Marina Franklin, Charles McBee

“Strong, black woman — that never felt like a compliment. That always felt like work,” jokes Marina Franklin in her standup special “Single Black Female.” The Chicago-based comedian begins her hourlong program by discussing “black excellence” and her inclination to be just “aaiight.” She’s a master of such self-deprecating humor. A former staff writer on the HBO comedy “Divorce,” she’s made appearances on the sketch comedy series “Inside Amy Schumer,” among other on-screen credits, and at comedy festivals around the world. Franklin performs Thursday through Saturday, December 19 through 21, at the Vermont Comedy Club in Burlington. Charles McBee opens.