Cougarland Comedy: Four Seasoned Comics & A Funny Cub

COUGARLAND COMEDY, produced & hosted by Laura Hugg, is a stand up comedy showcase of women comics, 40 & over, with one “cub spot” for a younger comic or male or other identifying performer. What this pack has in common is that they are some of the best stand ups working today!

General Admission. Lobby and bar opens at 6 pm, House opens by 6:30 pm and show starts at 7pm

For accessible seating or other accommodations, please let us know during checkout or contact The Skokie before the performance at: info@theskokie.com

Artist, performer, or event website/social media links:

Host – Laura Hugg:

Laura Hugg is a nationally touring stand up, improv & sketch comedian. A midwestern Gen X, punk rocker, her humor is a quick-witted mix of observation and self-deprecation, looking at the world through a lens that is sometimes dark but always optimistic. She has featured for such comics as Dwayne Kennedy, Patti Vasquez, Vince Maranto and Rocky LaPorte.

 Laura produces “Keep Coming Back”, a recovery related comedy showcase at the Lincoln Lodge Theater in Chicago; a co-producer, along with Improv Nerd’s Jimmy Carrane, of The “We Are Not A Glum Lot Recovery Comedy Tour”, a stand up showcase poking fun at 12 step culture. Laura hosts the Stand Up Grandpa Open Mic at Grandpa’s Place in Glenview, IL. In 2024, she became a cast member of the house short form improv team known as, “The BABS Babes”, as well as an instructor at BABS Comedy Club in Forest Park IL. In 2025 she became a cast member of Chicagoland’s long running, “GreenRoom Improv”. Recently, she taught her first class at The Skokie on “Finding Your Comedy Voice”, & was excited to do so!

Laura is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory. In 2017 she was a recipient of The Mary Scruggs Award for Outstanding Sketch Comedy for her sketch in the Mary Scruggs Works by Women Festival at Second City.

Follow her at

IG: @laura_hugg

Facebook: LauraHuggComedian

Website: LauraHugg.com

YouTube: @LauraHuggComedy

Soli Santos:

Soli Santos is a Chicago native who honed her razor-sharp sarcasm and bulletproof sense of humor growing up in a loud Latino household full of men. (Her options were comedy… or professional wrestling.) She trained at The Second City and iO Theater, developing her chops as a writer, actor, and stand-up comedian, because let’s face it, making strangers laugh is cheaper than therapy.

Soli has performed at top comedy clubs nationwide, including, but not limited to,  The Houston & Arlington Improvs, Zanies, The Laugh Factory, and The LA Comedy Club. Prefer to laugh from your couch? You can catch her in the mockumentary Enter The Mollusk on Amazon Prime.

Follow her for more laughs:

Linktree https://linktr.ee/SoliComedyIG, TikTok, YouTube: @SoliComedy
Facebook: facebook.com/Soli.Santos

Sofia Javed:

Sofia Javed is a comedian, storyteller, and quite possibly the only Asian woman you’ll see driving a CTA bus. She’s performed stand-up and storytelling across the country and is the co-creator and producer of First-Wave Misandry, a variety show and satirical social movement aimed at destroying the patriarchy with art, laughter, and joy.

Shelley B Wright:

Shelley B Wright is a Chicago-based comic who is always looking for an excuse to travel. In addition to Comedy Plex, Lincoln Lodge, Comedy Bar and Laugh Factory in Chicago, she has performed at The Crow in LA, Soldado’s in Taos, The Comedy House in New Orleans, The Last Best Comedy Club in Bozeman, Montana and hosted for Ginger Billy in Naples, FL. For the past 3 years she has been co-hosting and producing “Funnies at the Friendly” and “Comedy Mirror” in the suburban Chicago area. She is 50% vegan, and 100% optimist.

Keith Hernandex

Keith Hernandex (Aurora) is a consistent crowd favorite, and has been doing live comedy for over 20 years. Keith has performed at Piper’s Alley, The Lincoln Lodge, Comedy Vault, Comedy Shrine, and other venues across Chicago, Milwaukee, Tampa and Hawaii. Keith performs improv with the BABS Babes and Here4ABit Improv, as well as standup and sketch comedy, is a BABS improv teacher, and a writer for News of the World. You can follow Keith at @keithhernandex on IG.