Wichita nomadic improv troupe Say What?! celebrates 25 years
When Dan Gray moved to Wichita from Topeka in 1998, he noticed his new hometown didn’t have something the state capitol did – an improvisational comedy troupe.
“There had been at some point in Old Town, but there wasn’t anything currently going on,” he recalled. “So, in 2000, I just, on a whim, decided to start a group, and back then, you know, put an ad in the paper, in the Sunday paper, for auditions.”
That morning, Gray got a phone call from Andrew Bennett, who expressed interest in the unscripted performance concept.
And Say What?! Improv was born.
“We ended up getting a group together, and practicing,” Gray added. “It’s been good since then.”
Wichita’s longest-running improv company celebrates its silver anniversary next weekend with a performance at Wave that includes fellow improv companies First Draft, Parking Lot Sushi and The Scallywags – which started before Say What?!, but also includes scripted comedy.
The city is now up to five improv companies, Gray said, most of which have started since 2020.
“I think one thing that has been unique for us is we’ve never had our own location to perform,” Gray said.
Performance spaces have included Mead’s Coffee Shop, Donut Hole, Mary Jane Teall Theatre in Century II, Cowtown, Vorshay’s Cocktail Lounge and 2 ½ years at the former Loony Bin Comedy Club.
“I think that’s been pretty unique to keep a group together that long without really having a dedicated home performance space,” Gray added.
The number of performers in Say What?! doubled last year to 14 after successful auditions, Gray said.
“This always gives us plenty of people to be able to put on a good show,” he said. “It’s been a lot of fun with this group — a lot of new, younger talent and a good mix of people, too. Some people came in with some experience, some that didn’t have any experience or very little experience.”
“Other groups have a ‘core four’ that works out, but with us we can kind of change things around,” Bennett added. “When you’re working with people year after year, you develop this cohesiveness and connectivity that really shows itself.”
Most of the Say What?! cast, Gray said, have had experience in community and/or college theater.
“It has been kind of a good additional skill set to bring to doing improv, that theater experience,” Gray said.
Several past members have also been standup comedians.
“They can spend time working on their crowd work or some things they wanted to kind of try out,” Bennett said.
Among the veterans is Brittany Opfar, who joined 9 ½ years ago.
“It helps me a lot even in my day-to-day, especially with my job,” she said about improv. “I work in medicine, and I have to think on my feet a lot, and improv has been able to give me a lot of valuable tools that continue into my life every day, so I’m very appreciative for that. And it gives me a sense of community, because I get to be with people that I consider almost family. For over a decade, I see them weekly. You have to be vulnerable with them, and they understand your hardships and your strengths, and your weaknesses, so I like that sense of community that I get being on a comedy team.”
Topping Gray’s list for the future is a permanent home for Say What?!, but he said he’s satisfied with building the quality of the performers and the team.
“That’s one challenge for us, how can we kind of keep setting ourselves apart,” he said. “We don’t want to ride on our coattails and just say, ‘yeah, we’ve been here 25 years, you know, everybody knows us.’ We want to keep evolving, we want to keep growing and doing different things, and I feel very strong that will happen.”
SAY WHAT?! 25TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15
Where: Wave, 650 E. 2nd St.
Tickets: $25, at waveict.com