you live.”
Giving Back
Center Stage caught her eye as she was looking for smaller, local venues that have been affected by the pandemic. “The bigger venues, the bigger concert venues like 800 seaters, they’re doing ok. The smaller venues are suffering,” said Sonya D. “We have to support these small venues.”
One goal of hers is to bring something new to Naperville. “There’s no regular ongoing comedy. If you Google ‘Chicago comedy,’ you’ll find there’s something to do every night in Chicago,” said Sonya D. “We don’t have that out here. So that’s my goal is to build more comedy avenues in DuPage county.”
The monthly shows will begin on January 15, kicking it off with “FunnyLady Sonya D’s Birthday Comedy Bash.” After that, the “These Queens Wear Crowns” tour will begin with all-female performers. Sonya D said each show will have a different line up of women. The comedian is also works to help others who are just starting out.
“I’m very big on opening doors for the new faces because without Bernie Mac or Jamie Foxx and a lot of people that I started with – they opened a lot of doors for me. So it’s very important for comics to give back,” said Sonya D.
Upcoming show schedules can be found on the Center Stage Theater website.
Naperville News 17’s Aysha Ashley Househ reports.
