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First Annual Transformer Comedy Fest Comes to Pittsfield

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Transformer Comedy Fest will feature three days of comedians from across the nation at Flat Burger Society and Dottie's Coffee Lounge.

The event runs from Thursday to Saturday at 8 p.m. with headliners Caitlin Cook, Anthony DeVito, and Josh Gondelman.

The festival is independent and homegrown festival with local and regional comics in supporting roles at each show. It is being produced by the Comedy Grotto at Flat Burger Society, a monthly professional comedy production, in cooperation with Dottie's.

Flat Burger Society is located on McKay Street and Dottie's is located at the corner of North Street and Maplewood Avenue.

Thursday, Oct. 13

Caitlin Cook kicks off the festival at the Comedy Grotto. She uses irreverent musical comedy and projected visuals and has taken the stage at top-tier comedy clubs and theaters and has released two musical comedy albums both of which are regularly featured on Sirius XM and other streaming platforms. She is currently touring "The Writing On The Stall," a one-woman bathroom stall graffiti musical that made its official debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland in August.

Friday, Oct. 14

Writer and comedian Anthony DeVito takes the stage of Dottie's Coffee Lounge. He's appeared on CBS' "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," "Comedy Central Stand Up Presents: Anthony DeVito," Comedy Central's "Adam Devine's House Party," NPR's "This American Life," TV Land's "The Jim Gaffigan Show," and AXS TV's "Gotham Comedy Live." His debut album "Dream Occupation" is available from Comedy Central Records. DeVito has created a one-person show about finding out a family secret titled "My Dad Isn't Danny DeVito" that also made its debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Saturday, Oct. 15

On the final night, author, producer, and comedian Josh Gondelman will headline Flat Burger Society's Comedy Grotto. Gondelman is a writer and comedian who incubated in Boston before moving to New York City, where he currently lives, and most recently worked as the head writer and an executive producer for "Desus & Mero" on Showtime. Previously, he spent five years at "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," where he earned four Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards, and three WGA Awards. His debut standup special "People Pleaser" is available to stream now. In 2016, Josh made his late-night standup debut on "Conan" (TBS), and he has also performed on "Late Night With Seth Meyers" (NBC) and "The Late Late Show with James Corden" (CBS).

Gondelman is also the author of the essay collection "Nice Try: Stories of Best Intentions and Mixed Results" published in September 2019 by Harper Perennial. As of 2019, he has become a regular panelist on NPR mainstay "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me."

Additionally, on Tuesday, Nov. 15, comedian Eddie Pepitone, subject of the documentary "The Bitter Buddha" and creator of comedy specials for Comedy Central, HBO, and Netflix, with hundreds of entries on his IMDB page, will headline the Comedy Grotto at Flat Burger Society.

Tickets for individual shows are available in advance via www.transformerfest.com.


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Peace Officer Standards Commission Strips Former Pittsfield Cop of Certification

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— A former Pittsfield Police officer was one of five statewide who recently had their licenses revoked by the  POST Commission. 

Last week, the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission voted to strip five former officers of their licenses to work in law enforcement, including former PPD officer William Straub

The commission had determined that these workers were unfit to carry a badge and gun in Massachusetts; so far, 92 state police officers have been decertified by the commission. 

Records indicate that Straub faced charges tied to a 2024 incident, but details are redacted.  On Oct. 31, 2024, the POST Commission suspended Straub's law enforcement certification, and he resigned from PPD in April. 

"According to Pittsfield District Court records, Straub pleaded guilty in April to two counts of misdemeanor assault and battery tied to a 2024 incident," MassLive wrote on Monday. 

"Three other charges, including drunk driving and carrying a firearm while intoxicated, were continued without a finding. While that resolution allows the charges to be dismissed after a period of time if Straub abides by certain conditions, the commission treats them as a criminal conviction."

According to records, he was certified as a police officer in July of 2021, and recertified in July 2024.  

"The Respondent's appointing agency, the Pittsfield Police Department ("PPD"), submitted a final report to the Commission finding that the Respondent had engaged in criminal conduct and conduct unbecoming [of] an officer," the Aug. 20 final decision to decertify reads. 

"The Respondent resigned from PPD on April 9, 2026, prior to the imposition of any discipline." 

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