7 HABITS

DATES

When: Wednesdays from 6:00-8:00 PM

In-Studio Classes: Wednesday, July 24 - Wednesday, September 4

Noted Performance: Wednesday, September 11 & Wednesday, September 18 during STUDIO WEDNESDAYS

Show Run: Comedy Bar's STUDIO WEDNESDAYS will run Wednesdays at 8:30 PM, September 25 - October 30

Where: Comedy Bar Danforth

DESCRIPTION

Discover the secrets to masterful iimprovisaton with "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Improvisers," where seven expert instructors share their top tips for unforgettable scene work. Each week you'll have the opportunity to work with a different, expert instructor as they reveal their best advice and techniques for crafting hilarious, unforgettable scenes. 

All graduates of 7 HABITS will be invited to perform in an extended run of STUDIO WEDNESDAYS playing the Comedy Bar Danforth Studio Theatre. Ticket sales from STUDIO WEDNESDAYS will be a 50/50 split with performers. 

INSTRUCTORS

Adam Cawley

Adam is an alumnus of The Second City Mainstage, The Just for Laughs Festival and is a three-time Canadian Comedy Award Winner, including: Best Male Improviser in Canada. Adam was an actor and writer on Workin’ Moms (Netflix) a regular on Baroness Von Sketch Show (IFC). He’s recently appeared on Ghosts (CBS) the films Harbour House and Making Scents of Love as well as performing sketch comedy for The NFL on FOX (FOX). Pre pandemic Adam was cast in a new improv TV pilot from the creators of Whose Line is it Anyway?

Currently Adam is a performer and producer at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, The Westside Comedy Theatre and performs monthly in Party Hard Hard Party at The Lyric Hyperion.

Alana Johnston

Alana Johnston is an actress, sketch performer and writer from Toronto, Canada.

Alana was the host of "I Want My Phone Back" for Facebook/College Humor and a series regular on the Disney XD cartoon "Right Now KaPow." She has also appeared on shows such as “That’s My Jam” on NBC, “Conan” on TBS, “Earth to Ned” on Disney Plus, “My Least Favorite Thing” on Comedy Central, “Comedy Bang Bang" and "Birthday Boys" for IFC, "Adam Ruins Everything" for TruTV, "BLAIR" for TBS Online.

She was also the creator/star of her own pilot "Alana is Available" for Comedy Central, “I Got This” for Just For Laughs and "Cousins" for Bell Media Canada. Her comedic pop album "Self Esteem Party" is available on iTunes.

Ken Hall

Ken Hall is a Dora Mavor Moore Award nominee, Canadian Comedy Award winner (Best Breakout Artist) and multiple CCA award nominee, including most recently, Comedic Artist of the Year. Ken plays the lovable Herb and provides motion capture as the body of Pogo in Netflix's THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY and has appeared in numerous film and television roles including two seasons as, Jeff The Grey, on TBS’s hit series PEOPLE OF EARTH and has appeared as a guest on CONAN. Ken is also one-half of the critically acclaimed, comedic clownprov duo, 2-MAN NO-SHOW, with his comedic soulmate, Isaac Kessler, and has had the pleasure to work for CIRQUE DU SOLEIL.

Ken recently completed a successful run in Canadian Stage's Shakespeare adaptation of 'AS YOU LIKE IT' for the Dream in High Park series and a two person re-telling of SNOW WHITE for Young People's Theatre for which he was nominated for a Dora Award for Outstanding Performance by an Individual.

Ken teaches Public Speaking at The Second City - a course he created and developed, as well as Clownprov at Bad Dog Theatre. Ken co-created & co-instructs a 6 week course on creative play, aptly named, Brunch!, at Sweet Action Theatre as well as, SpeakEasy, - a course that combines public speaking and play theory and teaches improv at The Social Capital Theatre. Ken was awarded the Frank McAnulty Award for Faculty Instructor of the Year 2019 at The Second City.

Kris Siddiqi

Kris Siddiqi is a comedian, actor and writer from the great city of Toronto!

Recipient of the 2015 Canadian Comedy Award for Best Male Improviser and the 2014 “Best Of” Now Magazine Awards. Trained in sketch and improvisation since a young age, Kris studied with the world renowned Second City, joined the Mainstage cast in 2009 and wrote 3 revues with them. From there he went to voice work, becoming the Network Voice of Country Music Television, principal roles on many cartoons as well as becoming a series regular on the Comedy Panel Show on CBC Because News. Kris also had the pleasure of co-hosting a gala for the 2021 Winnipeg Comedy Festival with his wife Aurora Browne, and performs stand up, sketch and improv all across North America. His most recent creation was the multi-award winning miniseries BIT PLAYAS. Conceived and originated by Kris, the show would go on to win 2 Canadian Screen Awards for Best Writing and Best Series, Best Representation of Communities Of Color from the Minnesota WebFest 2020, Best Actor in the Toronto WebFest awards, as well as multiple other awards from festivals all over the world. Kris’ recent film & tv credits include Netflix’s I WOKE UP A VAMPIRE, HBOMax’s TITANS, Aaron Sorkin’s MOLLY’S GAME, Amazon’s THE BOYS, AppleTV’s THE CHANGELING and a recurring face on IFC/CBC’s BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW. And if he wasn’t enough of a huge nerd, Kris is also the sound editor, sound designer and main character for his fantasy radio-drama DWARVEN MOSS, which recently won Best Leisure Podcast from the Canadian Podcast Awards. 

Lisa Merchant

Lisa Merchant is a highly sought-after improvisation instructor/facilitator/performer.

She has been studying, performing and teaching the art of improvisation for 35+ years. A Senior Faculty member at The Second City Training Centre and The Social Capital Theatre and a corporate facilitator both privately and with The Second City Works division. Since 2017 she has been Program Chair for Improv(ed) Legal Skills: Improvisation for Legal Professionals for Osgoode Hall Law School Professional Development. Lisa is a professor at Humber College in the Media and Creative Arts Department Comedy Program teaching Improvisation.

She delivered workshops to some of the Canadian Olympic Team hopefuls for the London 2012 Summer Games as well as Sochi 2014 Winter Games. Most recently she taught and performed with Angel Comedy in London, U.K and performed in the Artic Comedy Festival in Iqaluit, Nunavut. She is a multiple nominee and winner of 4 Canadian Comedy Awards, 3 for Best Female Improvisor. As an actor you may have seen her on Davey and Jonesie’s Locker, Murdoch Mysteries, Private Eyes, American Gods, to name a few…

Andrew Phung

Andrew Phung is an actor, comedian, improviser, writer, and host best known for his work as Kimchee on the hit TV series Kim's Convenience. He won five consecutive Canadian Screen Awards in the category of "Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series" for his work on the show. His recent credits include Wynonna Earp, Events Transpiring, and Last One Laughing on Amazon Prime.

He is currently the co-creator, star, and executive producer of the comedy series Run the Burbs on the CBC/CW/Hulu. He recently received his second consecutive CSA nomination for "Best Lead Performer Comedy", and can be heard regularly on CBC Radio's Because News and the Debaters.

Ron Pederson

Ron is an actor, improviser, director, and writer who has worked across Canada with many theatres, including; The Stratford Festival, Soulpepper Theatre, The Tarragon Theatre, CanStage, Coal Mine Theatre, RMTC, Alberta Theatre Projects, Arts Club Theatre, Vancouver Playhouse, Theatre Passè Murielle, The Belfry, and The Citadel Theatre. As an improviser, Ron has collaborated with companies in Berlin, Oslo, Vienna, Amsterdam, Chicago and NYC and he is an alumni of The Second City MainStage. Ron’s television credits include 3 seasons on MADtv (Fox) The Late Late Show (CBS) Murdoch Mysteries,(CBC), Degrassi (CTV), SideKick (YTV), New Eden (Crave), Private Eyes (Global), When Hope Calls (Hallmark), The Next Step (NBC Kids) Ron is the recipient of multiple Canadian Comedy Awards, the Dora Mavor Moore Award, The SummerWorks Performance Award and The RBC Arts Professional Award. He is a proud citizen of The Métis Nation of Alberta. Instagram: @ron_pederson

PRICE

Price: $375.00 + Tax - As of July 2, 2024

PREREQUISITES

This class is by submission only. Applicants must be a graduate of Advanced Improv 2 or an equivalent improv program or have 3+ years of industry experience to be eligible.  

HOW TO SUBMIT

Email a headshot and resume to submissions@comedybar.ca using the subject line 7 HABITS for consideraton by Friday, July 19th.

Successful applicants will be contacted and enrolled by Monday, July 22nd.

POLICIES