Chicago comedian Kenya Elan says she regularly makes her audiences scream. 

“It’s a lot of release,” Elan said. “I feel like my comedy is based in release, because I feel like once you let it out, you can move forward in some sort of way. You can take the next steps.”

Elan is a cast member at The Lincoln Lodge in Logan Square (she’s part of a show Friday, Dec. 8 where the audience guesses each comedian’s zodiac sign). In this episode, she explains her Chicago roots in Hyde Park and Humboldt Park, why she started trying stand-up right before the pandemic, and why her brand of comedy involves poking at her everyday exasperations with the world. 

This episode was produced by Ari Mejia for WBEZ’s sister station Vocalo and their Chi Sounds Like series.