Dunville, Massachusetts is a tranquil, close-knit Boston suburb wherein the most exciting event is the annual Halloween pageant. When Dunville is financially and emotionally ravaged by the 2008 recession, one of its wealthier citizens establishes the town's first comedy club, The Dunville Jokebox, to help revitalize the town. As Dunville begins to recover from its economic devastation, club manager Russ Manning begins a yearlong contest called The Count to attract even more customers to the club and bring in more revenue. The contest gradually creates division and tension among the townspeople, culminating in tragic personal and collective consequences.
At The Dunville Jokebox, a young comedian named Emmon Mims emerges as the star comic at the club, attracting many citizens in town with his boyish charm and enthusiasm, if not any genius comedic talent. Although not quite as popular as Emmon at first, another comedian named Bill Dickens appeals to the more educated citizens in Dunville with his sophisticated intellectual humor. Both comedians develop a following and accumulate ardent fans within the Dunville community. As the competition of The Count leads to strife and tension among Dunville citizens and each comedian's fans, the characters are forced to make personal choices that ultimately lead to tragic consequences.