September 28, 2025

I Got the Last Laugh Spotlights Jackie ‘Moms’ Mabley

Fort Worth, September 28, 2025

News Summary

The new play ‘I Got the Last Laugh’ at Jubilee Theatre in Fort Worth showcases the life of Jackie ‘Moms’ Mabley, a pioneering comedian. The production highlights her journey from humble beginnings to national recognition, using humor to address significant social issues like racism and sexuality. Directed by D. Wambui Richardson and starring Crystal Williams, the play employs a unique structure of interviews and flashbacks at the Apollo Theatre to explore Mabley’s impact on comedy.

Fort Worth

I Got the Last Laugh at Jubilee Theatre spotlights Jackie “Moms” Mabley

A new play titled “I Got the Last Laugh” is currently showing at Jubilee Theatre in Fort Worth through October 19. The production centers on the life and work of Jackie “Moms” Mabley, a pioneering comedian who used humor to tackle difficult social issues. The play presents Mabley’s story onstage through a framing device that places a journalist interviewing her at the Apollo Theatre, supported by performance flashbacks that trace her rise from humble beginnings to national prominence.

What the production presents

The play features a journalist interviewing Mabley, portrayed by Crystal Williams, at the Apollo Theatre. The staging employs storytelling and performance flashbacks to narrate Mabley’s life from her humble beginnings in 1884 to becoming America’s first female stand-up comic. The production is directed by D. Wambui Richardson, the Artistic Director of Jubilee Theatre, and emphasizes both Mabley’s public persona and the private courage behind her comedy.

Jackie “Moms” Mabley used laughter to address racism and sexuality. Onstage she adopted the persona of a sharp, witty grandmother who regularly brought taboo subjects into public view. Behind that stage character, she was a woman shaped by personal experience and social struggle; the play underscores her life story as the foundation for material that spoke about socioeconomic issues, sexuality, and race in ways that were both blunt and accessible.

Production context and aims

Jubilee Theatre positions the play within a broader mission to amplify African American artistic voices and preserve cultural legacies. The theatre’s season includes productions intended to highlight artists whose contributions risk being forgotten, and this staging of “I Got the Last Laugh” is framed as part of that effort. The director has highlighted the importance of keeping these stories in the cultural conversation, and the production’s structure intentionally foregrounds Mabley’s impact on subsequent generations of performers.

Supporting details on Mabley’s career

Mabley was a pioneering Black openly queer performer who started her career in the 1920s. She spent decades performing on the Chitlin’ Circuit and stood out for fearlessness and a capacity to use humor to make heavy subjects approachable. In 1939, Mabley became the first female comic to perform at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. Her career included recorded comedy albums, a performance at Carnegie Hall, and appearances on television shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show and The Smothers Brothers Comedy House.

Late in her career, Mabley appeared in her only film, “Amazing Grace,” released the year before her death in 1975. Across decades onstage and onscreen, her blunt, observational approach and willingness to challenge social taboos helped establish a lineage for comedians who followed.

Legacy and influence

The play highlights how Mabley’s combination of humor and social critique influenced numerous contemporary comedians. Performers of different generations and identities have cited her as an inspiration; her influence is often traced in the work of prominent comics who address race, gender, and sexuality directly. The production frames this legacy as ongoing, noting that the practices Mabley used to confront social norms remain visible in modern stand-up and sketch comedy.

The play celebrates Jackie Mabley’s groundbreaking career and her resilience against adversity through her humor, while also presenting the complex person behind the comic persona. It aims to place her work in historical context and to remind audiences of the long-term cultural contributions of Black artists whose stories are at risk of fading from mainstream awareness.

Practical information

Production dates run through October 19 at Jubilee Theatre in Fort Worth. The staging uses a mixture of interview scenes, flashbacks, and reenacted performances to map Mabley’s trajectory from early life to national recognition. The creative team and cast aim to create an experience that is both informative and theatrical, relying on archival research and theatrical imagination to convey the subject’s life.

FAQs

What is the play and when is it showing?: A new play titled “I Got the Last Laugh” is currently showing at Jubilee Theatre in Fort Worth through October 19.
Who is the subject of the play?: Jackie “Moms” Mabley used laughter to address racism and sexuality.
What is noted about Mabley’s early career?: Mabley was a pioneering Black openly queer performer who started her career in the 1920s.
Did Mabley have any notable firsts?: In 1939, Mabley became the first female comic to perform at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem.
How is the play structured?: The play features a journalist interviewing Mabley, portrayed by Crystal Williams, at the Apollo Theatre.
Who directed the production?: The play is directed by D. Wambui Richardson, the Artistic Director of Jubilee Theatre.

Key features
Feature	Details
Title	I Got the Last Laugh
Venue	Jubilee Theatre, Fort Worth
Run dates	Through October 19
Subject	Jackie “Moms” Mabley — comedian who addressed racism and sexuality
Onstage framing	Journalist interviewing Mabley at the Apollo Theatre, performance flashbacks
Lead portrayal	Crystal Williams as Mabley
Director	D. Wambui Richardson, Artistic Director of Jubilee Theatre

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DALLAS STAFF WRITER The DALLAS STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREDallas.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Dallas, Dallas County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as the State Fair of Texas, Deep Ellum Arts Festival, and Dallas International Film Festival. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Dallas Regional Chamber and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, plus leading businesses in telecommunications, aviation, and semiconductors that power the local economy such as AT&T, Southwest Airlines, and Texas Instruments. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREAustinTX.com, HERECollegeStation.com, HEREHouston.com, and HERESanAntonio.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Texas's dynamic landscape.

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