Mae Cornes
Photo Courtesy of Isabelle Barrymore
The Elysian Theater, known for championing bold comedic voices in live theater, recently added a breakthrough act to its lineup: an all-Down syndrome improv team that opens for THEE Improvised Musical. Together, their high-energy, completely uninhibited performances have quickly become crowd favorites as they deliver on what matters most in comedy: timing, honesty, fearless stage presence, and laughter that genuinely lands with every scene.
Photo Courtesy of Adam Thede
Breaking Stereotypes, One Laugh at a Time
Down to Clown’s ensemble does more than entertain – they flip expectations. Their scenes are quick, funny, and rooted in their undeniable team chemistry and trust. They use physicality, emotion, and spontaneity to craft moments that feel playful and specific.
“We’re not interested in laughs-as-philanthropy,” founder and director Conor Hanney says. “These dudes are empirically entertaining, independent of disability.”
Hanney, who also runs a decade-old special needs Buddy Baseball league in Beverly Hills with his brother Kevin, recruited the team seven years ago from the Born to Act Players, a 30-year-old theater company in North Hollywood. There’s the often exclusively denim-clad Jacob Braun, Shannon Dieriex with her fanny pack and Crocs, Caley Versfelt in a smart blazer, and Chloe Houghton in her Trader Joe’s uniform. Each brings their own signature style to the performance as well: from Dieriex and Versfelt’s unrivaled commitment, to Houghton’s heartbreaking authenticity, to Braun forcing viral TikToker Shane Hartline to do push-ups and hand over actual money onstage from Hartline’s actual wallet.
Other generous celebs have come to guest in the shows, including Saturday Night Live’s Cheri Oteri and Brian McElhaney, YouTubers Joel Haver and Chris Villain, and big stars of Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, like Gracie Dzienny, Leo Howard, Sarah Gilman, Larry Saperstein, Shelby Simmons, Theodore Barnes, Gavin Lewis, Reed Horstmann, Felix Avitia, Spencer Breslin, and Steven Anthony Lawrence. Other elite actors with disabilities also rep in, like American Horror Story’s Jamie Brewer, Locke & Key’s Coby Bird, and internet sensation Jordan Nichole Wall. But despite all the glitz, this is still not a novelty act. It is a confident, professional performance that stands proudly on its own.
Photo Courtesy of Gail Williamson
A Natural Fit for THEE Improvised Musical
Pairing this team with THEE Improvised Musical makes perfect sense. Both rely on quick thinking, chemistry, and full-audience engagement to create something unrepeatable and unforgettable. Their shared love of spontaneity charges the night with an energy that is impossible to fake.
Hanney, also the founder and director of THEE Improvised Musical, says the collaboration with Down to Clown feels like a natural extension of their own team’s mission.
“But it’s kind of a misnomer to call them our ‘warm-up’ act,” Hanney argues. “They’re comedic kleptos and arsonists, in that they steal the show and burn the house down.”
The Elysian’s sprawling yet somehow still intimate space gives the performers room to connect directly with the audience, something this team uses to full advantage. Each show erupts with applause, gasps, and laughter, with audience participation actively encouraged. No fourth wall, no hesitation – only live comedy delivered with full presence and joy.
Photo Courtesy of Isabelle Barrymore
Changing What Audiences Expect
More than anything, this team’s success is about representation meeting craft. Their presence in such a respected venue chips away at outdated perceptions of who belongs in comedy, and who gets to take up space in the spotlight.
“I love the atmosphere. It’s really fun to be onstage and be ourselves,” Versfelt explains. “It’s fun-tastic. I put ‘fantastic’ together with ‘fun’ and call it ‘fun-tastic.’”
Down to Clown’s growing popularity shows that inclusion is about recognizing real talent when it shows up and giving it the platform it truly deserves to shine and inspire others.
This ongoing partnership with THEE Improvised Musical reminds us that diversity and artistry are not separate ideas. When both are present, live theater becomes more honest – and much funnier.
Photo Courtesy of Adam Thede