Born in San Francisco, Debi Durst grew up in Pacifica, and returned to the city as soon as she was old enough to leave home. A performer who has always had her heart in San Francisco, she reminisces about the many weekends spent with her grandmother doing her weekly shopping. At 5 years old, she developed a love for San Francisco, feeling the hum of the street cars beneath her feet. “I was like, oh, this is such an exciting place!”
Durst got her performance itch early on, writing, directing, and performing plays for the neighborhood kids. Her high school teacher was a magician who taught students to think spontaneously, introducing improv, which she found she was good at. Taking the performance bug to higher education, she received her bachelor’s in theatre, acting, and directing at SFSU. She is credited with reviving The Players Club, a student-run organization for theater students that had been on hiatus since the 1968 university protests. Her motivation? She simply needed an office. She and a close friend renewed the club’s charter in exchange for keys. Years of play scripts that needed a home were preserved and placed on empty shelves. They raised funds selling snacks during intermissions and transformed the annual theater awards assembly into a ticketed event, adding a touch of class to the occasion. SFSU theater students continue the tradition today, accepting their awards at The Golden Burritos. Durst was introduced to improv and her long-term partner, Michael Bossier, when she asked about a flyer he had posted in the theater lobby. Bossier invited her to his improv show, Spaghetti Jam, at The Spaghetti Factory, which opened the door to her future in San Francisco’s improv scene.
Durst has been a part of San Francisco’s rich comedic history, which underscores the importance of keeping Comedy Day alive. It brings together the newbies and the seasoned veterans by providing a space for anyone who wants to make people laugh. She describes the inclusivity of the San Francisco comedy scene: As one of the three major cities (along with New York and Los Angeles) where comedians can make a living, San Francisco has always had a nurturing environment where comedians support each other and gain valuable stage experience, as many have. Durst’s stage partners have included the late Robin Williams, Diane Amos (the Pine-Sol lady), and the love of her life, political satirist Will Durst.
The city has been home to many venues that have housed laughter, including Holy City Zoo, Cobbs Comedy Club, The Punchline, and The Old Spaghetti Factory, where Durst first performed on stage at Spaghetti Jam. The relationships she built helped shape the comedy scene of the 1980s. Joining forces with other female comedians, she shares how Femprov, created by Susan Healy, Terry Sand, and Kristen Siem in 1979, created a space to flourish in a male-dominated scene. Femprov was “pivotal in the transformation of Cobbs Pub from a neighborhood bar to a comedy club,” write fellow comedians Nina G and OJ Patterson in Bay Area Stand-Up Comedy: A Humorous History (Arcadia, 2022).
Durst recalls that a few significant incidents during this time were not so funny. These included the assassinations of Mayor Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, along with the Jonestown Tragedy. “San Francisco was just not a fun place to be. Everyone was so depressed. It was just this big cloud of gray, dark gray, hanging around the city. And the comedians were like, well, this isn’t good. We need to do something.” They did just that. They gathered their friends, put on a show, and named it Comedy Day. And, here we are, 43 years later, having found its home at Robin Williams Meadow, renamed just two days before the 38th Annual Comedy Day in honor of a beloved friend to many.
A diverse group works to ensure this day of laughter endures. From founder Jose Simon, its board of directors, San Francisco’s professional comedy community, and every comedian who performs, each person through their dedication, time, energy, and humor plays a vital role in the event’s success. The generous volunteer spirit of the community sustains Comedy Day and allows it to remain admission free. Durst talks about the generational laughs from the crowd, which is part of the event’s success. “We have people in the audience that started coming since the very first day. They brought their kids, and now they’re bringing the grandkids.”
The need for laughter is evident, and San Francisco is the place to be this Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, from noon to 5 p.m. Join Debi Durst at what she refers to as their company picnic for “One stage! Five hours! 50 comedians! A million laughs!” at the 43rd Annual Comedy Day at Robin Williams Meadow in Golden Gate Park.
See you there, and be ready to laugh.
Fun Fact: Debi plays the voice of Corpse Kid, Corpse Mom, and Small Witch in The Nightmare Before Christmas. Check it out!