About the Show

Price: $22

When: Sunday 7:00

Spotlight: Comedy Kumite is back for the 45th edition! Every few months, the Improv brings great DMV comics together for a one-night stand-up tournament. Each "match" has comics doing sets back-to-back, and the audience chooses one person to advance. At the end of the night, we have a champion ... and the audience ALWAYS wins.

Featuring: Alex Barbag, Clarence Nixon, TBA

About the Comics

Originally from Boca Raton, Alex Barbag is a Washington, D.C. based comedian who was described in the Washington Post as an “odd bird”. Initially, he took offense to that but now thinks it describes him well as he has an offbeat, deceptive stage presence that gets the whole room laughing.

Instagram: @alexbarbag

Clarence Nixon was born and raised in Washington, DC. He’s an example of what happens when introversion meets stand-up comedy. His perspective on everyday life situations become jokes, as he looks to adjust the world one laugh at a time. Find him on Instagram @DudeInDaCorner

Chris White (official website) has been part of the DC comedy scene for more than a decade, both as a performer and as the guy who runs dcstandup.com. Working with the DC Improv, he produces and hosts The Other Side podcast, Happy Hour Trivia, the “Make Up Party" game night and Comedy Kumite stand-up tournaments. His comedy writing on the U.S. presidents has been featured on McSweeney’s, and he has two stand-up albums available on iTunes: “I Take Requests" and “Forbidden Style."

Kumite History

Comedy Kumite was first organized by Chris White around 2005 at venues in D.C. and Northern Virginia. Eight comedians squared off in a bracketed tournament, with the audience deciding the winner of each match with their cheers. The DC Improv worked with Chris to revive the format in its lounge showroom in the summer of 2015, showcasing the next wave of DMV talent. Kumites have returned every few months since then, always selling out in the lounge and sometimes even filling up the club's main showroom. While the venue was closed in 2020 and early 2021, six editions of the tournament were featured in the club's virtual showroom. More than 30 kumite champions have been crowned. You can see them all in the Comedy Kumite Hall of Fame.