^{Photo: David Rodgers}

by Steve Desroches

Don’t tell Kate Clinton to break a leg before her much-anticipated return to the stage. She already did, quite literally. Talking from her home in New York City, Clinton is recuperating from breaking her knee cap. She lets out a tittered laugh and then an exasperated sigh that seems to say, “What are you gonna do?” And then she says, “Laughter is the best medicine, but so is Oxycontin.” Despite the pain, she can’t help but tackle it with humor, especially since she is still writing her show that she’ll present at Provincetown Town Hall as part of a very special celebration of the 40th anniversary of Women’s Week, an event she’s been a part of since almost the beginning. 

It is no exaggeration to say that Clinton is an icon and a legend in the LGBTQ community, as well as a feminist activist and a groundbreaking comedian. And for decades Clinton has been a beloved fixture of Provincetown’s performance scene. These couple of shows Clinton will perform mark her first return to stage since 2017. When it was announced, the first show sold out within a day. And when a second show was added, that, too sold out just as quickly.

“I was just flabbergasted,” says Clinton. “I just couldn’t believe it.”

For fans and friends of Clinton’s it’s easy to believe, for sure. It’s testament not only to her talents and how much her work has been missed, especially in the incredibly trying times as Clinton has a way of getting right to the heart of a political or cultural issue and getting audiences to drop their shoulders and toss their heads back in laughter, and leave feeling rejuvenated, hopeful, and powerful. But there’s more. 

There’s a palpable sense that this is a landmark event, not just because it’s been so long since Clinton’s performed, but because the speed with which the shows sold out and the excitement about them is an expression of love and support for Clinton, as her partner of 34 years, activist and writer Urvashi Vaid, died in 2022 from breast cancer. Town Hall will be filled with emotion to let Clinton know that Provincetown will always have her back and that Vaid’s memory and legacy will remain a part of the community forever. And yes, it can all be done through laughter and comedy.

“Oh, absolutely,” says Clinton when asked if humor has helped her manage grief. “If you’re a really good laugher you can be a good crier. I came from a family that if you had an emotion you went to your room. The thing is you have to let it out. You have to talk about it, grief. People don’t talk about it enough. Humor makes it all more bearable. But if I’m having a bad day, I just let myself have a bad day. But I also laugh.”

The Women’s Week shows are a benefit for The Commons, a collaborative workspace for artists and small businesses on Bradford Street of which Vaid was a founding board member. The Commons includes the Kate Clinton and Urvashi Vaid Community Room as well as the Urvashi Vaid Changemakers Fund. And Clinton adds that it was always important to Vaid to have The Commons be accessible to all regardless of income or wealth, and the Fund helps to make it affordable. 

Clinton does admit she is as nervous as she is excited to perform again, especially in Provincetown. And she’s writing jokes and revising over and over. The times being what they are, and changes in technology and the speed of the spread of news, and misinformation, have changed her writing process. When she started, her audiences in Provincetown usually had spent the day at the beach and often were getting the news of the day from Clinton. Now, with iPhones and social media, Clinton says when she was last performing audiences were telling her of breaking news before the show. But she’s ready for it and is ready to fight for change via comedy. With a bit of hopeful PTSD from the 2016 presidential election and fueled by the joyous energy of the campaign of Kamala Harris, Clinton says it’s time for all hands on deck.

“I don’t know who said it, maybe it was Che or maybe it was Cher, but optimism is the weapon of the true revolutionary,” says Clinton. “It’s very easy to fall into the trap of pessimism. I just can’t help but have hope.”

The celebration of the return of Clinton and the special anniversary of Women’s Week will undoubtedly be a mix of a rally and a support group as once again there is the potential to not only elect the first woman as President of the United States, but to also defeat the worst impulses this country has and keep it far away from the White House. With November 5 rapidly approaching, there’s no time to despair. 

“We need to get to work,” says Clinton. “But let’s also have some fun. Women’s Week is great that way. We can connect and we can give each other support, and you can take that home with you and know you’re not alone.”

Kate Clinton performs at Provincetown Town Hall, 260 Commercial St., on Saturday, October 19 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. For more information visit womensweekprovincetown.com and kateclinton.net.