Ann Arbor comedians create showcase for underrepresented voices in comedy

This story is part of a series about arts and culture in Washtenaw County. It is made possible by the Ann Arbor Art Center, the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, Destination Ann Arbor, Larry and Lucie Nisson, and the University Musical Society.

Turtle Cat Comedy, a monthly showcase founded this year by local comedians Finn St. John and Kassandra Frost, brings a diverse lineup of talent to Ann Arbor's hear.say brewing and theater on the first Friday of each month. Created to provide more paid opportunities for underrepresented voices in comedy, the event spotlights both emerging local performers and acclaimed headliners.

"I feel so much more comfortable in certain spaces, and it affects the way I perform and the material I can try," St. John says. "I wanted to create that kind of space with Turtle Cat, thinking it should be a room for people where you know the audience is on your side."

Finn St. JohnTurtle Cat Comedy founders Kassandra Frost and Finn St. John.
Both St. John and Frost say that they got into standup comedy "by accident," and wanted to create a show that had a similar positive vibe to previous shows they’d seen and participated in at venues like The Blind Pig and Bløm Meadworks. Frost says they want to highlight the diversity of the comedy scene in Washtenaw County, both in terms of identity and of comedy style, and help to "make community connections" between comedians and audience members.

"Especially after COVID, I got into comedy because I missed community," Frost says. "This space at hear.say is providing that, and it’s really cool."

Frost and St. John both cite their strong relationship with hear.say founder and owner Tony DeRosa as part of the event’s growing success since the first Turtle Cat show this past spring. They both say DeRosa has been very accommodating with the project, helping them distribute flyers and work out payment details for the performers. They say hear.say's brewery and theater space makes for a unique, intimate experience for the audience and performers.

"Having a dedicated performing space is awesome," Frost says. "A lot of times if you put on a show in a restaurant, for example, there’s less audience participation. People can still eat at hear.say but they also know they’re there for a show."

"Tony is so open. He’s very collaborative, and he wants to figure out how to make your ideas happen," St. John says. "There are so many opportunities for different shows with a different vibe and theme each time. It’s really such a wonderful space."

While Turtle Cat is still a relatively new addition to hear.say’s event lineup, both St. John and Frost feel there is a great deal of room for the event to grow and evolve. They note that the audience has grown with each performance. Even though they've already set the lineup for the next several months of shows, going into 2026, they have a growing list of comedians that they’re excited to feature in future shows.

"I wonder if this show could become even bigger," St. John says. "This show is all about and for the performers and the community, and it’s amazing to see it come to fruition in such an amazing way."

Turtle Cat Comedy takes place at hear.say, 2350 W. Liberty St. in Ann Arbor, the first Friday of every month at 9:30 p.m. Tickets and more information can be found here.

"We’re both idealists and dreamers in a way. We have all kinds of ideas of where this could go," Frost says. "We’re still growing with hear.say, but we’re learning fast, and we’re excited to see the show grow along with us, personally."