Before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center on Main Street in Greenfield, Monk Kelley was a co-host of the center’s regular comedy nights.
“We tried to make the space a fun and supportive show,” Kelley said. “We tried to book a bunch of people of different skill levels … I really loved putting on comedy shows in Greenfield.”
To hopefully recreate that experience, host Kelley and co-producer Paul Bennett found a way to organize a COVID-safe, drive-in style comedy event at Franklin County Fairgrounds on Saturday evening.
Doors open at 4 p.m. and the show starts at 5.
“I think it’ll be nice for people to get out of the house and experience something like night life again,” said Bennett, who has been doing comedy shows via Zoom since the pandemic resulted in the closure of local venues. … It’ll be nice to not be able to mute the audience.”
Bennett said he was inspired by the drive-in comedy shows being done by comics elsewhere in the country.
“I thought this was an exciting way to bring comedy back,” he said.
Attendees will be able to tune into an FM radio station to hear the comedians on the stage, he explained. For the comedians, the microphone will be sanitized between uses.
Bennett said they checked out several other locations and had nearly given up on finding a place to produce the show when they came across the Franklin County Fairgrounds.
“After hearing so many ‘No’s,’ I couldn’t take in that they were such an enthusiastic ‘Yes,’” he said.
The process to getting the show off the ground required approval from the Board of Health and the Board of License Commissioners, he explained.
Bennett, who is based in Shelburne and Kelley, who is based in Holyoke, will be joined by four other comedians from Western Massachusetts — many of whom Kelley has worked with in the past.
“I really hope people enjoy it,” Kelley said. “We worked really hard to put it on. It’s a pretty solid line up, it should be a good time.”
A second comedy evening is scheduled for Oct. 3. Tickets should be reserved in advance through Eventbrite at rustycomedy.eventbrite.com, as the show has a 50-person capacity.
Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne