DSI Comedy Set to Open New Space on 5/1

There are a lot of hammers and nails at work in DSI Comedy Theater's new home. Beginning May 1, DSI Comedy Theater will be running classes and shows in its new space at 462 W. Franklin Street. DSI Comedy Theater staff and local contractors have been hard at work putting the finishing touches on the new space. The new space will kick off with a stellar weekend of performances welcoming New York City based musical sketch comedy sensations, Pop Roulette, Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3 at 8:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10 and are available online at www.dsicomedy.com.

DSI is in the final weeks of a $35,000 Kickstarter campaign to help raise funds for their new home. The campaign can be found at www.kickstarter.com/projects/zachward/dsi-comedy-on-franklin-street. The new building boasts 7,200 square feet including the basement area and upstairs offices.

Pop Roulette comes to town for the opening weekend of DSI Comedy's new home. Pop Roulette is a musical sketch comedy group based in NYC that performs regularly at the People's Improv Theater. If Sesame Street is for young children, and Nickelodeon's All That is for teens, Pop Roulette is the sugar-coated equivalent for people in their 20s and 30s. The sketch comedy group seeks to create an unsentimental, comedic yet critical satire about its generation. Pop Roulette is Sudi Green, Lauren Ireland, David Mizzoni, Matt Rogers, Amanda Shechtman, Tessa Skara, Jonathan Sokolow, Douglas Widick, and Bowen Yang.

"The last couple months have been a whirlwind of meetings and permits and more business than entertainment," explains owner Zach Ward. "DSI performers and myself personally are ready for shows on Franklin Street. New and loyal comedy fans should make plans now for opening weekend with guests Pop Roulette, incredibly funny friends from New York coming down to help DSI christen its new stage."

DSI Comedy Theater is closing out its first decade in a new home. More than eight years ago, the theater moved into its Carrboro space following the continued success of the now 14 year old North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival. Ward, a Chapel Hill native, returned home from Chicago, where he had studied improv comedy and wanted to bring that knowledge to his hometown. The theater was founded to build on the success of the festival and offer year-round performances and classes in comedy. DSI Comedy Theater now boasts a local company of 90+ active local performers and a national network of comedians. DSI has presented shows and workshops during and outside of the festival featuring noted comedians like: Louis C.K., Emo Philips, Chris Gethard, Mike Birbiglia, Kumail Nanjiani, Kevin McDonald, Rich Talarico, Margaret Cho, Eddie Brill, Bryan H. Tucker, Sasheer Zamata, Aparna Nancherla, Sara Benincasa, Eric Hunicutt, Anthony King and Jill Bernard and many others. A dedicated member of its community, DSI supports the greater Triangle region with fundraisers, outreach, and educational opportunities for all ages and abilities. It is the home of DSI Communication, a Corporate Training, Leadership Development and Team Building organization, and the DSI Comedy School, which offers new classes to the public every month, classes in the art of improv, stand-up and sketch comedy.