Laughter the best medicine at Super Dope Comedy Festival

Not many comedy shows go from eight comics performing in a tiny living room to four shows over a weekend at the oldest comedy club in Ohio, but the Super Dope Show did.

The Super Dope Comedy Festival will be held Friday and Saturday at Wiley’s Comedy Club for the third year in a row.

The Super Dope Show was started in 2015 by Dayton native Dan Sebree. Sebree has been doing comedy since 2014, but knew since he was 8 years old that he wanted to be a comedian.

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“I used to watch Comedy Central half-hours all the time in grade and middle school. My sister took me to see an open mic at Wiley’s when I was 18, and I remember watching and thinking, ‘Yeah, I can do better than these people,’ and that’s when I decided I should start writing jokes,” he said.

The original shows were held in a 400-square-foot one-bedroom apartment. The shows continued to grow bigger and bigger, sometimes with upwards of 60 people crammed into a living room. In September 2016, Sebree decided to create the festival.

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"I wanted to try to run the show at a comedy club, and Wiley's was gracious enough to trust me and my show, and give it a shot. I didn't want to book it like a typical club show," he said.

The festival consists of four shows over Friday and Saturday. The festival also overflows into the Wiley’s Sunday Comic show, which Sebree is headlining. There will be eight comics from all over the country performing each night, as well as some local comics.

According to Sebree, the festival is one of Wiley’s most successful weekends of the year. Congressman Mike Turner actually attended last year’s event. Don Smith, one of the owners of Wiley’s, agrees with Sebree.

“We’ve been very happy with its success. It’s been amazing watching it grow over the years and my hope is that it continues to grow,” Smith said.

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This year’s headliners include Kelly Collette, from Cincinnati who tours nationally. She performs Friday. Kenny DeForest, from New York City, performs Saturday and he has been on HBO’s “Crashing” and Late Night with Seth Meyers. Sebree has put a lot of energy into finding the right performers for the festival.

“… Let’s be honest, Dayton has had a rough year. We all could use a laugh, and I have kept that in the forefront of my mind while planning and producing this festival for the last four months. Dayton deserves the best comedy show I can give them, and I think this year’s is the best comedy show I’ve put together,” Sebree said.

Six months ago, Sebree moved to Columbus to pursue more stage time to improve his craft, but still loves his Dayton comedy scene.

“My favorite part about the Dayton comedy scene is the community. Everyone just wants everyone to succeed. We help each other with jokes, we give notes to each other, and we all have the same goal. Get as good as you can get. And they’re funny too so that is nice,” Sebree said.


HOW TO GO

What: Super Dope Comedy Festival

Where: Wiley's Comedy Club, 101 Pine St.

When: Shows are at 7:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 8-9.

Cost: Tickets are $10 online and $15 at the door. The shows have sold out in the past, so calling for a reservation is encouraged.

More info: Visit the website at www.wileyscomedy.com or call 937-224-5653.

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