Is Debra DiGiovannni really a single, awkward female?

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The comedian Debra DiGiovanni, recognizable for a raspy voice heard on CBC's The Debaters and MuchMusic's Video on Trial, moves out of the clubs and into theatres for a tour of her self-deprecating, feisty humour and snappy one-liners. She talks to The Globe about being the lady with the laughs.

Your tour of theatres is called the Single Awkward Female Tour. Does that refer to the subject matter, or to the fact that the warm-up acts you'll be using are all men?

Both. It's not a surprise, but women are always outnumbered in comedy. I'm always the only girl on the show. I'm usually the single, awkward female in the room. It's also just where I'm at in my life.

Women seem to want a man with a sense of humour. But what about men – do they want a funny woman?

I don't think so. I've yet to come across that man. Women want someone to make them laugh. But when men say they want a woman with a sense of humour, they want someone who will laugh at their jokes.

I think you're right. Do you have an explanation?

Comedy is aggressive. I'm onstage, everybody's looking at me. I'm the centre of attention. And some men – not all men – find that, I assume, quite intimidating. Or at the very extreme, repugnant.

Have you talked to your female comedian friends? Do they have trouble with relationships because men find their humour intimidating?

That's a good question. Actually, I'm running through my friends in my mind, and most of them have boyfriends. Maybe it's just me [laughs] Then again, most of them date comics.

They're probably not as funny as you are, and, therefore, less intimidating.

Oh my gosh, you said it. We found the answer. Guys can only handle a certain amount of funny.

Do you want a man who will make you laugh?

I would like a man to laugh with me. My friends tease me. They say I'm going to have a quiet guy. Competing for the spotlight with me is not going to happen with me, because I'll win.

Is your audience mostly female?

I would say that, yes. I get told that I'm not that girly on stage. But, you know, I'm still a girl. I'm still coming from a feminine point of view. It's something that connects us. I think every woman has been a single, awkward female at some point in their life. But the show isn't just for girls. I'm not going to do anything to upset the boys. I'm not going to tell girly secrets.

How has your material changed over the years?

When I was starting out, at age 30, it was "looking for" and "seeking out." Now I'm approaching 40, and it's about taking stock. It's more "what can I put up with?" I'm working all the time. I don't even know how to be in a relationship, as a touring comedian. That's where I'm at now.

Where are you at now as a comedian?

I'm more confident. I'm much more at home onstage. There's nervous energy, but there's a feeling now like "you've got this." So, maybe, a little less awkward. And maybe a little more single.

Debra DiGiovanni's Single Awkward Female Tour plays Toronto's Panasonic Theatre, Nov. 13; Ottawa's Centrepoint Theatre, Dec. 8; Brockville, Ont.'s Brockville Arts Centre, Dec. 16.