Interview: Various Artists of HYENA SKITS SKETCH SHOW at Gamut Theatre

In need of a night out and a lot of laughs? Check out the Hyena Skits Sketch Show performing at Gamut Theatre in Harrisburg on Saturday, June 28th at 8pm. The show will run approximately 90 minutes with a short intermission, and audiences are invited to enjoy Peggy’s Pub as well as live music. The Hyena Skits Sketch Show is the brainchild of teacher, producer, director, and founder DuJuan Dixon and involves a diverse team of multi-talented writers and performers. Keep reading to learn more about the Hyena Skits Sketch Show and its team!

BWW: Tell us about the Hyena Skits Sketch Show. How did this group come to be? How do you develop your ideas and shows? What makes this group unique?

Dixon: Hyena Skits was born after I lost a job. Instead of slowing down, I decided to build the kind of comedy I grew up loving but never saw done live at a high level anymore. Think In Living Color, Key & Peele, The Carol Burnett Show—shows that delivered big laughs through bold characters and unforgettable moments. That was the blueprint. But I knew it needed to live on stage, with real energy and real people.

We started from scratch in Harrisburg, PA, and now we’re crafting full sketch worlds from the ground up—complete with wardrobe, sound, transitions, and recurring characters. It is run through a Creative Collaborative Network of not just performers, but also writers, wardrobe specialists, prop experts, technicians, and videographers. We have a legit writers’ room, and, as you’ll hear from some of our team members, the team includes performance arts teachers, working TV actors, and professional improv instructors. It’s fast-paced, original, and designed to make people bust a gut laughing. Every show is a rollercoaster of characters, punchlines, and unexpected turns. We consistently aim for and hit the high quality bar while pushing the envelope each and every show.

BWW: For our readers who may not be as familiar with this form of entertainment, what can they expect if they come to this show?

Dixon: Expect to laugh until your face hurts. This is live sketch comedy at a high level—not stand-up, not improv—full worlds, wild characters, and gut-punch twists. No two sketches are alike.

You might see:

• A washed-up NFL star lose his mind during 3rd grade career day because nobody remembers who he is.
• A couple watching TV get roasted by their own smart TV, as hyper-targeted commercials expose all their toxic flaws (8 of 8 Ads).
• A medieval noblewoman roast a scholar so bad the whole pub starts chanting his worst pickup line (Lady Margaret Roasts Sir Thomas).
• A robber who forgets he’s robbing a store because he runs into his old high school buddy and starts reminiscing mid-crime.
• A man who checks into a hospital and ends up getting diagnosed by a red Solo cup and nearly treated with a charcoal enema (RFK Jr Emergency Room).

BWW: Let’s get to know some of the creatives who work on the Hyena Skits Sketch show.

DuJuan: I’m DuJuan Dixon—teacher, producer, director, and founder of Hyena Skits. I’ve been performing for 9 years. I act in film, write scripts, direct stage plays, and consult on creative projects. I’m also the Culture and Arts Pillar for Juneteenth Harrisburg through YPOC. Around here, people sometimes call me the Keenan Ivory Wayans of HBG—and I take that seriously. I feel like everything I’ve done, from theatre to production to community work, feeds into how we write and perform now.

Vanessa: Hola, I’m Vanessa Codorniu—Peruvian-born, NYC-bred, and 7 years deep into Harrisburg life. I was trained at LaGuardia High School of the Arts, NYU Tisch, the Nuyorican Poets Café residency, and The Puerto Rican Intercultural Drama Ensemble. As a Latina artist, I’ve always felt the lack of diversity in many artistic spaces. I know many theatres are working hard on that—but it’s also something I’ve committed to building wherever I go. I’ve been part of the HIT (Harrisburg Improv Theatre) for 8.5 years. I’m also proud to have founded LoS CoMpLiCaDos, the first Latino improv team in PA, which performs in CT, Baltimore, SteelStacks, and Fringe 2025. In addition to improv, I’ve sung in a band, belly danced in NYC with the Shimmy Sisters, acted, and directed. And now I’m excited to be back on screen as well. By day (and sometimes night), I run a full-time online business as a coach, clinical hypnotist, and trainer, including using improv for leadership trainings. I’ve held retreats in PA for six years, and internationally in Peru and Mexico, focused on ancestral healing. Through that work, I realized something powerful: reclaiming joy and play is ancestral healing. Joining the Hyena Skits Sketch Show was a no-brainer. It’s bold, diverse, and filled with people I love and respect from the Harrisburg Improv Theatre.

Jared: I’m a local native from Harrisburg, PA, and this is my first sketch show! I personally wrote Slim Jim and the Canvasser and was inspired to create satire out of the current political climate. My experience with performance art started with taking improv classes 3 years ago at the local Harrisburg Improv Theater. I think of myself as an all-around artist. I have the audacity to try just about anything. I think the next type of performance art I want to try is stand-up comedy.

Arona: I'm a devoted wife, mother, sister, and daughter, and, at forty-two, I'm feeling grateful for life's journey. By day, I work with seniors, helping them transition from nursing facilities back to the comfort of their own homes. Outside of work, my family and improv friends bring laughter and joy to my life. I've been performing since elementary school when I did a talent show rendition of Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation. I was also involved in local theater through the Civic Light Opera in Pittsburgh PA. After taking a break for many years, I reignited my passion for performance in 2023 by taking an improv class. I'm now a regular performer at the Harrisburg Improv Theater. I'm also really excited about my team Unhushed Sisters, which features all Black women as the core team.

Kody: My Name is Kody Paige. I am 23 years old, and I am an actor/model. I currently live in York, Pennsylvania. In my free time I love to read and watch movies as well as going out with my friends. As a kid I was on my school’s chorus team, and I played the drums as well. I discovered a love for improv and sketch comedy, and I’ve been performing for about six months now. I do improv at The Harrisburg improv Theater(aka HIT).

Andi: Hi, I’m Andi Taroli. I’m a 67-year-old retired physician. I come from a severely Italian-American family and have the scars to prove it. Comedy was always a refuge, and I grew up with shows like the Carol Burnett Show, Laugh-In, and SNL. I’ve also danced on and off through the years when time allowed (ballet, contemporary, jazz).

Susan: I’m Susan Bassler. I’ve always wanted to find ways to express myself creatively, and, through lots of experimentation, classes, successes, and failures, I now consider myself a jack of all trades and master of a few. I have been performing in some way for basically my whole life. I started in small, simple plays with school and scout groups, then competed in storytelling events. As I got older, I competed in public speaking events nationwide. I’ve also done a lot of backstage work and have performed in scripted plays. Improv theatre has been my passion for about 5 years now. Any chance that exists where I can get in front of people and become someone else, I jump on it. I love the opportunity to learn new things, and to grow as a person and as a performer. I’m now branching out and working on more film projects and am finding that to be a new and fascinating way to express myself. It’s taken some adjustment from the scripted theatre and improv thought process to translate to the film screen, but it’s an interesting process to be part of.

BWW: How did each of you get involved in sketch comedy?

DuJuan: For me, it started with character work. I’ve always been drawn to storytelling and bold personas. Sketch gave me a way to explore that and to create layered comedy with rhythm, conflict, and payoff. With professional improv training and mentorship from amazing teachers, I learned how to elevate those ideas into tight, explosive pieces of live theater. Sketch gives me the freedom to be bold, smart, loud, and subtle—all in one show!

Vanessa: I learned English around 7 or 8 years old. I translated for my parents—words,  conversations, and even jokes. My real humor education? Watching SNL, The Carol Burnett Show, and Tracey Ullman. I adored her sketch show and ended up making my own as a kid—in two languages—for my family and friends. Laughter was my first language of power—and sketch comedy keeps that power alive.

Jared: DuJuan proposed the idea of creating a live, edgy, cool sketch show like In Living Color.  With little hesitation, I joined him and a group of local writers. Over a few months,  we tentatively crafted original sketches.

Arona: I've had a lifelong love for comedy, thanks to my dad, who always kept things light and funny. Growing up, we'd watch classic comedies like Ernest P. Worrell, In Living Color, and Wayne's World—those were the highlights of my week. When I started doing improv a couple of years ago, my passion for comedy reignited. I devoured Saturday Night Live shows, and when a friend invited me to join a group of improvisers for a sketch show, I jumped at the chance.

Kody: I was in my improv class that was taught by the wonderful DuJuan Dixon, and one day he came up to me and asked if I wanted to join his sketch comedy team. I didn’t know much about sketch comedy at the time, but I was just so thrilled to be asked to join that I jumped at the opportunity.

Andi: I got involved with sketch during my training at the Harrisburg Improv Theatre. Improv brought back my spontaneity, but writing sketch helps to assuage my need for structure.

Susan: I have always watched sketch comedy shows as a kid—even old SNL way back in the day with my parents. I watched the newer SNL shows and eventually progressed to Mad TV and The State as I got older. I have performed in many areas of theatre, but sketch comedy always stuck with me because it’s quick, offers some aspects of improv and collaborative creativity, and has a pretty quick payoff if it works. Also, if it doesn’t work, it’s usually a low stakes investment, and then you can move on to the next sketch and circle back around to what didn’t work when you go back to the drawing board in the future.

BWW: What do you love most about sketch comedy? What do you think audiences will enjoy most?

DuJuan: What I love most is the surprise. You have 3-5 minutes to hit people with a setup, twist, and payoff and get them laughing along the way. Our job isn’t just to entertain—it’s to wreck the room with laughter. Whether it’s a high-stakes customer service meltdown, or a voter registration drive that turns into a peppermint-fueled conspiracy (Slim Jim & the Canvasser), our sketches aim to hit different moods but always land with a punch. The audience will enjoy how fast it moves, how immersive it is, and how unpredictable it feels. It’s a full-body laugh, not a chuckle.

Vanessa: What I love most about sketch is the process. Some of us have been working on this since last year, while others joined later. But from the spark of an idea, to writing, to re-writing, to casting, to performing—it’s a beautiful exploration of expression and timing. As healers, immigrants, humans—we’ve spent so much time processing grief. That’s important. But joy, creativity, and playful expression through improv and sketch? That’s medicine too.

Jared: I personally like satire sketches; however, I love the utilization of different types of comedy in our show. You will find great examples of slapstick, romantic, situational, parody, surreal, and word-play comedy. I think audiences will enjoy the sketches that match their preferred comedy. A lot of people have said they love the sketch Lil Guilty due to the wordplay in the sketch. Another favorite is Life Coach due to the situational comedy aspects.

Arona: Sketch comedy is important to me because it allows us to tackle tough subjects in a way that's both entertaining and thought-provoking. By using humor, we can shine a light on real issues and spark meaningful conversations. Plus, it's a great way to bring people together and make them laugh.

Kody: I love the camaraderie that comes along with sketch comedy. The time we spend rehearsing and going over sketches only makes our bond stronger. I love how we collectively bring our creative energies together and create something that is funny for everyone to watch and enjoy. That’s the best thing about it! There isn’t one sketch that I think the audience won’t enjoy, and that’s a testament to the amount of work and dedication we put in to bring this together.

Andi: What do I love about sketch? Writing. Performing. Costumes. And the added spice of mixing in a little improv. I think audiences have the best time when performers are having a good time…and we sure do!

Susan: I love that sketch is so fast paced and varied. I love that sketch can be so collaborative. Sometimes it starts with a tiny idea that’s not fully developed. You feel the idea is funny, but you think it needs some help. Then you get to spend time in the ‘writer’s room’ with other people, and you get to launch out that tiny idea and get feedback. Sometimes it turns out to be a dud, but sometimes someone else grasps that idea and expands upon it, turning it into a fully formed idea that becomes something GREAT! I think that audiences will enjoy the amazing variety. There really is something for everyone.

BWW: Why should our readers come to your show?

DuJuan: Because the world feels heavy right now. People are glued to their phones, laughing alone, while real connection and joy are getting lost in the scroll. Hyena Skits is the antidote to that—it’s live, it’s in the room, and it’s built to make people laugh hard and feel something real again. What makes this show feel different is who’s behind it—we’re a diverse mix of performers from all walks of life: different races, ages, cultures, and perspectives. You see that reflected in the sketches, in the characters, and in the crowd itself. This isn’t comedy for one type of person—this is comedy for everybody.

Vanessa: Readers should come to our show because it’s important to remember our collective human experience, to laugh, to cheer, and to nurture the hope for the future that happens when we see people pull together and present a show.

Jared: Not only do you have the opportunity to support local artists, but it’s also a darn good show. It will definitely surpass your expectations.

Arona: Our sketch show is especially great because our diverse cast brings a wide range of perspectives and experiences to the stage. With actors of all ages and backgrounds working together, we can create content that's relatable and entertaining for a broad audience.

Kody: If you like music, surprises, a relatable humor, and, of course, nonstop laughter without scrolling on Tiktok for hours, come on out and see us!

Andi: In my expert opinion as a retired physician, laughter may not be the best medicine (shout out to ibuprofen!) but it is the most impressively effective alternative therapy we’ve got.

Susan: It’s not like anything that’s been done or is being done in the area. We have a full show that is well-coordinated with props, costumes, effects, and outstanding actors. We have action, innuendo, some shock value, and so many laughs. You won’t regret spending an evening laughing like a hyena!

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