Stag Nation. Unckey Darryl’s House of Sketchola. The Understudies. Competitive Awesome. The Sketchersons. Better than Shakespeare. Dead Comics Society. The Rumoli Bros. Boiled Wieners. Freedumb. The Wet Spots. The Distractions. Scott & Cornell. Ten West. The Imponderables. KK(WT?)C!
If you’re reading those random sentence fragments filled with nonsensical words and are wondering as to what in God’s name we’re talking about-not to mention questioning whether this reporter ever learned how to write correctly-well, allow us to fill you in.
Those are the names of the various comedy troupes taking part in the first annual Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival-and by the way, yes, I do know how to string words together. Don’t poke fun.
All this week until Sunday, the Gladstone Hotel will be home to the festival, with every night promising an evening of chuckle-filled and gut-busting entertainment from a wide selection of funny folks.
Festival publicist Sarah Milanes notes that the Gladstone is a major cultural force in Toronto’s Parkdale community and a wonderful area for artists to show off their work and perform (it’s often home to art exhibits and performances of all sorts). Given its reputation as a historic landmark in Toronto and a showcase venue for artists young and old, she says it’s an ideal place to hold the city’s first festival of comedic performance art.
Despite its title, the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival includes more than just local talent. The majority of the acts are indeed based here, but the festival has garnered attention from beyond our borders. Dead Comics Society sculpted their comedic craft in Montreal, and the troupes Freedumb (from New York), Ten West (Los Angeles), and Competitive Awesome (Chicago) will be crossing the Peace Bridge to take part in the experience. If the festival proves to be a popular and successful one, troupes from around the world could conceivably gather here annually, Milanes points out.
There’s even some campus content in the festival-co-producer Julianne Baragar graduated from UTSC last year (as did Milanes) and was part of their drama society. Jan Caruana of Unckey Darryl’s House of Sketchola is also a recent graduate from this fine institution.
The community aspect is what sets the festival apart from other comedy ventures-whether the troupes sink or swim, the festival is a rare chance to gather several diverse acts together under one bill, hopefully making for an event where there’s something to appeal to everyone’s unique sense of humour.
The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival runs until Sunday (Nov. 27) at The Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen W.). Tickets per set are $12, and a one-night that lets you hang out for an entire evening is $38. For more info on the schedule and the performers, see torontosketchfest.com.
