HOLYOKE – “They say dress for the job you want, not the job you have. I don’t want any job, so I really don't know what to do,” Jennifer Myskowski joked. She stood behind a mic by the front window at the Holyoke Hummus Company, a Mediterranean restaurant on High Street in Holyoke, owned by John Grossman.

Myskowski, of Holyoke, who describes herself as a “corporate drone” by day and a comedian by night, is the driving force behind the open-mic nights known as Lady Ha–Ha. Every second Thursday of the month, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., women and non-binary people – those whose gender identity doesn’t neatly fit into male or female categories – can practice their routines in a safe, comfortable atmosphere.

“There’s a lot of misogyny in comedy,” explained Myskowski, as well as racism, transphobia and homophobia. “It makes it unsafe for people who are maybe not white and male.”

Myskowski said it was common to hear threats of violence disguised as comedy and cited an instance when a fellow comic asked single women in the audience to raise their hand. When only one woman did, Myskowski related, the comedian said, “That’s okay, we’ll all take turns with her after the show.” To Myskowski's horror, she said, the audience laughed.

“I felt like I needed to create a place to do comedy where it’s not hateful,” Myskowski said. She said there is a difference between comedy that is mean and comedy that is hateful.

“So, I can make mean jokes about my husband, or that might be border-line mean, but I’m not making jokes about all men.” She said comedians whose material is homophobic, transphobic, racist, or threatening anyone’s safety will be escorted from the building.

Myskowski’s jokes were about coworkers, anxiety and depression, something she referred to as “old lady stomach,” and her husband. She also told jokes about her mean, legless grandfather and the time her father brought home a five-gallon bucket of Vagisil.

“I think the weather may be working against us,” Myskowski said, glancing outside at the cloudy sky that was threatening rain. There were only about 10 people in the restaurant and only one other person besides Myskowski had signed up to perform.

Grossman said that about 20 people generally come out for the open mic, though there were between 40 and 50 people at the first one in January.

“The theme of women or non-binary voices is really something special,” said Grossman.

Myskowski has been doing stand-up comedy since 2000 and said for an open mic setting all you need is an opening joke and a closing joke. Comics get a minimum of 5 minutes.

The other performer for the night was Holly Givens from Turners Falls. “I’m not a lesbian, I just shave like one,” Givens joked, gesturing towards to her armpits. Her jokes were about menopause, being stingy, kayaks and camping, and the time her father almost cut his arm off while gardening.

Givens had a hiatus of six or seven years but has begun performing at open mic comedy nights again.

“It’s a way to jump-start my own creativity,” Givens said. “Making people laugh is a joy for me.”

Givens said open mics that feature women comedians tend to be much more open and the comedy is of higher quality and the open mic at Holyoke Hummus was the highest quality open mic in the area.

Givens said she appreciates the forum because a lot of men use sexually charged material.

“I got tired of hearing those types of jokes,” Givens said.

Tara Marshall and Jamie Scala, both of Agawam, had never been to the open mic night or even the restaurant. Scala said they came because they had heard about the open mic and they were there to support local people and businesses. She said she had seen other people do stand-up, but Myskowski and Givens were more personal and their topics were more relatable than many other comedians. Scala said they would definitely be coming again.