Apparently Andrew Bush, Mark Little and I have switched places. While I wander through the streets of Halifax crossing my fingers that the beautiful weather doesn’t shrivel up and disappear, Bush and Little are at Comedy Bar in Toronto gearing up for PROJECTproject’s 2nd COMBUSTIONfestival. According to its website, “PROJECTproject: The Wu-Tang Clan of Toronto Improv is made up of eight improvisers (and over 20 affiliated artists), the company draws from almost every major house of improvisation and school of Comedy in Toronto and joins forces to tackle projects of all shapes and sizes.” With a core cast of Mark Andrada, Bob Banks, Adam Cawley, Jason DeRosse, Julie Dumais, Sarah Hillier, Sean Tabares, Alex Tindal and Kayla Lorette, PROJECTproject performs every Wednesday at Unit 102 (46 Noble Street) in Toronto.
The COMBUSTIONfestival is set to ignite the Comedy Bar (945 Bloor Street, Toronto) by bringing “some of the most exciting, talented, boundary-pushing, genre-bending, industry-leading improvisers in North America together in Toronto to showcase what they do best and collaborate together on festival-exclusive projects and shows.” It sounds mind-blowing. The Festival runs Monday May 25th to Saturday May 30th and features over 50 artists from 15 different companies from Canada and the United States including 4TRACK (New York), CRUMBS (Winnipeg), Mark & Andy from Picnicface (Halifax), Dad’s Garage (Atlanta), CRUSH Improv (Ottawa), Sister Act (Vancouver), CRUSH (New York), Rapid Fire Theatre (Edmonton), and PROJECTproject (Toronto). You can check out a nifty (and easy to read) schedule of the specific shows here.
For those who are interested in honing their Improv and Sketch skills, the COMBUSTIONfestival is providing an extraordinary opportunity for emerging artists to work closely with these incredible visiting artists. For the first time, PROJECTproject is offering workshops with 4TRACK (New York), Mark and Andy from Picnicface (Halifax) and/or CRUMBS (Winnipeg). For more information see the website.
This Festival is extremely exciting for those within the Improv community, but I think it is even more exciting for members of the public who are interested in Improv, Sketch and Comedy in Toronto, but feel overwhelmed by the thought of choosing what to see. Here, PROJECTproject is creating a space to showcase some of the best North America has to offer at affordable prices, all in one venue, and within a supremely social ambiance. (There’s even a Semi Formal!). I am all about building community, and collaboration and celebrating and sharing talent, skill and expertise. I strongly encourage you to check out the festival, I guarantee it will make you feel proud, warm and toasty on the inside, and possibly a little sore from such intense laughter.
Sketcherson Gary Rideout Jr.’s Comedy Bar is buzzing with activity even more fervently than usual these next few weeks in May. Even before the COMBUSTIONfestival detonates, Rideout Jr. is presenting four opportunities to see American stand-up comedian Andy Kindler TOMORROW Friday May 22nd at 8:00pm and 10:00pm and Saturday, May 23rd at 8:00pm and 10:00. Kindler works frequently on The Late Show with David Letterman, and has become notorious for his scathing attacks on the world of entertainment, including breaking the taboo and making fun of his fellow comedians (he once compared Dane Cook to Adolph Hitler). Kindler can currently be seen in a new stand-up special running on Comedy Central. He has also performed on the HBO Young Comedians Special, Late Night with Conan O’Brian, The Daily Show, and played “Andy” on the CBS sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond. Tickets are selling faster than hotcakes, so you should make sure to book yours right here now. You can check out a Q&A with Kindler from NOW. Nothing he says isn’t funny! (wait… what?)
Just as exciting and hilarious, after performing 4 stand-up shows, Kindler will join Gary Rideout Jr. and the other members of the Sketchersons as the very special guest of the weekly show Sunday Night Live. The hijinks begin Sunday May 24th at 9:00pm at Comedy Bar. Tickets are only $8.00 and advanced tickets are available here. It is guaranteed to be momentous!
colin mochrie and naomi snieckus
If you’re in the mood for a magical, little bout of theatre (and who isn’t), I highly recommend seeing Andy Kindler on Saturday night because The National Theatre of the World’s Impromptu Splendor graces the Theatre Passe Muraille stage tomorrow (Friday May 22nd) at 10:00pm to perform an improvised one act play in the style of incredibly gruesome, darkly hilarious, usually symbolic Irish playwright Martin McDonagh. Matt Baram, Naomi Snieckus and 2009 Jessie Award Nominee Ron Pederson are joined by the fabulous Ari Cohen, Dora, Jessie and Gemini Award Nominee soon to star in Soulpepper’s production of Awake and Sing! Pederson won a Sterling Award for his performance in McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane, so you know that this Impromptu Splendor will be sheer bliss.
