Die-Nasty

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Die-Nasty is a live improvised soap opera, running weekly in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada since 1991. Die-Nasty's improv comedy format features a continuing storyline and recurring characters, live music, and a director who sets up scenes for the audience (and performers) in voiceover.

Since August 2001, Die-Nasty has been directed by The Second City alumnus Dana Andersen. Past directors include Trevor Anderson, Stewart Lemoine and Ian Ferguson. The cast of Die-Nasty features Matt Alden, David Belke, Leona Brausen, Belinda Cornish, Tom Edwards, Jeff Haslam, Mark Meer, Cathleen Rootsaert, Sheri Somerville, Davina Stewart, Stephanie Wolfe and Donovan Workun. Notable former cast members include Josh Dean (Free Ride), Nathan Fillion (Serenity, Firefly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Ron Pederson (MADtv, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson) and Patti Stiles (Neighbours). Die-Nasty's resident musician is The Amazing Paul Morgan Donald and technical work is provided by Brad Fischer. In the course of its sixteen-season run, Die-Nasty has welcomed many prominent guest stars, including Joe Flaherty (SCTV, Freaks and Geeks), Mump and Smoot, Robin Duke (Saturday Night Live, SCTV), Mark McKinney (Kids in the Hall) and Mike Myers (Saturday Night Live, Austin Powers).

Since 1993, Die-Nasty's home has been the Varscona Theatre, an improv comedy hotspot in Edmonton's historic Old Strathcona district. The regular season show runs on Monday nights at 8pm, from mid-October until late May. The Die-Nasty company has also performed an annual mini-series at the world-renowned Edmonton International Fringe Festival every August since 1997. Every September, Die-Nasty hosts the annual Soap-A-Thon — 53 hours of continuous improv, which features some cast members going the entire weekend without sleep. The current record holders for most performance hours at the Soap-A-Thon are cast members Mark Meer and Patti Stiles. Die-Nasty has also toured, with productions in Los Angeles and at the Chicago Improv Festival.

Die-Nasty has been honoured with a special Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for Excellence in Theatre, and has also been nominated for several Canadian Comedy Awards. In 2006, Die-Nasty was the recipient of the Canadian Comedy Award for best improv troupe in the country. On February 12, 2007, the troupe received special recognition from the government of Alberta upon reaching the milestone 500th episode of Die-Nasty.