New Venue for Comedy Open Mic Night
Moondog Tavern hosted the recurring event for the first time on Wednesday, June 10.
By Claire MacDonald
Hinesburg Record Staff Reporter
Moondog Tavern was packed on Wednesday, June 10, as people from Hinesburg and beyond found respite from the rainy night to watch newcomers and returnees try their hand at stand-up comedy. Jokes were made about topics ranging from the Real Housewives of New York City to the Epstein files. One performer read a poem about meat; another played harmonica.
Comedy Open Mic Night, organized by Wayne Maceyka, began in January at Parkside Cafe. The event usually takes place every other week, generally alternating between Parkside Cafe and Frost Beer Works. Wednesday night was the first time it took place at Moondog Tavern.
Maceyka said he wants to support local businesses by hosting the event at different venues.
“I’ve been trying to figure out a way to bring people together, and I figured comedy was the way to do it,” he said. “I’m always the guy in the back of a seminar that’s making snarky remarks, so I said to myself, why don’t I just go with that?”
Maceyka encouraged audience participation throughout the night, drawing written responses to questions out of a sparkly hat and reading them aloud. Participants wrote anonymous answers to questions such as: what would your last words be?
Peggy Dippen said this was her sixth time performing at open mic night. She started doing stand-up at Vermont Comedy Club a couple years ago.
“I was getting overwhelmed with life, and I was like, ‘I can’t let this take me down anymore. I need to spin it around, I need to make it lighter,’” she said.
Shea Newton was also a returning performer. He said he plans to continue, and that it’s fun to start recognizing the same people on these nights.
“I saw the Front Porch Forum for the first one and thought, ‘Oh that would be fun…’ and the crowd was just so alive and friendly, and I wanted to keep going,” he said. “A local open mic feels kind of like karaoke. Why not just get up there and try something?”
At the end of the night, various prizes were awarded to the performers.
To those nervous about trying out stand-up, Macekya noted that it’s a low-risk situation.
“When you really think about it, it’s not that dangerous,” he said. “If you play through the scenarios in your head about what’s going to happen, for the most part, [it’s] not much. It’s going to be your own embarrassment. I don’t think anybody’s [been] heckled. You get a quiet room, which sucks, but you get out of your comfort zone and see what happens.”
The next Comedy Open Mic Night will be at 6 p.m. on June 16, at the Carpenter-Carse Library. It will be family friendly and open to all ages.