Karen Williams burst onto the San Francisco Bay Area comedy circuit in the early 1980s as the country’s first openly lesbian Black comic to perform lesbian-specific material. A feminist and LGBTQ+ rights activist, she became known for her quick repartee and insightful commentary. Off-stage, though, Williams struggled as a single mom, and in 1988 she founded the HaHa Institute to help others find healing through humor. Award-winning director Andrea Meyerson brings her story to the screen, tracing her battle to break into male-dominated comedy clubs and the joy of finding her audience. Vintage performance footage is woven with interviews from family members and colleagues—including Kate Clinton, Marga Gomez, and Diane Amos, as well as Karen herself—to reveal the life of a remarkably creative, prolific woman.