The Dinner Theatre Rejects

Origins 

Four people are standing and talking in an indoor space with natural light. Two men are engaged in conversation, and two women are standing near a small table, one of whom is using a phone. The background features a wall and large windows.

Brought forth in Youngstown, OH where the B&O and Mahoning River meet on a humid and stormy night, the Dinner Theatre Rejects persevered through trains and tornado warnings to announce their splendor in the Valley.

A rubber chicken with a yellow body and orange comb sitting on a surface near a river, with a cityscape background and large black text that reads "Dinner Theatre Rejects."

Comprised of comedians in their 30s and 40s and one lowly 24 year old wrote sketches to be performed with improv peppered in. Working from February 2017 until showtime, August 17, 2017; the Rejects never lost sight of their goal. Make each other laugh. Rehearsing and performing wherever people would let them allowed the comedians to be forged in success and failures.

Seven people posing on a stage with a dark curtain backdrop, some sitting and some standing, making playful gestures and expressions.
Four people sitting around a wooden table at a restaurant with festive holiday lights and decorations in the background, smiling at the camera.
Group of nine people sitting on a white couch and smiling at a social gathering.

For three and a half years they made wise, cracked jokes, and goofed around Youngstown and Sharon. Members being added and moving on but never losing the spirit of what it means to be a Reject. Make. Each. Other. Laugh.

This mantra came to mean more in 2020 when the global pandemic led to weekly roasts and social media posts for the next year. The group survived the worst and performed to a sold out venue in June 2021, marking their return.

Screenshot of a virtual video call with eight smiling participants, each in their own individual frames, in a grid layout.
A yellow rubber chicken with googly eyes and red comb, beak, and wattle, surrounded by a yellow circular border with black text reading 'The D Inner Theatres Rejeects'.
Group of people on stage enjoying a comedic performance or skit during an event, with some laughing and smiling.

Now nearing a decade of laughs, joy, and foolery the Rejects look to their mantra. Having had over 30 Rejects sharing the stage the chorus of laughs echoes through time and space. Venues performed in holding only quick memories as improv became the lead performance method. The constants are always being remembered to make each other laugh and push through the chaos of the warnings.

John Morris, Joanna Andrei, Ryan Clausen, Dave Lynn, Jacquelyn Ruth, Jaye Mills, and Paul Dahman - First Show Writers and Performers.

Group of seven people posing together indoors, smiling and making playful expressions, with a dark background and some wooden panels.

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