The Olympics of "Yes, and."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cR8Zujo0xU

Toledo’s Improv scene is set to take center stage this October. “Smelly Button Presents: Chaple Groans: Improv-enomenon” is a 3 day event blending improv and sketch comedy.  The festival will be held at the historic Trinity Episcopal Church on Adams Street. Improv-anomemon is a weekend of non-stop humor and creativity featuring local performers and writers, working together to bring you live, one hundred percent homegrown comedy. 

Members of Glass City Improv Sketch performing a Table Read. 2025

This festival is open to the public and it is encouraged to get you tickets early for tickets are limited. On Friday night, audiences can expect to witness the face-paced comedy of Short Form Improv Games all featuring current and past students of Glass City Improv, which is Toledo’s premier Improv organization. On top of the hilarity of improv you can expect to see original sketches all submitted by local writers. Think SNL meets Who's line is it anyways. 

Saturday’s lineup shifts gears into All Long Form: All Night, where seasoned and newly formed improv troupes will create entire stories from just a single audience suggestion. The immersive format highlights character development, scene work, and big laughs that grow over the course of each set.  “It’s a chance for us to express ourselves in the moment,” said a Aaron Burkhart of Grandma Teddy’s, a local improv troupe. “This will be an experience like no one has seen in Toledo.”

Jacob and Aaron of "Grandmas Teddy" 2025

Wrapping up the weekend on Sunday, Funday invites the community to step into the spotlight. Teams can sign up for a ten-minute slot or join an open jam, offering newcomers and veterans alike the chance to share the stage.

There truly is something for everyone this weekend. Performers are excited to bring Toledo a healthy dose of laughter and a sense of pride in the 419. In a city that celebrates the arts, improv and sketch comedy often feel like an afterthought. With Chapel Groans, these art forms are finally stepping into the spotlight and onto center stage for an entirely new audience. It truly will be the Olympics of “Yes, and.”