By Craig Horleman

Second acts can come on stage or in life. For a Newark teacher, it’s been both.

After 20 years talking about math and social studies in front of young people, she is now talking about her life and so much more in front of a wider group of people under the name Chica Loca.

Preferring to use her newfound stage name as a way to separate her teaching life with her stage life, Chica Loca has been a standup comedian for just a little over a year.

“I teach those little kids. They can’t figure out how to do a school assignment but they sure can find anything on social media. If only I could assign homework on TikTok. I don’t want any of them or their families to find me because I can be a little risque with my comedy. But I think this is going to be my last year of teaching anyway,” she said.

She will be part of a Valentine’s Day weekend comedy show called HERlarioius at the Milton Theatre Saturday night. Two other female comedians will join her on the bill — Peggy O’Leary and LaTice Mitchell. It will be hosted by Dover’s Keith Purnell. A limited amount of tickets are still available.

A change in focus for the fifth-grade educator came about indirectly at the onset of COVID-19.

“When the pandemic hit, I just felt this was pretty much as close to the apocalypse as we were ever going to get. And I really took a look at my life and said, ‘What am I doing right now?’ Teaching is very stressful and I really felt like I needed a broader purpose, to be able to reach more people and bring awareness to certain things,” she said.

“And I thought, ‘Well, you know, it’s the pandemic. If I’m not funny, whatever. Who knows what’s gonna happen tomorrow anyway?’”

Fortunately, the first open mic she did in Claymont in 2020 worked out well and she was booked for her first paying gig in November of that same year.

Although she was thinking about her life as a whole, she said really the spark for her was her ex-boyfriend saying that female comics aren’t funny.

“And this was before I decided that standup comedy was something that I wanted to do. I knew I had to do something else. I just didn’t know what and then he just happened to say that. I said, “You know what? I’m going to do an open mic. And then I’m going to tell the world stories all about you. And then I did that open mic and it’s been amazing ever since.”

She has been featured in comedy shows across Delaware and neighboring states and has her first gig in New York City at the Broadway Comedy Club lined up for later in the month on Feb 25. If you can’t catch her in Milton Saturday, she’ll be at the Touchdown Lounge in Dover as part of a show on Feb. 19.

A Brooklyn, New York, native who started the comedy thing at age 40, she takes much of her material from her own life.

“When you make a lot of bad choices and you live your life as a complete disaster, it’s pretty easy to come up with material from there. So I call it ‘comedic research’ now instead of bad life choices,” she joked.

“There’s lots of self-deprecating humor and lots of dealing with trauma and mental health issues, physical health issues, but in a funny way to bring awareness and make light of certain situations. I’m just really trying to bring awareness that there are a lot of people out there that are a mess. We just don’t publicize it usually. But in comedy, we do, so you make people feel less alone in their disaster.”

She said she has always had a love of comedy.

“I never really thought it was something that I would pursue. When I was younger, I had the dream to be a writer for ‘Saturday Night Live.’ But it never really seemed to be viable. I went to college. I became a teacher. I became a mom and then it was just like, well, this is your life.”

“And then, like I said, when the pandemic hit, something’s gotta give. I really got to switch it up and then I thought, ‘Hey, what about my childhood dreams to write for “Saturday Night Live” and get into comedy?’

“But it wasn’t ever an actual reality. It was one of those things that I don’t even know if you would call it a dream per se because I never thought I would be doing it. It was one of those ‘Oh, it would be nice’ things.”

She believes her burgeoning comedy career is coming at the right time.

“I don’t think if I would have started at a younger age I would have been ready. I see a lot of newer comics who are younger and they have a different view on things — a different work ethic, a different view of networking, and I feel like those of us that are a little bit more mature, so to speak, age wise, we have an advantage because we have life experience,” she said.

She also sees parallels between her career as a teacher and her career as a standup comedian. If she can win her pupils over, she can win a room full of adults over.

“Middle-schoolers are so much worse than adults. I can get up in front of a roomful of adults. No problem. But those little 10- and 11-year-olds, man, they will rip your soul right out of your body. They are a lot tougher than adults,” she said.

Joining Chica Loca on stage in Milton Saturday night, headliner Ms. O’Leary is a stand-up comedian, actress, writer and podcast host who grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia before moving to New York City and starting comedy. She has lived and performed on both coasts and currently resides in Philadelphia, where she is a regular at Punch Line Philly, Helium Comedy Club and AC Comedy Club.

Ms. Mitchell is a comedian from South Jersey who has performed in Las Vegas for the World Series of Comedy on ABC’s “The View” for “Hilarious Housewives,” along with being picked by the late David Brenner to tour in his “Comedy Stars of Tomorrow” show.

Tickets are $13 for the over-18 8 p.m. show and can be purchased here, by calling 302-684-3038 or visiting the box office at 110 Union St.

Fair concert tickets on sale

Tickets for two recently announced Delaware State Fair concerts go on sale today at noon here.

Hank Williams Jr. will perform in Harrington on July 30 at 7:30 p.m. His concert will join shows by Sam Hunt and TobyMac, which were eliminated last year due to the pandemic.

Pennsylvania-based rock group Halestorm will also play the M&T Grandstand on July 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Mr. Williams’ resume spawns 70 million albums sold worldwide, six platinum albums, 20 gold albums, 13 No. 1 albums and 10 No. 1 singles.

Tickets are $40-$80.

Halestorm consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Lzzy Hale; her brother, drummer and percussionist Arejay Hale; guitarist Joe Hottinger; and bassist Josh Smith.

Tickets for this show are $20-$65.

Black history programs

As part of the Dover Citywide Black History Celebration, the Sankofa Cultural Arts Center, at 39 S. West St., will present a free program entitled “Delaware Black Women Leaders: Past, Present & Future” at noon and 3:30 p.m.

This event will include a static exhibit in addition to in-person presentations by local Black women leaders.

Exhibits and presentations will include the following women: Dr. Anthea Aikins, Linda Arrey, Denise Hicks Barnes, Troy Farmer, Dr. Eunice Gwanmesia, Dr. Reba Hollingsworth, Maxine Lewis, Charlotte Miller-Lacy, Dr. Wilma Mishoe and Kim Warfield.

In addition, the youth of the Sankofa Drummers and Dancers will perform throughout both afternoon performances.

Complimentary carry-out refreshments will be available for all event attendees while supplies last.

This is a free, non-ticketed program. All event attendees will be required to wear masks.

The Sankofa Drummers and Dancers will also perform a free program at the Dover Public Library at 35 E. Loockerman St. today at 6 p.m.

Scavenger hunt

The next Milford 2nd Friday program will be today at 7 p.m.

Back by popular demand, the February event will be an online scavenger hunt. Grab the family, a laptop, computer, tablet or smart phone and be ready to scour your home for the unique, goofy and sometimes ordinary items on the list.

Participants will be organized into teams, which will meet in chat rooms to plan their hunting strategy. Upon returning to the group, items will be shared on screen and a winning team will be determined.

2nd Friday is a community service hosted by the First Presbyterian Church of Milford. The programs are always free and family friendly. To request an emailed Zoom invitation, send an email to 2ndFriday.Milford@gmail.com.

‘Fools’ at Sussex Central

Sussex Central High School’s Take Two Drama Club will present the Neil Simon comedy “Fools.”

The production will take the stage today at 7 p.m., as well as Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The shows will be held at the Centre for Visual and Performing Arts at Sussex Central High School, located at 26026 Patriots Way, south of Georgetown.

“Fools” is the story of Leon Tolchinsky, who has landed a teaching job in an idyllic Russian hamlet. What he doesn’t know is that the town has been cursed with chronic stupidity for over 200 years and it’s Leon’s job to break the curse.

No one tells him that if he stays in the village for more than 24 hours and does not break the curse, he too will become stupid. Complications also ensue when Leon falls in love with his pupil.

All tickets are $12 and must be purchased online at onthestage.tickets/show/take-two-drama-club-of-sussex-central-high-school/fools-85907.

Attendees are asked to have the acknowledgment of the purchase on their phone or on a printed page upon arrival at the theater.

Anyone wishing to donate to Take Two may contact adviser David Warick at david.warick@irsd.k12.de.us.

Now showing

New this weekend in theaters is Liam Neeson in the thriller “Blacklight,” a remake of Agatha Christie’s mystery “Death on the Nile” and Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson in the romantic comedy “Marry Me.”

To share news of your entertainment event, group or venue, contact Craig Horleman at 302-741-8224 or chorl@iniusa.org.