Dallas-Fort Worth clubs and troupes offering comic relief

by Morgan Walker of North Texas Daily

To celebrate the end of the first full week of school, students might head to a favorite bar, watch a movie or just use the weekend to catch up on sleep.

Others might be in the mood for a good laugh.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area is full of comedy clubs ready to entertain, whether in stand-up comedy, sketch comedy or through improvisation.

(Video by NT Daily photographers Jayda Quiency and Cristy Angulo)

Those who love stand-up comedy might be interested in Hyena’s Comedy Nightclub, which has locations in Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington.

Cesar Cervantes, a favorite comedian at Hyena’s, has performed there for five years and also in many areas of the country including El Paso, Los Angeles and Boston at the Boston Comedy Festival, a weeklong event that features comedians from around the world.

“Dallas itself has a phenomenal comedy scene,” Cervantes said. “I don’t know what it is about this area that really loves to support comedy, but it seems to just flourish.”

Cervantes also said many clubs, three at which he worked, are closing down across the country because of the recession, but Hyena’s seems to be unaffected.

Just north of Dallas is Addison Improv, a comedy club that has new acts almost every night of the week and also offers a dinner menu.

Those who wish to dine at Addison Improv may reserve tickets online by selecting the date of the show they wish to see, followed by the time of the show and the section in which they want to sit.

Seating for the first show of the day is first come, first served, so the club recommends arriving early to get a better seat. However, the late shows are assigned in order of purchase.

Once in the club, there is a two-item minimum purchase, which is not included in the ticket price, according to Addison Improv’s website.

For those who want to explore other areas besides Dallas, there is also Four Day Weekend, an improvisation comedy club in Fort Worth.

The comedy troupe at Four Day Weekend, established in 1997, has performed 3,500 shows.

“Fort Worth has a great sense of community and really supports the arts,” said David Wilk, one of the founding members.

The group performs about three hundred shows a year in areas around the world, including Nashville, Hawaii, Canada, Bermuda and Belize.

The venue tends to bring in more college students during the later showings, Wilk said. Shows are on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 and 10, and tickets are $20 per person.

There is also a bar in the lobby area outside the theater.

But driving to Dallas or Fort Worth – as well as buying tickets for these shows – can be costly.

For those not wanting to make the trek, Thought for Food, an improvisational group based in Denton, performs throughout the month in many locations close to the UNT campus.

The group has performed at the Christian Campus Center and the Hydrant, both on Oak Street, and Art Six Coffee House on the corner of Bryan and Scripture streets.

The shows are free and usually last about an hour.

Thought for Food has also performed in improv clubs in Austin, said David Allison, a group member and communications junior at Tarrant County College.

“It’s better to have a live show with a lot of energy and a lot of people,” Allison said. “We value that more than making money.”

Those interested in seeing Thought for Food can check the group’s website, www.tffimprov.com, which lists the group’s Twitter and Facebook pages as well as contact information.