Like so many performers who had no money coming in when COVID-19 shut down stages, Twin Cities comedian Mary Mack had to take unusual measures. Even if that meant working with a live bear.

Mack wasn’t thrilled about shooting an ad with a live bear, but she’s been desperate for work. And at least the work was outside. Thankfully for Mack, the bear was “such a diva” that it had to be filmed only when it was ready. Mack was spared; the bear was done by her call time, and she would be edited into the shot.

“I would never do this if it weren’t for the pandemic,” Mack said. “I don’t want to keep acting with dangerous animals.”

The shutdown of live venues, as a result of the coronavirus, challenged the entertainment industry. The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) and the #SaveOurStages movement, both focused on preserving independent venues, sprung up as a result. But women in entertainment say it wasn’t easy to make money or get respect even before the pandemic.

That inequity is what initially inspired Buffie Blesi, CEO of Rock What You Got, to develop the Pay Gap Comedy Tour in 2019. Rock What You Got, formerly the Twin Cities Women’s Expo, focuses on organizing events to elevate women’s voices. After noticing the absence of female comedians on billings for small venues, Blesi knew there needed to be more options. “We made it because they didn’t,” she said.

This year, the Pay Gap Festival will also include music. The Pay Gap Comedy & Music festival will be at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul on Saturday, Sept. 26. There will also be a marketplace with goods from local business.

According to Pew Research Center’s analysis of hourly earnings for full- and part-time workers in the United States in 2018, women would have to work an extra 39 days to earn the same as men per year. At least 40 women will be able to go back to work this weekend because of the festival. But money isn’t the only issue. Access to venues, respect and safety all pose challenges for women performers.

Many female show producers and writers are told they need to include men to even have their shows considered, said Mack, who will be performing at the Pay Gap Festival. “When you hire a woman, you are not taking a chance. That thought process needs to change,” she said. “You are hiring a qualified professional,” Mack added. “You’re hiring someone to do a good job.”

Navigating entertainment as a woman means taking into consideration extra factors. Miss Shannan Paul, comedian and host of the “Mom Show” on My Talk 107.1, who will also be performing at Saturday’s festival, compares it to going out at night. As a black woman, when deciding to perform, Paul considers the town size she is going to, the situation she is entering and other factors to stay safe.

The #MeToo movement, Mack said, helped her realize all the ways she was discriminated against. Mack described a time, not in Minnesota, where she co-headlined a show on her birthday. The club owner cornered her in a dark part of the club and told her she would have to come up to his office and receive her birthday spankings if she wanted her check, Mack recalls. “That stuff happens all the time,” she added.

Sexual misconduct accusations sent waves through the local music scene this summer. After several members of the hip-hop scene were called out, accusations spread to multiple genres, managers, owners, and DJs. Hip-hop record label Rhymesayers and the Doomtree collective, both with a prominent presence in the music scene, had artists called out for misconduct.