Comedy club to open in downtown Hanover this fall

(Hanover) — A new comedy club is coming to downtown Hanover.

When Jim Bryan started performing stand-up in Hanover, he called his show the “Den of Satire.” But he was having trouble filling seats.

He changed the name to “Church of Satire” as an experiment to see if more people would show up. It worked, and the name stuck.

Church of Satire will open by the end of October in its permanent home at 106 Broadway, offering stand-up shows and eventually improv shows, too.

Bryan, the owner of Church of Satire, had been working in healthcare when he decided to fulfill a dream to open a comedy club.

“We are really excited. This is one of those things, you see your imagination come to life. It’s scary, humbling and exciting all at the same time,” Bryan said.

A comedy club is beneficial to a community because it allows people to hear perspectives that they might not hear every day, Bryan said.

“It creates an avenue for open mindedness,” Bryan said. “I will say, having done shows in this area, there’s a little bit more open mindedness than I think people give Hanover credit for.”

All performers will leave Church of Satire with a complimentary copy of their performance to use for promotional kits and to enhance their careers. 

More: Property group “truly believes in revitalization” of Downtown Hanover

Next door, at 110 Broadway, will be the location of Bryan’s healthcare management and leadership development consulting company, The Professional Humanitarian Project. He will also sell homemade soaps and lotions that his wife, Tara Bryan, makes.

Church of Satire will not serve food, but Bryan is looking to partner with other local businesses to offer food so everyone can benefit from the influx of people.

The club will be moving into the space The Sound Room used to occupy. The Sound Room closed in January, according to owner Shannon Lanier.