Vermont Comedy Club is celebrating its tin anniversary! That’s a decade of laughs at the Burlington venue run by power couple Natalie Miller and Nathan Hartswick. The duo had been booking comedy shows around town for years under the hopeful moniker of Vermont Comedy Club before they landed a brick-and-mortar location.
Initially, “the name was purely aspirational,” Hartswick wrote in a press release from the owners.
The dream became a reality when he and Miller opened the doors at 101 Main Street in 2015. The club’s presence helped support and usher in a wave of local comedic talent, including Carmen Lagala, Ash Diggs and Tina Friml, who would use the stage to hone their craft. It later served as their launching pad to the comedy mecca of New York City.
Next week we’ll have an interview with Miller and Hartswick on the history and future of Vermont Comedy Club, as well as their big birthday plans for the venue. But first, to celebrate the anniversary of their project, the couple have a big announcement: They’re launching a nonprofit called Vermont Comedy Arts, a 501c3 that will focus on the club’s comedy education programs; special events such as the Big Pond Improv Festival, the Vermont’s Funniest Comedian competition and the Vermont Comedy Awards; and serve as a home base for the burgeoning local improv comedy scene.
The nonprofit is an attempt by Miller and Hartswick to strengthen the club’s financial health. Miller pointed to several economic challenges in the press release, including the club’s 18-month pandemic closure, downtown construction and growing concerns about the city’s safety. Moving its education programs and workshops to a new space under the auspices of Vermont Comedy Arts, for which Miller will serve as executive director, will help maintain those programs and ensure that the for-profit club can focus on booking top-tier comedy, according to the press release.
The next step is to find a location for Vermont Comedy Arts, ideally downtown. The nonprofit is seeking a small performance space with room for classrooms and offices.
“Creating a dedicated nonprofit for our mission-driven offerings, one that is eligible to receive tax-deductible donations, grants, and sponsorships — we feel could be a game-changer,” Hartswick wrote.
Miller called the expansion a “legacy project,” adding, “We love what we do, but we can’t do it forever. We believe that the combination of Vermont Comedy Club and Vermont Comedy Arts will set the comedy scene here up for continued growth and success for generations to come.”
This article appears in Nov 5-11 2025.
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