Bob Gautreau and Ellen Moschetto on The Boston International Comedy Festival

Having a gay old time at The Boston International Comedy Festival

Since its not-so-humble beginning in 2000, the Boston International Comedy Festival has showcased hundreds of comedians. Over the years the festival has expanded to include improv and sketch comedy, films, and themed showcases like Women of Color in Comedy and a Gay Night. Bay Windows chatted with two local comics who give an idea of the variety the Festival offers: Bob Gautreau is a show biz vet who started out as a female impersonator and does impressions in his act, while Ellen Moschetto is an observational comic who's been making a name for herself since hitting the open mike nights just three years ago.

Q: So why aren't you two competing in the contest?
Gautreau: I am. October 10.

Q: I don't think you're on the list. That's blatant homophobia.
Gautreau: [laughs]

Q: What about you, Ellen?
Moschetto: I wasn't asked to. Maybe I can go and crash it.
Gautreau: You have to submit an application. Speaking of homophobia, I have homophobia-phobia. I'm afraid of homophobes.

Q: Am I overly optimistic, or are gay comics more mainstream now?
Moschetto: I think it's more accepted. I do think it's a little easer to be an out lesbian than an out gay man.
Gautreau: I agree. To have two women making out is every straight man's dream, but it's every straight woman's nightmare to find her husband making out with another guy.

Q: If audiences might be weird about it, why be out?
Moschetto: I'm just talking about dating. I don't think, "I'm doing my lesbian material now."
Gautreau: I want to talk about it more when there are gay people there, especially in a venue that's not strictly gay. Onstage at an average club, when you say you're gay, they may think you're kidding. I recently did a show in New Hampshire - and I won't say the name so they don't get any publicity - and the owner was so homophobic that he didn't want to play disco music during the break. And all these straight comics were talking about their worst sexual experiences, so I thought, "Okay, I'm going for it." And when I told my story they threatened to cancel the series. You'd think it wouldn't be a big deal in 2007.
Moschetto: It's a great story.
[Gautreau proceeds to tell a story that I won't spoil for you. It involves rimming.]
Gautreau: If you're open, free and honest, that's not that dirty.

Q: Were the other comics that graphic?
Gautreau: Yeah. One guy talked about a woman having a huge orgasm all over his chest.
Moschetto: Everyone has a bad dating story. Part of what I like to talk about is things that really happened, or slight embellishments of real things. So I do talk about my dating mishaps, or how my family reacted to coming out. I don't want to leave those things out, or pretend I'm talking about a guy.

Q: In stand-up, I think the best material is the most honest.
Gautreau: Yes. And I also think ... you know, I did Evening at the Improv in 1993. And I had no gay material in my act when I was chosen, but I felt I needed to put something in. They say silence equals death.
Moschetto: Yeah, I think I approach it in a similar way. My brother is a comic too, and if he's doing dating jokes no one thinks, "He's doing the straight material again." So if I'm talking about dating, it shouldn't be categorized as lesbian material necessarily.

Q: Ellen, do you have any stories about angry straight audiences?
Moschetto: Not like Bob's story. But some place ... you just mention being gay and feel a shift in the audience.
Gautreau: Ellen and I play all over. We don't restrict ourselves to gay audiences. It's a lot easier to just stick to the gay audiences than to try to appeal to the masses.
Moschetto: My material is stuff anyone can relate to. It's just my take on dating, not telling the audience that gay dating is totally different from straight dating.
Gautreau: Sometimes people think you're just joking. I sometimes say that women are like horses: They're beautiful but I don't want to ride one. But that's not exactly a joke, that's me having fun with the truth.

Q: I'm sometimes surprised there aren't more gay comics, because stand-ups are observers and we gay people sometimes feel on the outside looking in.
Moschetto: On the other hand, I have a straight brother who also does stand up, so ... well, maybe he's trying to tell us something! I do think the whole outsider thing is true. If you talk to comics you'll find a lot of introverts and people who weren't part of the in crowd. That could come from being gay, or part of another minority.
Gautreau: When I walk into a room, I like to find a corner and observe. If you put lights and sound on me, I'm on. But otherwise, I'm pretty ordinary.

Q: It's nice to see the Festival is still behind having a gay showcase. Has it always been successful?
Gautreau: Well, two years ago it was canceled.
Moschetto: I was already in Boston on my way to the club when I got the call! I don't think the right people were organizing it. But last year they had it at Club Caf?, which was brilliant. And it was sold-out and a great show. So I'm glad we're at Club Caf? again.
Gautreau: Ellen and Amy Tee really rocked the show last year, so they were the first people I thought of booking. Then Christine O'Leary, who is hilarious. And she recommended Amanda Stragg, who I hear is great. And some guys who took my comedy classes. It's a great line-up.
Moschetto: It's going to be really fun, whether you're straight or gay or whatever. Funny is funny.

The gay comedy night of the Boston Comedy Festival is at 8 p.m., Sun., Oct. 7 at Club Caf?, 209 Columbus Ave, Boston. Tickets $15. More info on this and the rest of the Festival at bostoncomedyfestival.com.