Funniest Person in the Twin Cities contest finally crowns a female winner

The Acme's Funniest Person in the Twin Cities contest boasts a diverse list of past champions. But it appears that the annual competition for amateur comics had never crowned a female champ.

That changed Wednesday when Lisa Evanson took home the $1,000 cash prize and the chance to embark on a professional stand-up career with an injection of confidence.

"It's surreal," Evanson, 28, said as masked spectators exited the club. "It helps give you a better idea of what you're capable of."

While the club's records of past winners is incomplete, owner Louis Lee said he doesn't recall a single female winner since he launched the competition in 1992.

Evanson, who works as a digital manager at Target, stood out in the finals with a routine about her parents' divorce and a bitter breakup with a boyfriend. It's well-worn territory, but Evanson delivered her sharp observations with contagious enthusiasm and an uncanny ability to sneak in one-liners when others would be catching their breath. (Full disclosure: I served as one of the judges.)

Evanson, who had come up short in a previous run at the title, caught the coronavirus earlier this summer and thought she might not be able to compete. But she recovered just in time to qualify — and make history.