Pun DMV: Halloween Edition
Pun DMV: Halloween Edition is a live pun-comedy contest at DC Improv, hosted by Dana Fleitman. The Halloween program includes the event’s regular Freestyle and Tournament competitions, along with a special pun-themed costume contest. Guests can watch the competition or take part in one of the audience-participation events.
In the Freestyle competition, contestants prepare a short speech based on a chosen theme and fill it with puns. Finalists are selected for the quality of their wordplay and delivery, and the audience chooses the winner by cheering. The Tournament is an improvised, head-to-head pun battle in which contestants receive themes and create puns on the spot; competitors are eliminated when they get stumped, with the last participant standing advancing to victory.
When: Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at 7:30
Venue: DC Improv, Main Room
Tickets: $8.50 general admission or $14.50 reserved, including service charges
Costume Contest: Guests may enter by purchasing a costume-contest ticket, which also includes admission. The audience will select its favorite pun-based costume, and the winner will receive a cash prize.
Host: Dana Fleitman
Freestyle Event: Contestants choose a punning theme and prepare a brief, approximately two-minute speech. Participants are confirmed in advance; the competitor list was listed as TBA. Interested performers were asked to complete the event’s Google form.
Tournament Event: An on-the-spot competition for up to 20 participants. Anyone attending may compete by signing up at the venue.
About Dana Fleitman: Fleitman is a Washington, D.C.-area comedian known for imaginative, sarcastic observations about everyday subjects. She hosts the quarterly PUN DMV contest, co-founded the Just Kidding Comedy Collective, and created the Standup Comedy Incubator for underrepresented genders. Her credits include opening for Paul Virzi and Bengt Washburn, appearing with Zach Sherwin on The Crossword Show, and performing at venues and festivals including the Howard Theatre, Arch City Comedy Festival, Contemporary Jewish Museum, Word Museum, and She Devil Comedy Festival.
Address: 1140 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036
Run time: Not listed
Age policy: Not listed
Contact: 202-296-7008 or support@dcimprov.com