The Venus Flytrap is a monthly comedy show hosted by comedians Rachel Green and Jacq the Stripper. Normally produced at “The Lantern” in Manhattan, this month they will be joining forces with the inaugural Bad B*tch Revolution Comedy Fest curated and produced by Jax Dell’Osso at Crystal Lake in East Williamsburg.
Dell’Osso describes the duo as, “Multi-talented superwomen. Venus Fly Trap simply has magic in the air—and the magic wears Victoria’s Secret LoveSpell and clear platform heels. Those are the vibes the Bad B*tch Revolution Fest is all about.”
Venus Flytrap is an inclusive movement working toward creating a safe haven for women, LGBTQIA+, sex workers, non-binary people to come and laugh. Both Green and Jacq are advocates for sex work—Jacq being a sex worker herself—humanizing and normalizing the work for what it is, giving voices to the voiceless through comedy and storytelling. Jacq has found that through stand-up she has actually been able to educate by telling her own story of unjust societal rejection.
“Comedy has been a great tool for communicating more complicated ideas about sex work that people hadn’t considered before,” Jacq shared. “I’ve personally learned a lot in doing the shows, meeting sex workers, and being an ally. Sometimes we make mistakes and we’re happy to learn and be responsible,” Green added.
The driving force of the show is to share the narratives and the journey of women, feminists, and artists. Green found her way to stand-up after writing a web-series about her sex and dating life. Soon, realizing she had reached a creative block, was later encouraged by a friend to try telling her story through stand-up, which led her to begin taking classes where she met Jacq the Stripper.
Jacq discovered the trade while working the day shift at a strip club after meeting a “washed up” comedian who showed her the ropes in the West Village. “I watched him refine his sets, and thought to myself, this is fucked up and y’all are fucked up. Sign me up,” Jacq said.
The two have created a fempire (female empire) through comedy, learning how to share their advocacy with audiences and peers setting very strict rules to those present in the room—never allowing misogyny, harassment, or ignorance. If a performer uses the wrong terminology to describe sex work, the audience is known to not have a problem correcting the mistake and vice versa. Green and Jacq love learning through the work they are doing and have a great deal of pride in the space that they have created.
As Jacq put it, “We are still in a male-dominated field and have to work hard to fight stereotypes, stigmas, and ignorance. And well I personally think most women are smarter and funnier.”
“Venus Flytrap” is on March 19 at 7:30 pm at Crystal Lake. Reserve your $10 tickets here and learn more about the festival’s programming here.
Cover photo courtesy of Marco Vazquez
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