About
The history of The Bad Dog Theatre Company begins in 1982 with Theatresports Toronto, founded by Toronto improv enthusiast Aubrey Pancer. In those days, top improvisors played to packed houses every week at Harbourfront. Free drop-in workshops were given to the public, and the best students from these workshops were then invited to take more advanced workshops.
Some of Toronto’s finest comedic talents graced the stage in those early years – Bruce Hunter (Puppets Who Kill), Pat McKenna (Red Green Show, Traders), Gary Campbell, (MadTV producer/screenwriter), Lisa Merchant (Train 48, Go Girl), the late Tim Sims (after whom the Tim Sims Encouragement Fund is named), Sandra Shamus (Governor General Award-winning playwright), Linda Kash (Best in Show, A Mighty Wind), Colin Mochrie (Who’s Line Is It, Anyway), – and, believe it or not – Globe and Mail columnist Andrew Coyne, Mike Myers, Dan Redican and Keanu Reeves. The cast was regularly raided by agents and Second City scouts; even Lorne Michaels dropped by to snatch up a young Bruce McCulloch and Mark McKinney to write for Saturday Night Live. It was a place to hang out, make friends, or get discovered. Troupes like Dangerous Poultry, The Parts, The Chumps and The Kids in The Hall broke away from the ranks to achieve near-legendary status on their own.
By the 1990s, it seemed the writing was on the wall for Theatresports Toronto. But under the tireless dedication of General Manager Mary Haynes – Theatresports defied the odds and kept popping up in locations like Big City Improv, Solar Stage, and Tim Sims Playhouse. Theatresports was by now Toronto’s longest continuously running improv comedy show. Under Artistic Director Neil Muscott, That Friday Show was started at The Village Playhouse in Bloor West Village as a place for students to perform. But after getting bumped yet again from a regular performing venue at The Poor Alex, a small and dedicated core of players decided, once again, to keep Theatresports Toronto alive…
Inspired after a 1999 visit to Chicago’s Annoyance Theatre, improvisors (and Theatresports regulars) Kerry Griffin and Marcel St. Pierre decided Theatresports needed to evolve. Along with Ralph MacLeod – by then serving as Workshop Director – the three convinced the Theatresports Board of Directors to find a suitable location to set up shop… in 2003, Theatresports Toronto became The Bad Dog Theatre Company and established a permanent home at 138 Danforth Avenue, with a 60-seat theatre and 2 training studios. In February of 2011, we closed the doors on this home (the rent was too darned high!) and embarked on the next part of our journey as a company… including a search for a new, more viable forever-home, the relocation of our signature classes and the relaunching of our flagship show, Theatresports.
The Bad Dog Theatre Company has grown to embrace all forms of improv, from its signature show Theatresports, to long-form improv and popular parody shows. It has become the home of Canadian Comedy-Award winning troupes and shows and has been dubbed the ‘improv hub’ of Toronto, providing affordable, accessible training in improv comedy for thousands of ordinary people, young and old, who want to learn the joy of improvisation and be part of Toronto’s exciting improv and theatre community.
And yes, there will soon once again be drop-in workshops on Saturday nights…stay tuned for details
For more information, please get in touch VIA EMAIL.
The Bad Dog Theatre is a not-for-profit, charitable corporation, whose goal is to perform and develop the best possible improvisational (improv) comedy in Ontario.
Improv is a recognized and legitimate art form and we will strive to grow and promote it by:
- Producing the best, most consistently entertaining improv productions possible.
- Providing educational programs in the art of improv that offer the highest quality of instruction at all levels to all members of our community.
- Providing quality improv-based entertainment and workshop programs for youth, schools, businesses and other clients.
- Offering our students the opportunity to improve their skills by providing access to performance opportunities.
- Participating in the local and international improv community.
Bad Dog Theatre presents:
- Theatresports (our flagship show) as well as our Monday-night cabaret series Bad Dog presents: at Comedy Bar. Comedy Bar is located at 945 Bloor St. W. (on the south side of Bloor, directly across the street from the Delaware exit of Ossington station).
- adult classes at Comedy Bar. Comedy Bar is located at 945 Bloor St. W. (on the south side of Bloor, directly across the street from the Delaware exit of Ossington station).
- youth & teen classes at Fraser Studios. Fraser Studios is located at 115 Danforth Ave. (on the south side of the Danforth, just east of Broadview – steps from Broadview station… across the street from our old location).
