Pssst! Want to know a secret? Women can be as good at stand-up comedy as men. But Oceanside native Lisa Sundstedt doesn't want this fact to remain a secret anymore.

That's why she created "Pretty, Funny Women," which she says bills as the longest-running all-female comedy show in the country. It runs every third Wednesday of the month at the Hollywood Improv (with a stop in La Jolla next week) and includes a rotating roster of 40 female actors, writers and seasoned comics. Their TV credits include "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," "The Chelsea Handler Show" on E!, Comedy Central's "Premium Blend," "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and sitcoms such as "The Office," "Friends" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

"So many people don't expect stand-up with women," said Sundstedt. "And they especially don't expect them to be pretty."

Sundstedt, who went to El Camino High School and MiraCosta College in Oceanside, has been in show business for 20 years. She started out as a musical theater actress and went on the road with '50s rock group Sha Na Na as a singer/dancer.

"Performing for me is a calling," she said. "I never felt I had a choice. When I was 6 or 7 years old I was putting on shows for my family and neighbors."

After a few years of professional experience, she discovered the joy and freedom of stand-up comedy.

"I'm proactive, so I didn't want to wait around to be cast," she said. "With stand-up, you work when you want to. You can always find an open mike somewhere."

Today, she's a writer on "The Chelsea Handler Show" on E!, and teaches stand-up comedy workshops out of her home in Los Angeles. But being proactive led to the creation of "Pretty, Funny Women."

"Stand-up is very male-dominated," she said. "So I started this show in 1996 with six women who were smoking hot. They were pretty, but the No. 1 requirement is that they're funny. I want to put an act out there that is really good. It's not been easy, but I believe in this concept wholeheartedly. I'd like to see it become a brand like The Groundlings and still going after I'm dead."

The show in La Jolla next week features another North County native. Vicki Barbolak is from Vista and is currently competing on Nickelodeon network's "America's Funniest Mom" contest (it begins airing next month). The lineup also includes Nastasha Leggero, Shawn Pelofsky, Heather McDonald and Jody Ferdig. Sundstedt hosts the evening where each woman performs for 15 minutes.

Eventually, Sundstedt would like to see the show on TV.

"I know in my heart it will be a hit," she said. "I know that because I see how the audience reacts every time. They just love it."