Whether on the stage or back in his high school classroom, comedian Dapper Don quickly discovered the power of a punchline.
Growing up in a “comedy-centric” family, freshman communication major Donald Piper, known on stage as Dapper Don, was inspired by watching big-name comedians on television. Once he was old enough to stay in the room without his parents kicking him out over their edgy humor, he was hooked on his “The Original Kings of Comedy” CD starring Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer and Bernie Mac. An introvert at heart, he wondered how laughter could command a room — and how he could do it himself.
“All throughout school, I was the kind of class clown, kind of funny type,” Piper said. “You know, I got my work done, but I could command a whole room, get them laughing. And I started to feel good from that.”
In high school, Piper said he would often riff in his classes — so much so that teachers would stop lessons so he could improvise. Now in his first year at the University of Indianapolis, he said comedy drew him to not only make people laugh but also say things that create an impact. For Piper, comedy provides relief in a world he deems too serious.
“… That’s kind of where comedians come in,” Piper said. “We come in to hold that mirror up to society. Like, ‘Okay, I know this is a serious thing, but come on, this is ridiculous.’ … Some people might take offense to that, but that’s just part of the course, an occupational hazard, if you will.”
As far as his performance style, Piper said he accesses a “different part” of his brain when he performs. Piper said Dapper Don gave him a way to separate himself from Donald, someone who preferred books to speaking to others, and it allowed him to grow as an individual coming to UIndy.
“You also just have to, in general, kind of approach it with this mindset of like, ‘I’m in the mode. I’m gonna crush it.’” Piper said. “They’re out there for you. They love you. You’re gonna get out there and you’re gonna wow them.”
Piper said he sees a future for himself in comedy with goals to get on a major radio station and grow from there. After he makes his big break, Piper plans to debut another craft that stems from his love of horror stories: his writing.
“… [I] want to bring forth those stories and put that out there,” Piper said. “Because the thing is, even though comedy is at the forefront, I am a jack of all trades, so I want to put everything out there. I write horror stories. I’ve got comics that connect to the horror stories.”
When not on stage, Dapper Don can be found on his podcast, “What’s Going on With Dapper Don?” every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. via YouTube. Additionally, Piper said he is active on Instagram and Facebook. And, to all aspiring comedians, Piper said to commit to the bit even when bombing during a performance.
“That is show business,” Piper said. “It is the one place where you can’t let them see you sweat.”
