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“Don’t Feed the Actors” is Central New York’s own touring Improv group.  Specializing in audience interactive improvisation, we pride ourselves at bringing our unique show to locations all over Upstate NY.  Our group is made up of a dozen of Central New York’s finest local comedic actors.  With different actors and different games in each show, and of course different suggestions from you the audience, we guarantee a new and exciting show each time.

DFtA is proud of its roster of actors that reads like a who’s who of the Syracuse area theater scene.  Our large stable of proven talent is what sets us apart from the rest.  More importantly this group has incredible chemistry because we have been working together for so long.  Our greatest compliment we have ever received is that we seem to enjoy performing our show with each other as much as our audience enjoys watching it.   That is because we have been colleagues and friends for as long as 20 years.

“DFtA” officially started as a group in January of 2008; however it can trace its roots back farther than that.  Many years before DFtA founder Dustin Czarny and prominent DFtA members Mark Holt and Greg Hipius held annual improv parties that became a big hit among friends, families, and their theater brethren. Being big fans of “Whose Line is It Anyway?” and all forms of improvisational comedy they and large gatherings of friends would spend hours laughing the nights away.  It even culminated with Dustin asking his wife, another DFtA member Heather Roach, to marry him during a round of “Questions Only”.

As life often does, marriage and children along with ever increasing theater commitments put a temporary halt in the parties, but not the improv.  Many eventual DFtA members continued to hone their improv skills by participating in audience interactive theatrical events throughout Central New York.   Finally the opportunity to form a group and participate in an improv night in front of an audience was given to DFtA by Appleseed Productions in April of 2008.  The “Don’t feed The Actors” improv company was born on stage that night.  After wild reviews and success, Appleseed asked DFtA back 2 more times that year, and 3 more in 2009.

As 2009 rolled around the DFtA crew decided they wanted to perform more then 2-3 times a year and the Palace Theatre opened their door to them.  Debuting in May 2009, the DFtA crew ran monthly shows using the unique nature of the Palace Theatre to their advantage.  As commitments started to roll, DFtA went on the road, and grew to nearly 12 dedicated actors and actresses.

In 2010 DftA decided to move to a more intimate venue to allow for a dinner theater setting.  The Locker Room opened it’s doors and we have called it our home in Syracuse ever since as well as our parent company’s traditional dinner theater Not Another Theater Company.  We also started touring colleges in 2010 bringing our comedy to campuses all over Central NY.

In 2012 DFtA  decided to move in with The Central New York Playhouse and their theater in Shoppingtown mall in Dewitt, NY.  We have our own dedicated space to play in. Perfect for hosting fund raisers and office parties as well as performing live improv comedy dinner nights.  We have had almost 30 shows at our new home with public and private events.

If you are interested in booking us for private events or have groups come to our shows contact our booking agent at sales@cnyplayhouse.org.