Board Members
Caroline Del Reno
Executive Director & chairCaroline Del Reno is a documentary and creative producer who spent nearly a decade of her early career at The Walt Disney Company, with credits spanning Disney+, Hulu, and ABC, including Iwaju: A Day Ahead, The Housewife & The Hustler: The Reckoning, and The Secret Life of Dancing Dogs. (Yes, she has seen more stranger-than-fiction real life than most people will in a lifetime, and she loved every second of it.)
When she's not chasing stories across film and television, Caroline is right here in the Hudson Valley, co-founding and running The Duke Comedy Theatre alongside her husband TJ Del Reno. Apparently, producing for major networks wasn't enough; she also wanted to build a nonprofit comedy theatre from scratch. Overachiever? Perhaps. But her belief that comedy has the power to connect communities is the very heart of everything The Duke does.
Headshot photo: Brooke Comegys
TJ Del Reno
Artistic director & board memberTJ Del Reno has spent 20+ years making New York City a funnier place. He cut his teeth as a stand-up comedian and M.C. before catching the improv bug, going on to perform as a house team member at three of NYC's most respected comedy theaters: The Upright Citizens Brigade, Reckless Theatre, and The P.I.T.
On the acting side, TJ has appeared on Comedy Central's The Daily Show and MTV's College Humor, and lent his voice to Unlimited Lives, a video game news radio show on SiriusXM, proof that his range extends well beyond the stage and into the nerdier corners of pop culture. His voice work spans streaming, TV, radio, video games, and animation.
Off stage, TJ is a true believer in comedy as a force for good. He's proud to perform with The Duke Comedy Theatre, where he sees every show as an opportunity to support community, raise funds, and change a life or two if things go really well.
Headshot photo: Ali Levin
board memberLisa Pertoso
Lisa Pertoso is a learning experience designer, comedian, and writer. Ten years ago, she founded Follow the Fear, a leadership development studio that supercharges leaders into more adaptable humans through improv-based experiences.
She performs improv, sketch, and storytelling at NYC’s top theaters like Magnet, Annoyance, The PIT, UCB, and throughout the Hudson Valley. Her satire and personal essays have appeared in McSweeney's, Glamour, Insider, and one very nice Canadian Newspaper. Follow her words and nonsense on Substack here.
Headshot photo: Reuben Hernandez