The Duke Comedy Theatre is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by husband and wife team, TJ Del Reno, veteran New York City improviser (UCB, Reckless Theatre, & The P.I.T.), and Caroline Del Reno, former Documentary Producer: non-fiction films and series on platforms like Disney+ and Hulu.
We produce monthly comedy shows, offer workshops & classes, and provide private coaching out of Beacon, NY.
Please support us by signing up for a class, attending a show, or donating below!
Find Your How
with Lisa Pertoso
(improv workshop)
Saturday, July 11th, 3:00 - 5:00 PM
$40 registration fee
Passion: Adult Dance Studio
473 Main Street, Beacon, NY
Plus, free entry into Your Bizarre Day at 8:00 PM
Have you ever stepped out on stage and immediately gone into analysis mode: Who am I? Where are we? What are we doing? What am I saying? What’s the game? Trust me, I’ve been there, and it’s not fun. Forgot all of that. Focus on the How. How you do something and how you say it are far more interesting to you and the audience. Once you find your how and commit, you’re also supporting your scene partner. Inspired by Annoyance Theater’s philosophy to do something, anything, right away and then fiercely own it, this workshop will help you make bold choices that will serve as your roadmap through any scene. *Open to any improviser who has completed Duke Comedy Theatre’s Level A, any of our workshops, or at least one Intro to Improv course or workshop at any theater.
NEW SHOW ALERT WITH THE ROSENDALE THEATRE!
The Rosendale Theatre Comedy Committee and Duke Comedy Theatre Present: A Showcase Show of Improv Shows.
Beacon’s premiere improv players bring three of their signature shows across the Hudson River for the very first time! Featuring Hysteria!, You Had to Be There (with Bombshell), and Your Bizarre Day.
Don’t miss this smorgasbord of small-batch, artisanal comedy, prepared on the spot, in front of your very eyes!
Doors open at 7:30 PM for a $25 entry fee!
What happens when real life gets weird? We turn it into comedy.
TJ Del Reno and his NYC veteran improviser friends (from UCB Theater, Reckless Theatre, and The Magnet) invite one brave audience member to share a strange, awkward, or downright bizarre day from their life. Then they transform that true story into a fully improvised comedy show, created right before your very eyes!
No two shows are ever the same. Each performance features a brand-new interview, a rotating cast of top-tier improvisers, and comedy that only exists once!
Join us every Second Saturday of the month at 8:00 PM at PASSION: The Adult Dance Studio in Beacon, NY.
Come laugh, be surprised, and watch your neighbor’s weird day become your favorite night out!
Hysteria! Where history’s most audacious women come to life… as comedy.
The Hudson Valley’s first all-women improv show brings history’s boldest, most presumptuous broads straight to the stage…completely unscripted! Created by Lisa Pertoso and The Duke Comedy Theatre, with stories researched and hosted by Joanna Castle Miller, each performance turns real historical tales into hilarious, long-form improv comedy.
Catch the laughs bi-monthly on the fourth Saturday at Passion: The Adult Dance Studio, a proud woman-owned space in the Hudson Valley.
Want to join the fun? If you’re a woman or female-identifying performer, message us to find out how to join the cast!
Beacon’s own indie darlings Bombshell and two special storytelling guests bring you a night of juicy tales that will inspire wild comedy scenes made up on the spot, never to be seen again. This show is bi-monthly, falling on the fourth Saturday at 8:00 PM at Passion- The Adult Dance Studio in Beacon, NY. Bombshell is Emily Sylvester, Natalie Hardaker, Valerie Lynn Brett, and Brooke Comegys. Created/produced by Bombshell and co-produced with The Duke Comedy Theatre.
Your monthly dose of improv chaos is here!
Whether you’re trying improv for the first time or just want to sharpen your skills, our monthly Improv Comedy Jam is the place to be. Sign up solo, grab a few friends, or bring your whole team. It’s all about having fun and making comedy on the spot.
Only $5 to watch or perform!
Join us every first Thursday of the month (unless we post otherwise) at BEAHIVE Beacon. Click the image for all the details and get ready to laugh, play, and maybe discover your inner comedy star!
Short-form improv, “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” style… with a twist.
Join The Duke Comedy Theatre and our players for a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud improv comedy show, featuring fun drinking game elements if you’re feeling adventurous.
Bad jobs, terrible bosses, co-workers from your nightmares.
Bring us your worst workday stories, and watch seasoned improvisers from NYC and Hudson Valley’s top comedy theaters turn them into live, laugh-out-loud comedy right before your eyes.
Every performance is unique, unpredictable, and guaranteed to make you see your own work life in a hilariously new light.
We’ve all sent a text that would feel completely baffling out of context. Now we’re turning those messages into a live comedy show. At The Out of Con-TEXT Comedy Show, audience’s texts inspire fully improvised scenes performed on the spot by a cast of local and seasoned improvisers, so that 11:47 PM “don’t open the freezer” energy finally gets the attention it deserves. This is an exclusive show at Madam Brett’s, open to the public, with tickets available for purchase soon on Madam Brett’s website and at the door.
Madam Brett’s Social Club
418 Main St., 2nd Floor
Beacon, NY
The Bechdel Test is a simple idea: do two women in a work of fiction talk about something other than a man? We took that and thought, what if it wasn’t a movie, but an improv comedy show instead? The Hudson Valley Bechdel Test Comedy Show features women, female-identifying, and non-binary improvisers building a full show from a single audience suggestion. The Bechdel Test Players will be joined by guest indie teams from around the Hudson Valley for a one-night-only set of scenes that only exist in that moment. We can promise it won’t happen the same way twice. If you’ve been meaning to check out a local comedy show, this is a pretty good excuse. Do you have a team of anyone but cis men? Message us, and we can get you on the show.
Tickets at the door: cash/card
Level up your improv game!
Join NYC veteran improviser TJ Del Reno (UCB Theatre NY, Reckless Theatre, and The P.I.T.) for classes, workshops, or private coaching. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to sharpen your skills, our sessions are designed to help you think fast, act bold, and have a blast.
Got an indie improv team? Book a private coaching session and take your group to the next level.