Get Ready To Laugh at Bay Street Theater

After launching this past April with a sold out debut performance, the Hamptons Comedy Festival returns to Bay Street Theater this fall, with performances on September 23 and October 21.

Produced by Bay Street Theater’s own Paul Anthony and the Long Island Comedy Festival, the goal of the event is to bring top comic talent to the East End. Festival shows are presented in a “Comedy Showcase” format, featuring a lineup of headlining comedians, each performing short sets at the shows.

The Long Island Comedy Festival is now in its 17th year and has been featured at top theater venues in Nassau and Suffolk counties, including Bay Street Theater. This iteration of the Hamptons Comedy Festival presents two showcases with four performers each appearing Saturday, September 23, Saturday, October 21, at 8 p.m. In addition, each performance will feature a surprise guest comedian. The Saturday, September 23, comedians are: Eric Haft, Richie Byrne, Scott Baker and Vinnie Mark. The Saturday, October 21, comedians are: Art Schill, Maria Walsh, Raanan Hershberg and Rob Falcone.

“We’re looking forward to returning to Bay Street Theater this fall with all new line-ups of some of the best comedians working today,” said Paul Anthony. “The ultimate goal of the Hamptons Comedy Festival is to bring more laughter and fun into people’s lives. The shows we present bring people together to share in the experience of live stand-up comedy.

“It’s very rewarding after one of our shows to hear from audience members telling us they haven’t laughed so hard in a very long time,” he added. “When we receive that kind of positive feedback and know that we helped people forget about some of their problems for just a little while, mission accomplished.”

Tickets for each show are $35/$45 at baystreet.org or by calling 631-725-9500.

In addition to the performances, the Hamptons Comedy Festival will offer aspiring comics a brand new stand-up comedy class, “Think You’re Funny?” which will meet Mondays from 7 to 9 p.m. from October 16 to November 20. The comic instructor will be comedian Paul Anthony himself.

“We wanted to expand the scope of the Hamptons Comedy Festival and working with Bay Street Theater to offer this unique opportunity to aspiring comedians out there is the perfect vehicle,” said Anthony.

The class will be a hands-on intensive where students will be taken behind the curtain to learn from the ground up about becoming a stand-up comedian and the art of stand-up comedy. The seven week program will combine class instruction with hands-on exercises and student participation, culminating with a final performance by all students in front of a live audience. Guest comedians will also visit the class to give students additional insight into the world of stand-up comedy.

“It’s going to be educational, inspirational, and the most fun you’ll ever have in a class,” said Anthony. “The class is for adults any age interested in learning what it takes to actually perform stand-up comedy. I think trying stand-up comedy is on the bucket list of more people than you’d care to believe. There’s a fascination with it, and we’re here to help people scratch that itch, so to speak.”

The class will have limited capacity. For more information visit baystreet.org. Bay Street Theater is on Long Wharf in Sag Harbor.