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Kick off the 2025 Catskills Comedy Festival with an unforgettable double-header event! Join us at the historic Community Theatre as comedy veterans Dave Hill and Erin Jackson take the stage.
Experience a night filled with inventive humor and side-splitting laughter, setting the perfect tone for the festival ahead.
Don’t miss this dynamic duo delivering some of the best stand-up performances in the country.
AGES 17+
Join comedy legend Eddie Brill as he takes us on a candid, hilarious journey through his decades-long career in comedy.. From his time on the stages of the world’s top comedy clubs to his nights at The Late Show with David Letterman, Eddie has some of the most incredible and humorous stories that have to be heard to be believed. True to his tradition of championing fellow comics, Eddie will also share the spotlight with talented comedians, ensuring the laughter never stops.
With Special Guests: Erik Angel, Dan Madonia and Karen Faith!
AGES 17+
An intimate hour of love and laughter with musical comedian Francesca D’Uva. She will perform new material, as well as excerpts from her show This Is My Favorite Song, which was produced at Playwrights Horizons in 2024.
Opening set by Stephanie Ibarra & Anna Torzullo.
AGES 17+
Unlock your inner comedian! Introduction to Joke Writing is a fun, fast-paced class designed for students who want to master the basics of writing jokes for stand-up comedy. You'll learn the essential formulas and techniques used by professional comedians—from the setup and punchline structure to crafting observational humor and hilarious one-liners. We'll cover topics like finding your comedic voice, writing for different audiences, and creating jokes that your parents don’t understand. Get ready to turn everyday thoughts into laugh-out-loud material! No prior experience is needed, just a sense of humor and a willingness to be funny.
AGES 13-17
What happens when Lunatics take over the old vaudeville theater? Lunacy of course! Our trio of fearless comedians will wow you with musical mayhem, daring feats of skill, random acts of stupidity, all tied together with a whole lotta funny. Bring the kids, or leave em at home, it’s fun for everyone—but don’t miss it!
Staring Andy Sapora, Jenny Lee Mitchell & Peter Daniel Straus
ALL AGES SHOW
TICKETS: $16 (Adults) $12 (Children 12 and under) FREE for Children 5 and under
Are some people just born funny? Can a sense of humor be taught? What does being funny even mean? Join moderator Sarah Austin Jenness (The Moth) as she sits down with comedy professionals to ponder these deep and important comedy questions. Panelists include: Eddie Brill (Late Show w/David Letterman), Kevin Scott(Improvisor), Brian Balthazar (HBO MAX) , Lauren Kincheloe(Stand-up Instructor).
AGES 13+
In this career retrospective, local clowns Stephanie Ibarra and Anna Torzullo present their three short films: Egg (2021), Fortuna (2024), and the premiere of their new film starring Francesca D’Uva (performing Friday night @ The Avalon Lounge as part of CCF). These works explore the common themes of close friendship: jealousy, rage and exclusivity.
The screening will also feature some incredible animated comedy shorts by Ashley Sengstaken, Emily Hubely & Max Rosenthal, Vanessa Castro (for Fascinating Chimera Project), and Akmal Tajihan.
13+
Local comedian Dan Madonia hosts an afternoon of local and regional award -winning comedians.
Last year’s Local Laughs event was a sellout so get your tix soon!
LINE UP: AJ Jordan, David Stickle, Eddy A Sloshower, Emily Siero, Zach Mama and Jennifer McMullen!
AGES 17+
The Catskills Comedy Festival proudly presents headliner Colin Quinn!
From Saturday Night Live to Broadway, Colin Quinn has spent decades sharpening his razor-sharp wit and New York storytelling. A true legend of stand-up, Quinn brings his signature blend of biting satire, offbeat charm, and dead-on cultural commentary to the Catskills for one unforgettable night.
Don’t miss your chance to see one of comedy’s most iconic voices live on stage—only at The Catskills Comedy Festival!
With opening act: Tim Gage (Dangerfields, The Gotham Comedy Club, and The Comedy Cellar.)
AGES 17+
Seek truth. Get a t-shirt.
THE STORIES: Each Liar Show features four writers and comics telling personal stories that will make you laugh, and maybe even make you think. But one of these people is making it all up.
THE INTERROGATION: After you’ve heard their stories, the performers return to the stage for a fact-finding question-and-answer session with the audience.
THE VERDICT: Ballots are cast, the Liar is revealed, and the geniuses who got it right win an "I Can Tell A Lie” T-shirt. But as The Washington Post wrote of The Liar Show: “Prizes mean nothing compared with the sweet victory of being recognized as the savviest people in the room.”
Featuring: Andy Christie, Ophira Eisenberg, Brian Balthazar and Sarah Austin Jenness.
AGES 17+
Comedy you can’t squeeze into a box! Our cast of well seasoned, delicious oddballs yanked from the stages of burlesque nightclubs, international circus, and other planets, brought right to you. Fasten your seatbelt, it’s gonna be a weird and wonderfully funny ride!
Hosted by Sir Richard Castle, and staring Andy Sapora, Muffy Styler, Miss Saturn & your impresario Peter Peter!
AGES 21+
You ONLY think you’ve seen IMPROV…but you’ve never seen it like this!
After over a decade of performing together in various ensembles, Kevin & Jenny have developed the kind of onstage connection that results in playful, character-driven, and emotionally rich, scenes.
They specialize in discovering the extraordinary inside the ordinary—what begins as a simple moment can spiral into something mythic, heartbreaking, or utterly ridiculous (often all three). Whether they're building slow burns or jumping into chaos, Kevin & Jenny are fearless, funny, and endlessly surprising. Their longform Improv is fast and fluid, funny and fearless, grounded in truth but never afraid to fly.
Veterans of the NYC improv scene, Kevin Scott & Jenny Bareilles bring their deeply collaborative, joyfully theatrical style to every stage they hit.
AGES 17+
INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL COMEDYWant to discover the secret to making people laugh without saying a word? Join our Introduction to Physical Comedy Workshop, a fun and dynamic course where you'll learn the fundamentals of physical humor. We'll explore how to use your body, facial expressions, and timing to create hilarious and memorable characters and scenes. Whether you want to improve your comedic timing, boost your stage presence, or just have a blast learning a new skill, this workshop is for you.
ALL AGES EVENT
Sign up to perform at the Kids Comedy Open Mic at Café Joust on October 19th from 12pm-2pm, you can sign up in advance by emailing Joustcafe@gmail.com with subject line “kids open mic”.
Open mic is for kids ages 7-14, and begins promptly at Noon. Each performer will have 3 minutes to do their stand up routine.
Got stage fright? Run out of jokes? Not to worry, we have a joke bucket and several books of jokes on hand!
Secrets of New Yorker Cartoonists
Come out and meet Lia Strasser (art) and Bizzy Coy (words), New Yorker cartoonists from Sullivan County, New York. They’ll share the unlikely story of their creative partnership, and how they collab effectively despite two different working styles and senses of humor. Plus, you’ll have a chance to test your comedy chops with an interactive game of Cartoon Caption Contest.
This is an all ages event.
FREE EVENT/DONATION (come early to ensure seating)
Step into the unexpected with Happenstancery Improv, the Hudson Valley’s homegrown improv troupe known for mixing quick wit, heart, and a touch of musical magic. For over five years, Happenstancery has been offering free weekly improv workshops in New Paltz while performing across the region—from intimate theaters to street festivals to New York City stages. Every show is a one-time-only experience built in collaboration with the audience.
At the Catskills Comedy Fest, the troupe will present a high-energy, interactive set that blends improvised theater and on-the-spot music. Scenes, characters, and songs are created in real time—never to be seen again
AGES 17+
This is a FREE/DONATION EVENT (arrive early to ensure seating)
Calling all comedians! One of our most popular events is back!
Show Up Go Up Open Mic Variety Show. "The Most Misunderstood Show in Comedy." LOTS of ways to get onstage: The Bucket of Destiny! Bucket of Bar Tabs! The infamous Joke Challenge! Best Text! Create A Segment! Last Joke! & More!
This is your chance to take the stage and show festival audiences what you got! Erik Marino (SNL, Weeds) brings his famous open mic event to The Catskills Comedy Festival. This isn’t your ordinary open mic, Erik keeps the show movin with interviews, comedy material swaps and other unexpected twists and turns.
Everyone is encouraged g to sign up in advance by emailing: Erikmarino71@gmail.com
Ages 21+ event
Get ready for an unforgettable night of laughter and fine wine at The Grapes of Laughs, a unique comedy shows where each stand-up comedian’s set is paired with the perfect wine to elevate the experience.The evening will feature Brian Balthazar (HBO MAX, Today Show, VH1, Page Six) and Stephanie Hertel (Local Sex Therapist/Stand-up) hosted by creator Ophira Eisenberg(The Late Late Show, NPR, The Moth). Each comedian’s act will be paired with a carefully selected wine by a local wine expert Dori Fackler to enhance the mood and flavor of their set. From dry approachable whites to bold complex reds, each wine will complement the tone and energy of the comedian’s style, creating a truly immersive experience. Our wine expert and host lead the audience through the tasting of wine and then segue to introducing the comic whose persona and act is a perfect pairing to it!
Standup and creator of the show Ophira Eisenberg, who is an aspiring wine snob, wanted to create something unique where comedy lovers and wine enthusiasts can come together in a cool setting, for a night of fun, laughter, and a little wine education. Just like a great wine, comedy can have its own distinct flavors, and this show gives the audience a chance to taste the perfect pairing for every punchline.
AGES 21+
Limited Seating
A journalist, an organizer, and a drag queen walk into a class...
This showcase features recent graduates of Lauren Kincheloe's Squalid Gold Comedy School. Watch Kingston's freshest comics take the stage for an evening of homegrown hilarity.
Line up includes: Andy Monk, Erica Brown, Chewy Altamirano,, Helen Macleod, and Adriana Wong.
Hosted by: Lauren Kincheloe
AGES 17+
