The Bad Dog Theatre Company
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Bad Dog Theatre company is an improvisational theatre company based in Toronto, Canada, and established in 1982. Originally called Theatresports Toronto, the company's work was based around that of director and playwright, Keith Johnstone, but has since branched out to include the work of other schools of thought in improvisation. The theatre is eclectic and broad in its production of shows. Short form (the weekly Theatresports shows, student shows), long form (Harold Night, A Night at the Improv), parody shows (The Lord of the Things, A Twisted Christmas Carol) as well as limited run shows like Show Stopping Number: The Improvised Musical and Dreadwood.
[edit] History
The Bad Dog Theatre Company was founded in 1982 as Theatresports Toronto. The company performed weekly improvisational comedy shows at Harbourfront in the Theatresports format. In addition, free introductory workshops were provided to the general public, as well as more advanced workshops by invitation, from which the cast was drawn.
The show consisted of team competition with team names such as Dangerous Poultry, The Parts, The Chumps and The Kids in the Hall. Some of these groups went on to greater fame.
Alumni from this period include Mike Myers, Tim Sims, Bruce Hunter (Puppets Who Kill), Pat McKenna (Red Green), Gary Campbell, (MadTV producer/screenwriter) Lisa Merchant (Train 48), Sandra Shamas (Playwright), Linda Kash (A Mighty Wind), Colin Mochrie (Whose Line Is It, Anyway) Globe and Mail Columnist Andrew Coyne and actor Keanu Reeves. Lorne Michaels reputedly came down to recruit Bruce McCulloch and Mark McKinney of the Kids in the Hall to write for Saturday Night Live.
In the early 1990's Theatresports left Harbourfront, performing at a series of venues, including St. Paul's Church basement, Big City Improv, Solar Stage and Tim Sims Playhouse, becoming Toronto's longest continually running improv comedy show. Nevertheless, audiences and workshop attendance had dwindled from the levels seen at Harbourfront.
In 2003, Theatresports Toronto established a permanent home at 138 Danforth Avenue. A push to 'reinvent' the orginization led by Co-Artistic Directors Kerry Griffin and Marcel St. Pierre and Workshop Director Ralph MacLeod (producer of the successful student performance showcase That Friday Show) led to Theatresports Toronto becoming The Bad Dog Theatre Company on May 1st, 2003, In a short time, the Training Centre went from a single drop-in populated by 6 to 10 people to several classes with an average student population over 80, and continues to be successful.
[edit] References
Foreman, Kathleen; and Martini, Clem (1995). Something Like a Drug: An Unauthorized Oral History of Theatresports. Red Deer Alberta: Red Deer College Press. ISBN 0-88734-918-8.
[History of the Bad Dog Theatre]
