by Peter Yezukevich

Jimmy Tingle’s Off-Broadway Theater in Davis Square was packed to the gills on Aug. 6 for the return of a show whose audience has grown yearly since its debut five years ago.

Almost all of the comedians featured in “ColorStruck: Boston’s 5th Annual Women of Color in Comedy” were at least one-year veterans of the popular show. The only exception was the night’s headliner, LeighAnn Lord, the nationally known comic who you know from “the View” or from Comedy Central.With a polished stage presence and curse-free act, Lord actually seemed a little out of place.

Up until her set, ColorStruck’s vibe was established early heavy on material that would have made Barbara Walters blush.

It was not family fare, but that’s not a fair standard for good comedy All in all, the women of color showcased at Tingle’s were bold, brash and unfailingly funny.

Two of the show’s highlights, Esther Ku and Alana Devich, are residents of Somerville.

Devich has been a staple of the show since its inception at Rick Jenkins’ Comedy Studio in Harvard Square. Jenkins came up with the idea for the show, and, as is his general style, watched it grow and eventually move on from the Studio. “We feed and nourish new talent knowing that one day, they’ll grow as artists and leave the nest,” said Jenkins of his legendary club.

Devich, who started doing comedy as a hobby, said the success of the show has a lot to do with the camaraderie among female comedians locally and beyond Somerville. “Each year the show gets bigger, it’s great.”

When it was her turn, Devich floored the audience. Her routine was a smart and conversational peek into the private life of this young, half-Black, half-White, all-lesbian funny woman. Her affable onstage demeanor contrasted her material nicely.

This was particularly true when she told the lively audience about her attempts to trick her girlfriend into S&M. “She said ‘take off the leather mask.’ I said, ‘but it’s cold in here!”

Devich said she enjoys the area in which she resides, particularly as a comedian. “It is a great place to get to know other comedians, to get stage time through other performers. Somerville is such a diverse area, which is rare.”

The tiny Asian with the gigantic laugh, known simply as Ku, represented Somerville in the second half of “ColorStruck.”

Her tendency to contrast her cute-as-a-button appearance with a sailor’s mouth shocked some in attendance. One man punctuated each punch line of Ku’s with a barely audible gasp of dismay.
Reactions like that must be commonplace for Ku, who got onstage and immediately noted how much she hates Asian people.

After the show, Ku spoke about how the show’s organizer and fellow performer asked her to join the show. “Deb Farrar-Parkman approached me to perform at last year’s event. She had seen me at the Studio, and said I should be involved.”

No doubt Farrar-Parkman, whose own act was a huge hit with the crowd, saw something in Ku’s performance that struck a chord inside her.

Diversity was the theme of the night, and each comedian had a strong sense of her own personal style.
Judging from the crowd Friday, and the anticipated full houses for Saturday and Sunday, diversity is craved in Somerville more and more.

Tingle’s should get ready to book four nights for next year’s show.