Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution—Screening and Conversation 

ADMISSION: 
Admission is free. RSVP beginning Tuesday, September 2, at 10 a.m. 

DESCRIPTION: 
“An epic chronicle of trailblazing queer stand-up.”—The Wrap 

Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution is a feature-length documentary that explores the history of LGBTQ+ stand-up comedy and its importance as an instrument for social change. A screening of the film, which the New York Times describes as “a rich, century-long timeline full of archival footage, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and candid interviews with comedians,” will be followed by a conversation with director Page Hurwitz moderated by journalist Trish Bendix. 
 

This screening is part of Standing Out with the Queers of Comedy, a three-part series that also includes a stand-up comedy workshop for USC students and a stand-up comedy showcase. 

Bios: 

Director Page Hurwitz began her career as a stand-up comedian in San Francisco’s Castro District. After several years performing live and on television, she went on to become an award-winning writer, director, and producer known for amplifying underrepresented voices in her project and drawing on her stand-up roots, focusing squarely on comedy. She directed and produced Michelle Buteau’s Welcome to Buteaupia, which won the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Comedy Special in 2021. She directed and produced the Emmy-nominated series Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready for Netflix. And she co-created and directed Queer Riot, a 2022 Outfest selection. That same year, Hurwitz created, co-directed, and wrote Stand Out, an historic LGBTQ+ comedy concert and Netflix special she shot on location at the Greek Theatre. Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution is her first feature-length documentary. The film premiered in 2024 at the Tribeca Festival, where it was named best film by Parade and was a New York Times Critic’s Pick.  

Trish Bendix is a GLAAD-nominated, NLGJA (Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists) Award–winning writer, editor, and producer based in Los Angeles. She is currently a regular contributor to the New York Times, and her first book, Sappho Was a Pop Star, a history of sapphic music and pop culture, is forthcoming from St. Martin’s Press. 

Related Events:
Standing Out with the Queers of Comedy Workshop
Friday, October 3, 2025, from 2 to 3:50 p.m.
Dick Wolf Drama Center, Stop Gap Theatre
For more info, click HERE.

Standing Out with the Queers of Comedy Showcase with River Butcher, Solomon Georgio, and Roz Hernandez
Friday, October 3, 2025, from 7 to 9 p.m.
Tommy’s Place
For more info, click HERE.

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Organized by Chris Belcher (Writing, Gender and Sexuality), Judith Shelton (Dramatic Arts), and Kirstin Eggers (Dramatic Arts). Co-sponsored by the USC Consortium for Gender, Sexuality, Race, and Public Culture; the USC Student Assembly for Gender Empowerment (SAGE); and USC’s Theatre Students Association.