The show was a “brainchild” of local comics Jon Morris and Travis Charles. Both have performed comedy for many years in Dayton. The duo wanted to create a show where absolutely anything could happen.
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“Basically, I wanted a show where comics who have material that’s considered offensive or too risqué can have a place they can feel 100% comfortable performing them,” Charles said.
Charles is originally from Richmond, Va. and has been performing comedy for a little over 13 years. He said the point of the show is that nothing is off-limits; it just has to be funny.
The first two shows were also at Wiley’s, and the turnout was good. Charles said he received amazing audience response and credits Wiley’s for giving him and other comics a place to try out new and different show ideas.
“Wiley’s is so amazing for allowing me to continue having these shows at the club. They have given me a platform to push the envelope along with my friends,” Charles said.
Don Smith, part owner of Wiley’s and comedian on the show, said that the club has had great success when local comics take an idea for a show and run with it.
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“Wiley’s has been very fortunate to have a good relationship with the local comedy community. We’ve had good luck with local comics running shows at the club. This will be the third ‘Most Offensive’ show that Travis has run, and we’ve had pretty good turnouts for each of them,” Smith said.
Beyond just finding comics that can adhere to the show’s theme, Charles wants to bring other acts to the area. Charles likes to get a sampling of comics from not just Dayton, but regional cities.
The local comedians performing include Joe Robinette, Travis Charles, Kevin Ruppert, Don Smith and Jon Morris. Out-of-town comics include Chris Siemer and Josh Faust of Cincinnati, and Amber Falter of Columbus.
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Siemer, who is the show’s headliner, has appeared at numerous comedy festivals and is a regular feature at Go Bananas Comedy Club in Cincinnati. Falter, the only female comedian on the show, was voted the Best Comedian in Columbus by Columbus Alive, a weekly entertainment magazine and website.
Since this is the third show, Charles said that the comics intend to “amp it up.” He said a few past audience members complained that show wasn’t offensive enough. Smith sees the title of the show less literally.
“I think the name was initially chosen just as a gag. None of the previous shows have been particularly offensive. I think the idea behind it is that too many people are easily offended these days, and we just want the freedom to tell the jokes we want to tell without worrying about upsetting the masses,” Smith said.
There is already a tentative date for the fourth “offensive” show in October. Charles has hopes that the show will continue and grow bigger, spanning more across the Midwest.
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“We have plans to take this show on the road in the future and are in talks with other clubs to make it into a tour,” he said.
The show is a one-night-only show on Friday, July 26 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 if purchased online prior to the show. Tickets will be $15 at the door. Get tickets at www.wileyscomedy.com. Come with an open mind and be ready to laugh.
“With all of our shows, our hope is that people can come out (in large numbers), sit back, relax, and enjoy a group of funny people doing what we love to do,” Smith said.
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