A History: Hype 7

Chapter One: Early Times

Sometime in the early 1990's, there was a group of Kansas University students who liked to play improv games, and perform them in front of audiences. They called themselves Waiters-to-Be. Some went their separate ways, presumably to better futures than food service. The remaining players renamed themselves Single White Males (which was largely the case).

Well before "Whose Line" hit the air, SWM had gained a following in Lawrence, performing at intimate venues like the Renegade Theater and Liberty Hall, and making appearances in larger productions like Rock Chalk Revue. The troupe combined ironic, off-the-beaten-path sketches with the traditional short-form improv games. In contrast to the spontaneity of improv, the sketches were acutely rehearsed and often technically ambitious. They poked fun at the dark arts of aerobics and Centipede, and never missed a shot at the current University Theater production.

Next: What's With the Name Change?