WIT’s big move helps NoMa take “center stage”

All eyes were on WIT at the annual meeting of NoMa’s Business Improvement District (BID), which took place at the NoMa-based headquarters of National Public Radio (NPR) on Apr. 29. The theme of this year’s meeting was “NoMa Takes Center Stage” and participants heard about the people, ideas, and momentum that continue to shape the Northeast DC neighborhood into a “dynamic hub of culture, creativity, and connection.”

WIT’s Artistic and Executive Director Mark Chalfant was invited to give the keynote address at the event during which he talked about the 10-year path that had led WIT to NoMa and how, when we finally found a home there, we didn’t just find a space — we found our match.

“NoMa is the District’s model for “Live. Work. Play,” he said, explaining that their ethos is a great fit for WIT, which is all play, all day… and night.

“Whether we’re on-stage, in a classroom, or at the headquarters of a corporate client, our entire world is built on the listening and creativity of play,” he added. “If NoMa is a living canvas of murals and boundless creativity, WIT will be its living stage, providing moments of genuine joy and connection for anyone who comes to see a show, take a class or workshop, or engage the services of WIT@Work.”

Editor’s note: WIT is in the process of raising money for our Capital Campaign and in a world where funding for the arts is increasingly scarce, we’re counting on everyone to give what they can.

Please support WIT's new home in NoMa!

ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOME

Chalfant’s comments were echoed by the BID’s president and CEO Maura Brophy, who said local businesses were “excited to welcome WIT to NoMa” as we establish a home of our own at 1222 3rd St. NE — a mere couple hundred feet from where a brand new entrance to the NoMa-Gallaudet Metro station will be located.

“This will be WIT’s first self-managed venue — and the first in DC dedicated entirely to improvisational theater — serving as a vibrant creative campus for the region,” said Brophy, who is credited with having transformed NoMa into a leading destination for culture and residential growth over the past five years.

The new Metro entrance/exit was highlighted several times during the meeting as a sign of NoMa’s thriving retail and hospitality scene, record-breaking transit activity, and central role in the city’s daily life — factors that also bode well for WIT’s one-of-a-kind performance, learning, and training hub.

Participants got to see concept drawings of the new space, which is being designed by the DC-based firm DMArchitects, whose founder and lead architect is Matt Alexander, who is himself an improv performer. (Read an interview with him about how the project brings his profession and passion together perfectly.) He’s joined on the project by architectural designer Madison Schneider, who also improvises on the WIT stage.

According to Chalfant, “It was tremendously gratifying to be so warmly welcomed by a room full of individuals, who care as deeply about their community and its continued success as the NoMa BID’s members do… And when I say ‘warmly welcomed’ I really mean it! The enthusiasm among local business and political leaders for WIT’s Big Move has been incredible!”

In a message to WIT community members and stakeholders following the event, Chalfant said, “Everyone I spoke to was thrilled to bits about what WIT will bring to the neighborhood — as both a cultural anchor for NoMa residents and comedy destination for Washingtonians and visitors to the District alike.”

THE POWER OF “NO”

Acknowledging that improv’s golden rule is usually “Yes, And,” Chalfant told meeting participants that there is also power to be found in the word, “No,” while leading them in an interactive exercise involving pairs — one of whom would suggest a vacation destination and the other who would say, “Nope,” as a means of getting their counterpart to think outside-the-box and come up with new and increasingly creative ideas.

“Our journey to NoMa, which involved dozens of visits to potential sites across the District, was strewn with dead-end meetings and vision-less landlords, whose world stopped at ‘Live’ and ‘Work’ but excluded ‘Play’,” Chalfant explained. “NoMa was — and is — different. They were curious about us. They listened and they care. Their commitment to inclusive growth, strategic investment, and meaningful partnerships is a big reason we can’t wait to move here!”

The meeting’s other speakers were Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker and Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen — both high profile figures on the DC political scene and elected officials with legislative and policy oversight for different parts of NoMa (as well as responsibility for constituent services.) Both mentioned that they, too, are enthusiastic about WIT’s move, as did the NoMa BID’s board chair Michael Skena.

Several members of WIT’s board of directors were in attendance: David Beam, Peg Jobst, Sharona Shuster, and Jeff Waggett, as well as Marketing and Development Manager Anna Nelson.

The meeting wrapped up with a fun fireside chat between NPR Weekend Edition Sunday and Up First Host Ayesha Rascoe and Tiny Desk Concerts Host and Series Producer Bobby Carter, who exchanged memories of past Tiny Desk performances, including the time the characters of Sesame Street visited NPR and, more recently, when Mumford & Sons’ trio of musicians casually walked through the streets of NoMa following their highly anticipated Tiny Desk Concert debut at the end of March.

Main photo: Mark Chalfant delivers his keynote address at the NoMa BID’s annual meeting on Apr. 29, 2026. By Anna K. Nelson

See more photos from the event on Facebook or LinkedIn and watch the full video of the NoMa BID’s 2026 annual meeting.