In late 2022, Lyv Babinski left her career in ministry to launch an arts and entertainment business. For about six months, she tried to do it all, from organizing arts and crafts fairs to teaching art classes for children and participating in events at the Garland Theater.
Though hungry for creative outlets through which she could express herself, it didn't take long for an exhausted Babinski to realize she was trying to do too much.
"What is it? 'The jack of all trades and a master of none?'" she says. "I felt like I was that, and I needed to be a master of something."
Things fell into place after Babinski heard a comedian say comedy was the center of the Venn diagram between art and entertainment. An artist and a performer, Babinski started working on material.
She was initially nervous about open mics — "What if people aren't nice? What if they boo me off the stage?" she thought — until a mentor told her that while there are a lot of people writing jokes about the same thing, no one can steal the nuances of your life and your perspective.
Babinski took that advice and ran with it, writing and performing material about her life with her husband and young son. She quickly became a regular at Spokane Comedy Club, and in 2024, opened for Shane Gillis at the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival at ONE Spokane Stadium.
During a talk with Spokane Comedy Club's owners, Babinski was struck by another philosophy: Comedy is for everyone. It really hit when she opened for Hunter Lloyd, who incorporates robotics into his family-friendly show.
"When I saw children fill the comedy club, I was like 'Wow, comedy is for everyone. Everyone wants to laugh, everyone wants to enjoy these types of experiences, but there's not very many available for children to be a part of," she says.
Babinski then started thinking about what it would take to create an opportunity for children and their family to enjoy comedy together. After six months of workshopping characters and activities, she's created Comedy for Kids.
"It's a space to protect their innocence and their imaginations," she says. "That's a big thing for me, and as I parent my son, his heart is so pure and his imagination is so beautiful. How do I steward that as a parent, and then asking myself in an even larger sense, how do I steward that as an entertainer?"
The show is tailored for ages 5 to 10 but is, of course, fun for the whole family, with characters and interactive moments for kids.
Each character highlights an aspect of Babinski. Mama Lyv, for whom she dons a grey-haired wig and a nightgown, is her wise and encouraging side, while Lyv from La La Land, dressed in pink, is sweet and innocent.
The show's interactive moments began as a time filler while Babinski changed costumes, but has since become a big part of Comedy for Kids. She begins each performance with a disclaimer that this isn't just her show, it's the audience's, too. No one is forced to get onstage, she tells them, but they're welcome to volunteer if they'd like. If they do come on stage, kids might play a game of "Simon Says" or tell their favorite joke.
"The kids feel so proud of themselves because they got the opportunity to be comedians, too," Babinski says. "When you make someone laugh, it is the most exciting feeling ever to produce joy in someone, but also it's addicting. We keep coming back because we're like 'Oh, this feels so good!' So a kid gets a glimpse of doing that, too."
For Babinski, performing for adults is very different from performing for children, many of whom have no expectations for a comedy show. She sees Comedy for Kids then as a way to show children that comedy doesn't have to be about teasing or tearing someone down.
"I believe it's an opportunity of, this is how I define humor, and we're going to uplift each other and be silly and goofy and fun," she says. "You're going to experience that here, and I hope that in your own life and world, you can take that similar humor to the people around you." ♦
Comedy for Kids • Sat, Feb. 22 at 2 pm • Pay what you want • All ages • Blue Door Theatre • 319 S. Cedar St. • comedy-for-kids.com
