The Bad Dog Academy Presents...

Harold Studio Series Graduate Showcase

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Created and Performed by:

David Bram
Magdalena Eustis
Melissa Gerskup
Rebekah Reuben
Suraj Singh
Xin Tong

Directed by Alfred Chow

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With an opening set by Anders Yates' Short Form Studio Series Class!

TICKETS: $10 / $5 | PWYC AT THE DOOR | BD STUDENTS FREE

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Bad Dog Academy's Studio Series classes are a select group of advanced performance-level students, who have been working with the same director and ensemble for 6 months on a specific approach to sketch, improvisation and comedy performance. The ensemble and students work together to master a particular form or skill - culminating in a series of graduation performances.

Watch our talented Bad Dog Academy Graduates do Their Thing!

This brilliant showcase features performances by John Portero's Improv Foundations 4 + Ken Hall's Clownprov Graduating Class!

PLUS

An extra special Sweet Sweet Friends - HOLIDARMANDO! Improv inspired by holiday stories.

Come check it out!

Goofing: A Comedy Workshop in Clown, Solo Improv & the Art of Riffing

Dates & Times:
December 12 & 13
11:00 AM – 4:00 PM (includes a one-hour lunch break)

Ever wanted to walk onstage with nothing planned — and still make people laugh? Goofing is a punk-inspired approach to clown and solo improvisation that celebrates risk, failure, and authenticity over perfection. It’s about surrendering to the unknown, trusting your instincts, and finding comedy in real connection.

Rooted in the teachings of Philippe Gaulier, Jacques Lecoq, UCB improv, and Idiot Work, Goofing carries those influences forward with a raw, modern energy. It’s a space to strip away habits, rediscover play, and learn what truly makes you funny.

At its core, Goofing is about riffing live with an audience with nothing planned — reading the room, responding in real time, and building laughter from honesty and play.

And central to that process is the art of the flop. We fail — often, and publicly — but instead of retreating, we stay with it. We keep playing, adjusting, and searching for the truth of the moment until it becomes alive again. The laugh doesn’t come from perfection — it comes from the courage to keep going when things fall apart.

For actors, Goofing sharpens instincts and brings more freedom to your choices. It helps you respond truthfully, stay present, and bring boldness and play to scripted work.

For writers, it opens up new ways to generate material — discovering ideas, rhythms, and characters by improvising in the unknown rather than forcing them on the page.

For comedians, it’s a lab for taking risks, finding fresh premises, and deepening your connection with an audience.

And for newcomers, it’s a fun and welcoming way to get out of your head, take creative risks, and change your relationship with failure. You’ll learn to embrace rejection, stay playful in uncertainty, and let laughter come to you.

No script, no pressure — just you, your impulses, and the goal of giving the audience the best time possible. Through a mix of exercises, improvisations, and live coaching, we’ll build the foundations of presence, freedom, and creative trust.

You’ll explore tools that support both your performance and everyday life, including:

• Staying grounded in the unknown

• Listening and reacting truthfully

• Reading an audience in real time

• Turning fear into curiosity and play

• Trusting your impulses

• Finding freedom through laughter and vulnerability

• Developing a comedic voice that sparks new ideas and material
  

Whether you’re an actor, comedian, improviser, writer, or complete beginner, this workshop offers a space to explore, take risks, and surprise yourself — all while laughing a lot along the way.

Pricing Options

Early Bird (first 5 spots) — $175 + HST = $197.75 total
Regular Rate — $200 + HST = $226.00 total
Scholarship / Low-Income Rate (2 spots available) — $125 + HST = $141.25 total
20% Discount — for past Goofing Intensive participants (drop-ins not included) or current college/university students: $160 + HST = $180.80 total

About Chase:

Chase Jeffels is an actor, comedian, and teacher whose work bridges clown, improv, and the art of playful failure. He is a graduate of École Jacques Lecoq and the Laboratoire d'Étude du Mouvement (Laboratory of Movement Study) in Paris, France, and trained under renowned clown master Philippe Gaulier (teacher of Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, and Emma Thompson). Gaulier once said of Chase’s work (imagine it in a thick French accent):

“I do not like very much Canada, but I like what you do.”

Chase has also studied with a host of notable teachers in clown, bouffon, and idiot work, including Aitor Basauri, John Gilkey, Chad Damiani, Kevin Krieger, Deanna Fleysher, Jaime Mears, Ken Hall, Isaac Kessler, and Gordon Neill. He is a graduate of the George Brown Theatre School classical conservatory program.

As a performer, Chase’s work spans film, television, and theatre. He is a member of the improv and sketch collective $20 Sandwich, where he performs UCB-style longform improv infused with his own clown sensibility — bringing a spirit of risk, play, and discovery to structured comedic form.

He is also one half of West 2 West, a duo known for their innovative blend of clown sketch and clown improv, merging physical comedy, audience connection, and absurd play.

In his solo work, Chase continues to push the boundaries of comedy through Goofing — a punk-inspired mix of clown, riffing, and improvisation that explores connection, risk, and laughter through failure. His work merges improv, sketch, and clown to create performances that are as vulnerable as they are hilarious, uniting mainstream comedy with the spirit of live play.

"[]" - Roger Ebert, the Chicago Sun-Times

"Never has chaos looked so good." - Morgan Joy, “Peggy’s Place,” “the Sweet and Sultry Burlesque”

"(a) Toronto icon." - Adam Mohammand, the Flop Shop

“[She has an] innate sense of balance” Joseph Swanek, Guelph School of Art

“Stunning” - Randall Willis, “So, What’s Your Story?”

What is(n’t) it about? (While) definitely her, it could very well be (about) Jennything.

Developed initially as an experiment in taking the explicit instructions in the band Pulp’s lyrics verbatim, self-expl(or/an)atory (incid/ev)ent(ertainment) ([industr/historian]ian) Jenna Shows once again takes to the Sweet Action stage for an evening of music, mystery, and mayhem. Incorporating audience feedback from its previous presentation Jenna invites you to find out just how differently she can perform (some of) the same songs (and dances). 

In its first iteration as the solo show that she has been working on (mostly virtually through her Instagram persona @jennythingshows) for almost eight years solid, Jenna invited Sweet Action owner and proprietor, and multi-award winning clown (father) Gordon Neill to “live-direct” this ongoing work-in-progress. In October she passed the reins to Cirque du Soleil alum Jesse Buck (aka: Professor Eff). And now, live-directed by Ken Hall.

(Witness) the walking jukebox musical and shame(ful)/less) Anglophiliac Jenna Show(s) (and tells?) clown-based solo improv [that] playfully delves into the intricacies of late-diagnosed neurodivergence. Through elaborate musical numbers (gone awry), Leqoc-inspired neutral mask (meditations in motion), (rambling) monologues that expose her (lack of) executive functioning, Jenna invites the audience into her playful world of chaotic awkwardness all in the service of basic human presence.

Come join in the pro(c/gr)ess: maybe you’ll want to direct her (one day) too/and see how it unfolds right before, and because of your very eyes.

A trad wife by trad(e) in her leisure (time/dreams) you may find her at home ironing her underwear.

DISCLAIMER: this show *may* (or may) [not] (end up) be(ing) a comedy, (but you will) laugh.

Goofing: A Comedy Workshop in Clown, Solo Improv & the Art of Riffing

Dates & Times:
December 12 & 13
11:00 AM – 4:00 PM (includes a one-hour lunch break)

Ever wanted to walk onstage with nothing planned — and still make people laugh? Goofing is a punk-inspired approach to clown and solo improvisation that celebrates risk, failure, and authenticity over perfection. It’s about surrendering to the unknown, trusting your instincts, and finding comedy in real connection.

Rooted in the teachings of Philippe Gaulier, Jacques Lecoq, UCB improv, and Idiot Work, Goofing carries those influences forward with a raw, modern energy. It’s a space to strip away habits, rediscover play, and learn what truly makes you funny.

At its core, Goofing is about riffing live with an audience with nothing planned — reading the room, responding in real time, and building laughter from honesty and play.

And central to that process is the art of the flop. We fail — often, and publicly — but instead of retreating, we stay with it. We keep playing, adjusting, and searching for the truth of the moment until it becomes alive again. The laugh doesn’t come from perfection — it comes from the courage to keep going when things fall apart.

For actors, Goofing sharpens instincts and brings more freedom to your choices. It helps you respond truthfully, stay present, and bring boldness and play to scripted work.

For writers, it opens up new ways to generate material — discovering ideas, rhythms, and characters by improvising in the unknown rather than forcing them on the page.

For comedians, it’s a lab for taking risks, finding fresh premises, and deepening your connection with an audience.

And for newcomers, it’s a fun and welcoming way to get out of your head, take creative risks, and change your relationship with failure. You’ll learn to embrace rejection, stay playful in uncertainty, and let laughter come to you.

No script, no pressure — just you, your impulses, and the goal of giving the audience the best time possible. Through a mix of exercises, improvisations, and live coaching, we’ll build the foundations of presence, freedom, and creative trust.

You’ll explore tools that support both your performance and everyday life, including:

• Staying grounded in the unknown

• Listening and reacting truthfully

• Reading an audience in real time

• Turning fear into curiosity and play

• Trusting your impulses

• Finding freedom through laughter and vulnerability

• Developing a comedic voice that sparks new ideas and material
  

Whether you’re an actor, comedian, improviser, writer, or complete beginner, this workshop offers a space to explore, take risks, and surprise yourself — all while laughing a lot along the way.

Pricing Options

Early Bird (first 5 spots) — $175 + HST = $197.75 total
Regular Rate — $200 + HST = $226.00 total
Scholarship / Low-Income Rate (2 spots available) — $125 + HST = $141.25 total
20% Discount — for past Goofing Intensive participants (drop-ins not included) or current college/university students: $160 + HST = $180.80 total

About Chase:

Chase Jeffels is an actor, comedian, and teacher whose work bridges clown, improv, and the art of playful failure. He is a graduate of École Jacques Lecoq and the Laboratoire d'Étude du Mouvement (Laboratory of Movement Study) in Paris, France, and trained under renowned clown master Philippe Gaulier (teacher of Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, and Emma Thompson). Gaulier once said of Chase’s work (imagine it in a thick French accent):

“I do not like very much Canada, but I like what you do.”

Chase has also studied with a host of notable teachers in clown, bouffon, and idiot work, including Aitor Basauri, John Gilkey, Chad Damiani, Kevin Krieger, Deanna Fleysher, Jaime Mears, Ken Hall, Isaac Kessler, and Gordon Neill. He is a graduate of the George Brown Theatre School classical conservatory program.

As a performer, Chase’s work spans film, television, and theatre. He is a member of the improv and sketch collective $20 Sandwich, where he performs UCB-style longform improv infused with his own clown sensibility — bringing a spirit of risk, play, and discovery to structured comedic form.

He is also one half of West 2 West, a duo known for their innovative blend of clown sketch and clown improv, merging physical comedy, audience connection, and absurd play.

In his solo work, Chase continues to push the boundaries of comedy through Goofing — a punk-inspired mix of clown, riffing, and improvisation that explores connection, risk, and laughter through failure. His work merges improv, sketch, and clown to create performances that are as vulnerable as they are hilarious, uniting mainstream comedy with the spirit of live play.

Imdb tagline is  In this 19th century, supernatural winter epic, a drunken applejack salesman must go from zero to hero and become North America's greatest fur trapper by defeating hundreds of beavers.

Join Professor Eff for the second installment in his totally made up Clown in Cinema series. Come for discussion and exploration of Clown tropes in film led by Professor Eff. Hundreds of Beavers will be the last event before the holidays. A film that embraces the ridiculous like nothing I have ever seen. A beautiful homage to the cartoons of yore and thereby a film with a wonderful Clown spirit that I am confident the creators are completely unaware of...

FREE, just show up. Popcorn provided

Stage Fright: An Improv for Anxiety Workshop and Jam

Try improv in a low-pressure, supportive space! Anxiety-friendly workshop at 7pm, jam at 8pm. All welcome.

Join Yitzi Gal for a night of low pressure and high comfort improv!

We will have an Improv for Anxiety workshop led by Yitzi at 7 p.m and then transition to the jam at 8 p.m. All finishing off with a longform improv set by Yitzi and a friend.

Are you curious about improv but it feels too scary to try?
Have you taken improv classes for self growth and looking for a low pressure place to continue your practice?
Want to come watch a fun Jam?
This event is for you!
Come for just the workshop, just the jam, or both!

Open Stage Night is Here!

Free, no tickets.

Join us for an evening of laughter, creativity, and surprise at the Open Stage Night! It’s like an open mic for comics, just instead of a microphone we’re opening up the entire stage for ridiculousness to occur. Whether you're a seasoned performer or a curious newcomer, this is your chance to step into the spotlight and share your silliest, most whimsical acts. From playful antics to heartwarming stories, clown, bouffon, improv, and all other performance artists, we want to see what you're working on!

Up to 10 minutes of stage time for each performer. List will be posted at 9:00 pm, show starts at 9:15pm.

Not just for performers! Come out to watch the show, see some fresh acts, and laugh at the hilarity that will ensue. Ridiculousness is almost guaranteed to occur!

Laughs Without Limits — Pay-What-You-Can Benefit for StopGap

Presented by Disability Privilege.

Hosted by Blair “TheHandy”.

Headlined by Jared Nathan.

Featuring Todd Blenkhorn, Tia Percy, 

Our first ICU Open Mic winner,
Sam Goldman

This show is Pay What You Can and all proceeds will be donated to StopGap. Come laugh with a lineup of comics whose lives are influenced by disability—funny first, accessible always.

Saturday, December 20 Doors @7 Show @7:30-9PM

Reserve your spot now—your ticket helps build a more accessible city.

Accessibility note: We prioritize accessible experiences. If you need specific accommodations, please reach out after booking and we’ll do our best to help.

Looking for something fun to do this Holiday? Come see this hilarious improv show with Daflo and Hinprov! You don’t want to miss this

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! A SOLD-OUT Edinburgh Fringe run, emotionally and hilariously told by Canada's Got Talent's Golden Buzzer Winner!

Back by Popular Demand!

Fresh off a whirlwind year, Darren Leo returns to the stage this holiday season with the show that has everyone talking. After winning the coveted Golden Buzzer on Canada’s Got Talent from Katherine Ryan—and subsequently becoming the first and only comedian ever invited to open for her—Darren is bringing his razor-sharp wit back home.

Following a massive 12-day sold-out streak at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and an immediately sold-out run earlier this year in Toronto, this is your chance to catch one of comedy’s fastest-rising stars.

In this heartfelt and hilarious hour, Darren navigates his immigration story, dissecting the Western world through his unique lens. It is a show about the struggle for identity, finding your footing, and the absurdity of fitting in. Equal parts poignant and punchy, this is the must-see comedy event of the holidays.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! A SOLD-OUT Edinburgh Fringe run, emotionally and hilariously told by Canada's Got Talent's Golden Buzzer Winner!

Back by Popular Demand!

Fresh off a whirlwind year, Darren Leo returns to the stage this holiday season with the show that has everyone talking. After winning the coveted Golden Buzzer on Canada’s Got Talent from Katherine Ryan—and subsequently becoming the first and only comedian ever invited to open for her—Darren is bringing his razor-sharp wit back home.

Following a massive 12-day sold-out streak at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and an immediately sold-out run earlier this year in Toronto, this is your chance to catch one of comedy’s fastest-rising stars.

In this heartfelt and hilarious hour, Darren navigates his immigration story, dissecting the Western world through his unique lens. It is a show about the struggle for identity, finding your footing, and the absurdity of fitting in. Equal parts poignant and punchy, this is the must-see comedy event of the holidays.

ICU Open Mic is back! 🎤

Join us Sunday, December 28 at 7 PM at Sweet Action Theatre (180 Shaw St, Toronto) for a bucket-style open mic:

🎟️ Free sign-up, 4-minute sets

🏆 Best set of the night wins a paid spot on Laughs Without Limits

You do not need a disability to participate – this mic is for everyone. Any and all material is welcome, from brand-new comics to seasoned killers working out new bits.

Your co-hosts for the evening are Blair TheHandy and Todd Blenkhorn. Come throw your name in the bucket and let’s pack the room with big laughs and good vibes. 💥

Presented by PeachFuzz Theatre at Sweet Action Theatre, five short plays by emerging playwrights will be read aloud by a panel of actors!

Do you have a story or several roiling inside you, aching to be unleashed on the world? Do you watch the chest-burster scene in Alien and think “Yeah, I get that”?

Want to share your thoughts but terrified that you’ll suck at it? Already writing, but want to explore deeper characters, more evocative description, and more intense action? Interested in translating your performance arts to the page?

OUT OF OUR MINDS (& onto the page) is the perfect workshop to get those creative storytelling juices flowing. Over 5 Saturdays, we’ll play with improv games and prompted writing exercises to help you make writing spontaneous and freewheeling. Thinking is overthinking, so we’re going to remove the pressure to get it right by simply playing with whatever comes. No preparation. No homework. No inhibitions.

Just be ready to be silly and open. Oh, and bring something to write with (e.g., pen & paper, phone, iPad, stone tablet & chisel, semaphore flags).

TO REGISTER: Early-bird pricing of $150 (+ HST) ends December 20 when prices rise to $200 (+HST). Please send an e-transfer to createdbyrcw@gmail.com to reserve your place. Spaces are limited.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

Randall C Willis is an award-winning screen and comedy writer and filmmaker and regularly performs in Toronto’s spoken-word storytelling community. He is also a seasoned science and medicine writer, but hey, nobody’s perfect.

A perpetual student of the storytelling arts, Randall has 25+ years of training in improv, stand up, puppetry, sketch comedy, and monologues. If Randall has a motto, it’s “You have permission to suck”, which fits nicely with his fully improvised life.

Do you have a story or several roiling inside you, aching to be unleashed on the world? Do you watch the chest-burster scene in Alien and think “Yeah, I get that”?

Want to share your thoughts but terrified that you’ll suck at it? Already writing, but want to explore deeper characters, more evocative description, and more intense action? Interested in translating your performance arts to the page?

OUT OF OUR MINDS (& onto the page) is the perfect workshop to get those creative storytelling juices flowing. Over 5 Saturdays, we’ll play with improv games and prompted writing exercises to help you make writing spontaneous and freewheeling. Thinking is overthinking, so we’re going to remove the pressure to get it right by simply playing with whatever comes. No preparation. No homework. No inhibitions.

Just be ready to be silly and open. Oh, and bring something to write with (e.g., pen & paper, phone, iPad, stone tablet & chisel, semaphore flags).

TO REGISTER: Early-bird pricing of $150 (+ HST) ends December 20 when prices rise to $200 (+HST). Please send an e-transfer to createdbyrcw@gmail.com to reserve your place. Spaces are limited.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

Randall C Willis is an award-winning screen and comedy writer and filmmaker and regularly performs in Toronto’s spoken-word storytelling community. He is also a seasoned science and medicine writer, but hey, nobody’s perfect.

A perpetual student of the storytelling arts, Randall has 25+ years of training in improv, stand up, puppetry, sketch comedy, and monologues. If Randall has a motto, it’s “You have permission to suck”, which fits nicely with his fully improvised life.

Do you have a story or several roiling inside you, aching to be unleashed on the world? Do you watch the chest-burster scene in Alien and think “Yeah, I get that”?

Want to share your thoughts but terrified that you’ll suck at it? Already writing, but want to explore deeper characters, more evocative description, and more intense action? Interested in translating your performance arts to the page?

OUT OF OUR MINDS (& onto the page) is the perfect workshop to get those creative storytelling juices flowing. Over 5 Saturdays, we’ll play with improv games and prompted writing exercises to help you make writing spontaneous and freewheeling. Thinking is overthinking, so we’re going to remove the pressure to get it right by simply playing with whatever comes. No preparation. No homework. No inhibitions.

Just be ready to be silly and open. Oh, and bring something to write with (e.g., pen & paper, phone, iPad, stone tablet & chisel, semaphore flags).

TO REGISTER: Early-bird pricing of $150 (+ HST) ends December 20 when prices rise to $200 (+HST). Please send an e-transfer to createdbyrcw@gmail.com to reserve your place. Spaces are limited.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

Randall C Willis is an award-winning screen and comedy writer and filmmaker and regularly performs in Toronto’s spoken-word storytelling community. He is also a seasoned science and medicine writer, but hey, nobody’s perfect.

A perpetual student of the storytelling arts, Randall has 25+ years of training in improv, stand up, puppetry, sketch comedy, and monologues. If Randall has a motto, it’s “You have permission to suck”, which fits nicely with his fully improvised life.

Do you have a story or several roiling inside you, aching to be unleashed on the world? Do you watch the chest-burster scene in Alien and think “Yeah, I get that”?

Want to share your thoughts but terrified that you’ll suck at it? Already writing, but want to explore deeper characters, more evocative description, and more intense action? Interested in translating your performance arts to the page?

OUT OF OUR MINDS (& onto the page) is the perfect workshop to get those creative storytelling juices flowing. Over 5 Saturdays, we’ll play with improv games and prompted writing exercises to help you make writing spontaneous and freewheeling. Thinking is overthinking, so we’re going to remove the pressure to get it right by simply playing with whatever comes. No preparation. No homework. No inhibitions.

Just be ready to be silly and open. Oh, and bring something to write with (e.g., pen & paper, phone, iPad, stone tablet & chisel, semaphore flags).

TO REGISTER: Early-bird pricing of $150 (+ HST) ends December 20 when prices rise to $200 (+HST). Please send an e-transfer to createdbyrcw@gmail.com to reserve your place. Spaces are limited.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

Randall C Willis is an award-winning screen and comedy writer and filmmaker and regularly performs in Toronto’s spoken-word storytelling community. He is also a seasoned science and medicine writer, but hey, nobody’s perfect.

A perpetual student of the storytelling arts, Randall has 25+ years of training in improv, stand up, puppetry, sketch comedy, and monologues. If Randall has a motto, it’s “You have permission to suck”, which fits nicely with his fully improvised life.

Do you have a story or several roiling inside you, aching to be unleashed on the world? Do you watch the chest-burster scene in Alien and think “Yeah, I get that”?

Want to share your thoughts but terrified that you’ll suck at it? Already writing, but want to explore deeper characters, more evocative description, and more intense action? Interested in translating your performance arts to the page?

OUT OF OUR MINDS (& onto the page) is the perfect workshop to get those creative storytelling juices flowing. Over 5 Saturdays, we’ll play with improv games and prompted writing exercises to help you make writing spontaneous and freewheeling. Thinking is overthinking, so we’re going to remove the pressure to get it right by simply playing with whatever comes. No preparation. No homework. No inhibitions.

Just be ready to be silly and open. Oh, and bring something to write with (e.g., pen & paper, phone, iPad, stone tablet & chisel, semaphore flags).

TO REGISTER: Early-bird pricing of $150 (+ HST) ends December 20 when prices rise to $200 (+HST). Please send an e-transfer to createdbyrcw@gmail.com to reserve your place. Spaces are limited.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

Randall C Willis is an award-winning screen and comedy writer and filmmaker and regularly performs in Toronto’s spoken-word storytelling community. He is also a seasoned science and medicine writer, but hey, nobody’s perfect.

A perpetual student of the storytelling arts, Randall has 25+ years of training in improv, stand up, puppetry, sketch comedy, and monologues. If Randall has a motto, it’s “You have permission to suck”, which fits nicely with his fully improvised life.