Origin of the Cafe' Comedy Players, Dawn Holley, Founder National Improv and Stand-up Revue

The Players
established 2003

Since 2003 Dawn, producing & performing in Café Comedy— an improv and stand-up revue— has worked with over 60 comedians. All of these funny-minded folks traveled to a little coffee house in Grove City to join the fun. Many have returned or became regulars since, well...we laugh a lot.

Then, in 2004, invitations came to take Cafe' Comedy shows on the road and perform regularly at a second venue, The Maennerchor, in German Village. The troupe continued to perform there until 2007 when an invitation to perform in Marysville came by way of Philly's Bar and Grill. The venue held its first Cafe' Comedy show on July 28,2007 to a full house. The show was featured in the Columbus Dispatch on July 26th.

Yury Khidekel joined Cafe' Comedy in December of 2005.

scOtt summitt joined in 2006

Patsy Batdorf joined in 2007

This is the official history of the magical, coincidental and let's not forget convenient union of three diverse performers who now comprise the troupe, The Cafe' Comedy Players. You may find this phenomenon performing monthly at Nora's, a cozy coffee house in Grove City Ohio, and in a very charming supper club in German Village.

Each month Dawn hosts & The Cafe' Comedy Players perform joyful improv, skits and stand-up to often standing-room only crowds.

Patsy Batdorf, Yury Khidekel,scOtt summitt & Dawn Holley

For bookings: 614.361.0359 or email

What people are saying about Cafe' Comedy

More on the individual The Cafe' Comedy Players

scOtt summitt is a veteran character and improv actor, who has worked in theatre, film, television, improv and sketch comedy. He lived three years
in L.A., working on numerous television shows including "The West Wing," "Scrubs," "The Practice," "Ally McBeal" and "Firefly" as well as films like
"Intolerable Cruelty" and "A Mighty Wind." He regularly performs improv comedy throughout the Columbus/Central Ohio area with the Café Comedy
Players, the Pale Imitations improv troupe, and Full Frontal Nudity. scOtt continues to flex his acting muscles in the local independent film
community and appears in several local and regional commercials.

Yury Khidekel started improv comedy two years ago and proceeded to fall in love with it immediately. Along with scOtt, Yury has performed with the Pale Imitations in Columbus
and had dabbled in stand-up comedy, as well. Along with comedy, Yury also paints and writes short stories, and by day, he is a computer consultant.

The Cafe' Comedy Players' Mission

To travel to each state in this diverse and beautiful country and to share Café Comedy with coffee drinkers everywhere.

WHERE IN THE COUNTRY IS CAFE' COMEDY?!!! Dawn has a personal goal to take the spirit of Cafe' Comedy around to all the states in our beautiful country.

WHERE has Dawn been so far? California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia

For bookings: 614.361.0359 or email:dawn@dawnholley.com

What people are saying about Cafe' Comedy

“Could Grove City supplant Columbus as Ohio’s comedy capital?
...an increasing number of guffaws are emanating from the suburb.”
The Columbus Dispatch

“exceptionally funny”
Southwest Messenger (Central Ohio)

“wildly popular ”
Grove City Visitors & Convention Bureau

Audience comments:

"Ryan Stiles & Wayne Brady couldn't do better."
B. Baker, OH

"Oh my!
It was so funny, you had better wear Depends!"
G. Thrasher, Galloway OH

"What a wonderful evening of comedy.
Thanks for all the laughs."
Fran & Lee Addy, Dublin OH

Dawn's photo by Taki Rakhmnanov © 2005, for more info email: gtahir@mail.ru
Tim Lucas photograph by Jeff Reed, © 200 5 No images may be used without written permission. Cafe' Comedy© 2005, Dawn Holley, all rights reserved
The Cafe Comedy Players, images and logos © 2005, Dawn Holley, all rights reserved