CHiPs, False Profits to unite for first time for NC comedy festival

UNC comedy troupes CHiPs and False Profits will unite for the first time tonight in collaboration for the North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival showcase.  

Both groups share a passion and talent for comedy. They will be sharing the stage, but are putting on separate performances. 

False Profits is a slightly newer group that was officially recognized an organization in February of 2013 and, who introduced stand up to campus.  

“There was a huge interest for standup on campus, so False Profits is filling that hole,” said junior communication studies major William Booth, False Profits’ agent and a member of the group. 

Booth said he is a huge fan of CHiPs and is looking forward to working with them tonight.

CHiPs has been around for two decades, and remains one of the longest lasting comedy student group to date. Their comedic style focuses on long and short form sketches and improv. 

Sophomore Luke Miller and junior Mitch Dare are two members of CHiPs that will be performing in tonight’s show. 

“We’re both two groups that are bringing comedy to campus in slightly different approaches, and the audience out there will be able to see those approaches,” Miller said.

Dare said tonight, the different audiences of CHiPs and False Profits will come together in addition to performing separately, and that he expects it to be a good interaction.

Booth said he is excited to seethe comedy community come together. 

“We’re performing our own acts, but it’s been cool being able to organize a show with them,” Booth said. “It’s really nice to solidify that comedy is a community — especially here in Chapel Hill because most times people think, ‘Oh I need to go to New York or Chicago to find comedy,’ whereas it’s right here in our back yard.”

According to CHiPs, a part of being a comedian is not only making sure that the audience is enjoying the show but also enjoying the overall process with their group.

“When CHiPs plays, one thing we say is to ‘make each other laugh’ and for us to have fun with each other — that’s our main goal and it really translates on stage,” Dare said. “The audience can definitely feel when we’re having fun with one another.”

False Profits and CHiPs have worked with Chapel Hill's Dirty South Improv Comedy Theater before in workshops and other performances . 

Zach Ward, executive producer of DSI, is also the founder of CHiPs and the NCCAF. He has traveled across the country to help students from different college campuses start their own comedy groups, in addition to keeping comedy alive and well in Chapel Hill. 

“So, we have False Profits and CHiPs featured here at DSI at least once or twice a semester; this isn’t the first collaboration between the theater and college groups on campus and certainly won’t be the last,” Ward said. “I’m certainly excited to bring this event to campus.”

“The more comedy we can see in Chapel Hill, the better.”

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