Comedian Suzanne Westenhoefer Returning to EPAC, 8/15

Suzanne Westenhoefer will take the stage at Ephrata Performing Arts Center's Sharadin Bigler Theatre for the fifth time with an evening of stand-up comedy Saturday, August 15, at 8 pm.

The Lancaster County native, who became the first openly lesbian stand-up comedian in the early '90s, has brought laughter to audiences all over the world with her brutally honest style and subjects ranging from relationships to her Anabaptist ancestry for twenty-five years. She jump-started her career by appearing on television during an episode of Sally Jesse Raphael entitled "Breaking the Lesbian Stereotype...Lesbians Who Don't Look Like Lesbians" in 1991.

Westenhoefer, whose lack of subtlety is considered her trademark by many, went on to earn a Cable Ace Award nomination as the first openly gay comic to host an HBO comedy special in 1994. She also made an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman in 2003, starred in the film Laughing Matters in 2004 and was a panelist on GSN's 2006 remake of I've Got a Secret, where a panel of gay celebrities answered timed questions to guess hidden truths about each guest.

Following a comedy special and documentary, A Bottom on Top, which aired on LOGO Television in 2007, Westenhoefer currently stars in the popular online web drama We Have to Stop Now. Her most recently televised specials as well as her GLAMA award-winning specials, Nothing in My Closet but My Clothes, I'm Not Cindy Brady, and Guaranteed Fresh, are all available on DVD.

Westenhoefer's current U.S. tour is titled "Totally Inappropriate."

Tickets for the comedy concert are $35, including a wine and cheese reception with the star after the show. They can be purchased at ephrataperformingartscenter.com.