About the Show
Price: $15 GA, $20 reserved
When: Wednesday 7:30
Spotlight: Join us for a supersized edition of the world's greatest stand-up competition! Each Wednesday for four straight weeks (July 9 - July 30), we'll have six different performers duke it out. Each "match" has comics doing sets back-to-back, and the audience chooses one person to advance. At the end of each Wednesday, we'll have a champion ... and of course, the audience ALWAYS wins. Once all four champs are determined, they'll return one more time for a no-holds-barred comedy battle (August 6). The winner of that match becomes our Comedy Kumite XL champion for 2025! This is a great way to enjoy top local talent, at a price that's a knockout.
Featuring: Dale Dunlap, Jamal Russell, Matt Chrzanowski, Clarence Nixon, Kasha Patel, TBA
About the Comics
Dale Dunlap is a comic from Northern Virginia. She's performed all over the DC area, as well as Boston, New York, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Austin, and Salt Lake City. Dale will give you an almost too-personal glimpse into her life. Come listen, laugh, and maybe become friends
Instagram: @daledunlapdc
Jamal Russell is a D.C. based comedian who has been doing comedy for six years. Jamal has performed at the Ice House in L.A., Caroline's on Broadway, the Milwaukee comedy festival, the Motor City comedy festival and the Boston comedy festival. Jamal won Comedy Kumite 32 (winter 2022) at the DC Improv, and he was a finalist at Comedy Kumite XL (summer 2023).
Instagram: @laughwithjamal
Matt Chrzanowski is a stand-up comedian based out of Washington, DC. He talks a lot about his southern upbringing and corporate life. There isn't much overlap between the two. Matt has performed at the DC Improv, Laughing Skull Lounge, 9:30 Club, and the Red Clay Comedy Festival. He's performed with acts such as Joey Avery, Dan Toomey, and Eddie Ifft.
Instagram: @matt_chrzanowski
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.
Instagram: @DudeInDaCorner
Kasha Patel (official website) was listed on Thrillist magazine’s “Best Undiscovered Comedians in the US,” where she was called a unicorn for her uniqueness. She has a witty sense of humor that couples life as an Indian-American and her love for science. She produces science-themed comedy shows through her company DC Science Comedy. She gave a TEDx talk called “Sneaking Science into Stand-Up” where she shares a series of surprising revelations pulled from her analysis of more than 500 of her stand-up jokes. She has been featured in The Washington Post, BBC World News, Travel Channel, The Science Channel, The Weather Channel, and hosted a mini series on NASA TV. Follow her on Twitter @KashaPatel.
Instagram: @kashablanca
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.