Mexican comedian brings stand-up to female prisoners
Sofía Niño de Rivera in a standup workshop behind bars (photo by Yara Cavazos)
Best known for her Netflix shows and stand-up tours, Sofía Niño de Rivera is one of Latin America’s leading comedians.
The 35-year-old from Mexico City has long been making audiences laugh, but she recently embarked on a more serious mission: supporting vulnerable women in Mexico’s notoriously dangerous prisons.
In a bid to help female inmates overcome frustration and depression, Sofía gave 10 stand-up workshops in the Mexican capital’s vast Santa Martha Acatitla penitentiary over the summer.
The project came about after her cousin, Saskia Niño de Rivera, asked her to do a benefit gig to raise funds for Reinserta, a charity she runs to improve conditions in Mexican jails.
The comedian accepted but wanted to do more than just raise money. They agreed that stand-up workshops could help inmates to use comedy as an emotional release for the benefit of their mental health…
The Tequila Files 