Why Slli’m Williams wants everyone to come to his birthday party 

Turning the big 5-0 is a big deal for most people, but it’s an even bigger deal for improviser Slli’m Williams, whom many will recognize as a cast member of WIT’s all-Black ensemble, Lena Dunham Improv. 

He’s marking his milestone birthday by bringing three of his biggest passions – improv, poetry, and hip-hop – to the WIT stage for Slli’mprov on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 3:30PM.

The event, which Slli’m describes as a “hilarious collision of creative worlds,” is open to the public and also a fundraiser for WIT, where he first discovered the “magic” of improv. He answered a few of WIT’s questions about it.

→ Explore who’s hosting and performing at Slli’mprov.

WIT: What inspired you to combine improv, poetry, and hip-hop in a single event? How do those three art forms complement each other?

Slli’m Williams: This is me. These three forms of expression have all impacted my creative world in some way for more than 30 years. Improv is the most recent, but no less significant. 

WIT: What can audience members expect on Dec. 5 in terms of the experience? What do you hope they might discover?

Slli’m: Energy and surprise. These worlds have always existed inside me… but I’ve never seen them all combined in this way. I’m almost jealous of the audience. I want to see it happening with them!

WIT: What made you decide to generously turn your 50th birthday celebration into a WIT fundraiser? What is it about improv that made you want to “give back?”

Slli’m: My improv journey started at WIT. Through it, the world of improv has brought me more friends and fun than I ever imagined.

WIT: Speaking of your improv journey, how long have you been doing it and what have you learned about yourself through performing over the years?

Slli’m: I started in 2017 with a Level 1 class and never looked back. This journey has helped reveal my capacity for trust… in my teammates and in myself. And it’s so much fun. When a scene is clicking … it’s magical. And I have learned that I love being part of that magic!

Tickets to Slli’mprov are $20 to $50. Proceeds will benefit WIT – a nonprofit theater dedicated to spreading the joy of improv across the DC region.