After the fall of some of the biggest comics, like Bill Cosby, women comics now say it is their time to shine.
There were plenty of laughs in Harvard Square Friday night at the ninth annual Women in Comedy Festival.
For Erin Maguire, Friday night was a homecoming. The Arlington native rocked the stage Friday night as part of the festival.
"It feels good to be home," Maguire said. "I found my medium, stranding alone on stage and having people laugh at me."
But Maguire is no longer standing alone as female comics thrive in an industry that saw the downfalls of headliners like Bill Cosby and Louis C.K.
"You can't not feel the #MeToo moment, but I love it because its finally brought to light talent," she said. "It is a big move in the right direction, I think, because the power players the are female are finally getting their acknowledgement, their due, and their stage time."
Kelly MacFarland, who has been with the festival since its inception, agrees.
"Now, everything is out in the open, so, you laugh instead of cry, right?" MacFarland said. "There was a handful of women comics and you would look for them because you wanted to meet other women comics who were able to this, and now, cut to now, there is a lot of female voices out there."
The festival, which attracts headliners like Wanda Sykes, is also proving to be a launching pad for up-and-comers.
"I think there is plenty of room for everyone, doesn't matter what gender you are, we should be looking for funny," MacFarland said.